Republicans; the real leaders and founders of the civil rights movement

Many people have this notion that Democrats have all along been the leaders of civil rights. Alas this is not true. Even today, the bigotry of low expectations have done more to hold minority groups back than to help then.

With this is mind, I thought I would help educate many of you.

Many people do not know that the civil rights movement was first started by Republicans. Professors and the media today gloss over the fact that when Republicans freed the slaves under President Lincoln, it was Democrats standing opposed. When the vote came to Congress on Emancipation Proclamation, every single democrat voted against it, while every republican voted in favor of it. It was republican principles, ideals and blood that was spent to free the slaves. It was republicans that lead the effort to pass the 13th Amendment officially making slavery constitutionally outlawed. It was the Democratic Party that stood opposed. Republicans passed the first Civil Right Act legally extending citizenship and equal right to all, regardless of race. The Republicans passed the 14th Amendment requiring all states to give due process of law, and equal protection of the laws to all races. Every single Republican voted in favor, while every democrat opposed.

Every single African-American Congressmen until 1935 was a Republican. The first African-American governor was a republican. Colin Powell was the first African-American National Security Advisor and Secretary of State. Condoleezza Rice was the first woman to serve as the National Security Advisor. The first Hispanic governor was a Republican. The first Hispanic US Senator was a Republican. The first Asian American US Senator was a Republican. The first Asian American Federal Judge was a Republican. The first woman elected to Congress was a Republican. Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao amazingly was the first Asian American woman in any president’s cabinet. The first women allowed to be delegates to a national convention were Republicans. The first Republican Supreme Court Justice was republican Sandra Day O’Connor, who before that was also the first woman in any state to be the Majority Leader in the Legislature.

Republicans led the movement for women’s right to vote, and as a party the democrats opposed this right. Every leader of the early feminist movement were Republicans, including Susan B. Anthony, Lucretia Mott, and Elizabeth Cady Stanton. Two of the leading African-American suffragists, Ida Wells and Mary Terrell were Republicans, and also were co-founders of the NAACP.

It was Republicans that integrated professional sports. Brooklyn Dodgers General Manager Branch Rickey was an outspoken supporter of race integration and Republican, as was Jackie Robinson. Those most outspoken to sports integration were southern democrats.

The Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court decision was written by a Republican Chief Justice appointed by Republican President Dwight Eisenhower. That Republican Chief Justice, Earl Warren, was a three-term Republican Governor in California, and was the Republican nominee for Vice President of the United States in 1948. Roughly three years after this Supreme Court ruling, President Eisenhower won passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1957. The important thing to note here is that Eisenhower was the first Republican President in four administrations. Democrats controlled the White House for four administrations and did not pass a single civil rights bill. Not one. It was U.S. Senator Everett Dirksen that authored and introduced the 1960 Civil Rights Act. Individually he was the most responsible for the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as he was the Republican leader who crafted the strategy that overcame long odds and tenacious Democratic opposition to the Bill. After all, it was entirely democrats that filibustered the Bill and it was Dirksen that overcame them. When the Bill was finally passed it received significantly more support from Republicans than Democrats.

In 1976 it was republican President Ford who repealed democratic President F. Roosevelt’s now infamous executive order interning 120,000 Japanese Americans during World War II. None of the numerous democrat Presidents before him felt it necessary and democrats role in the interning has been glossed over.

Amazingly, Democrats have been widely credited as the leaders of the civil rights movement and the torch bearers of equal rights. How did this happen? The fundamental difference is Republicans believing in freedom of opportunity while most democrats believe in equality of results. While a basic republican principle is that every individual should have the freedom and opportunity to make of themselves what they choose, democrats take it a step further and try to legislate actual outcomes. Slowly over generations democrats created a welfare state where sadly they have made many people dependant on the government. They have fostered the idea within minority groups that Republicans want to keep them poor and want to take away government assistance. Republicans are losing this war of words and ideas. Republicans need to better articulate why they oppose a system of perpetual government assistance. Republicans need to illustrate that their principles unshackle people from government assistance and allow the human soul to sour with the pride of success and self dependence.

Democrats have now elected the first African-American President. And while we do not support his policies, this achievement is something Republicans should be proud of. For his achievement was made standing on the shoulders of many Republicans. Republicans laid the foundation for an America where all races and sexes could elect an African-American President.

[edit on 12-6-2009 by johnny2127]

Star and flag from me!

Thanks for a well thought out, well written, informative and factual post.
I am always surprised at how many Republicans aren't aware of this.

Oh my.

You are going to be as welcomed with this post as a hooker in church but well done anyway.

LOL, that is hilarious. Of course, a hooker should be welcome in any church. As I tell my Democrat friends 'Democrats are just uneducated Republicans'. Of course thats a joke.... but it always riles 'em up.

