Roland Martin: Republicans ‘Are Scared of Black People’

Thursday on MSNBC’s “Live With Velshi and Ruhle,” political commentator Roland Martin said Republicans were “scared” of black people.

When asked about Chance the Rapper tweeting, “Black people don’t have to be Democrats,” to back Kanye West’s support of President Donald Trump, Martin said, “First of all that is true. Historically, African-Americans after the Emancipation Proclamation, in significant numbers when it came to Nixon versus Kennedy in 1960, voted for Republicans.”

Martin continued, “The reality is you had Barry Goldwater, who ran in 1964 opposing the Civil Rights Act, and that caused black folks to say sayonara, including Jackie Robinson, one of the most prominent black Republicans. The reality is Republicans have also had a southern strategy. And so the fact of the matter is there are two parties in this country, Republicans and Democrats, and if you had to make a judgment who actually appeals to African-Americans when it comes to policy, it’s more than likely Democrats.”

He added, “I’ve long said if Republicans could actually make an effort to compete for black votes if they try to. Unfortunately, they are scared of black people. They are the ones driving voter suppression. They’re the ones who don’t want to deal with criminal justice reform. I can show you significant policies under Donald Trump, his Department of Justice, that do not appeal to African-Americans. So yes, Chance is correct, he’s not wrong. But black people are some of the most sophisticated voters in America, and they are making a judgment.”

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