Thank you for pointing out a piece of forgotten history. People who self describe as Democrats are often a sick lot, they see to be the party of choice for sex offenders in my area. Not to mention that many of those self-described liberals aren't so liberal when comes to hiring or paying real live "colored" folks. I worked for a Democrat-controlled paper for a decade that refused to hire black editors and reporters, and even offered them about $3 less per hour than the white male applicants.

That is too bad. I in no way have anything against Democrats. I think most are intelligent, well intentioned people. Most of the time Republicans and Democrats even want the same things. But the disagreement is how to accomplish those things.

In my opinion, what being a Republican means has been widely misconstrued and most Democrats really do not understand it. However, that is the fault of Republicans for letting themselves be defined by their political opponents. Good thing is, there is so much history and philosophical evidence that if people can just articulate what being a Republican means, there will be many converts.

By definition of what a Republican stands for, they should have the biggest most accommodating tent of all.

If I may add to the truth, here is a thread that goes quite well with this one:

Historically, Democrats More Racist Than Republicans


Welcome Mr White to post a comment.

reply to post by johnny2127

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Excellent post! S&F!

Can't wait to see the HuffPo post in response to this.

Thanks. I, in all honesty, do not think Democrats are racists. But I think that unintentionally many of their policies are racist in long term effect. Many times the democrat party seems to be the party of unintended consequences. Their intention is to help, but end up hindering many times. It is very sad to see the accomplishments of many minorities demeaned through the racism of low expectations.

Your forgetting the great political migration of the 60s and 70s, when dixie democrats became republicans and many republicans moved towards becoming Democrats. The Republican stance changed during the late 60s/70s chasing away those who advocated civil rights towards becoming democrat where civil right support began to increase. Even Reagan himself discussed the great swap over stating that the Democratic party was not the party he supported and in that case himself and his fellow conservatives moved over the the republican side... and this was following the wide spread civil right policies implemented by the Dems, vice versa.

The Republicans of today are not the Lincoln Republicans of yesterday.



Your partly right. I believe that there have been some republicans and independents who pushed for the civil rights movement aswell, despite them been signficantly smaller in participation.

Protestors durings the 60s came from both sides of the political sphere, it is important we first acknowledge that before we debate anything.



Yes, and did you know that the majority of african americans during the 60s considered themselves Republican? Just tell me what happened following that, why was there a sudden shift in civil right policies? As expressed in my first post, the great shift.

[edit on 12-6-2009 by Southern Guardian]

OK... all I'm saying is... I'm going to be staying away from this thread.

I know when I'm outnumbered, lol.

[edit on 13-6-2009 by KarlG]

True. Good point.......

reply to post by johnny2127

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Todays Republican war of words and ideas are much different than those of Lincolns administration...even that of Reagan.

It has never been about the label...it is the package.

Well that depends what you are talking about. If you mean the Republican voters, then I would say no, they are the same. If you mean the party itself under GWB than I would agree with you. The party abandoned its fiscal identity and lost power because of it. The party now is trying to find someone they can rally behind. Their new Reagan. If they listen to their voting constituents they will be fine. If not, they will continue to lose seats.

What policy wise have you say has changed? I would argue that every Republican still believes in equal opportunities, not equal results.

Awesome post Johnny.

And if you think Republicans are Neocons then read this because you've been tricked...

The Difference Between Neocons and Conservatives (AKA Wake Up people.)

Of course I do not think that Republicans and Neocons are the same thing. I believe you and I were making the same points in one of Grover's threads. Good thread you posted though. Thank you.

I have made that point about republicans before. BUT!!! I'll make you another statement that many dont like.

All serious social movements to bring about social change for the better....have come from the left! It has historically been the left that drove every single movement or organization that has resulted in equality, rights and opportunity for the people of our country.

Everything that we think of when we speak of how great our country is, Equal rights for blacks, womens sufferage, labor regulations and laws, etc, all were movements pushed by the left of society, often largely managed by socialists and communists, and always fought against by the right and the government with guns abuse and violence.

Apparently you didn't read what I wrote at all. What you are saying is the exact opposite of what is historically true. Don't believe me? Go do some of your own research. Look who lead civil rights for minorities, and woman's suffrage. Look at who stood opposed. It Republicans that lead both movements.... take a look. Read what I wrote.... you may need to rethink what you previously though of as fact.

I have read plenty history, and i didnt say anything about republicans, or democrats. My point was right vs. left. And in all cases it has been common people, minorities, socialists, progressives, the LEFT that pushed all those issues, meanwhile the RIGHT, business owners, the wealthy elite, conservatives, government, fought tooth and nail to keep them from getting these rights.