New Online Magazine For Black Conservatives

Conservative black Americans, often the target of ridicule by Sen. Barack Obama's pastor Rev. Jeremiah Wright, insist their voices be heard in the ongoing race relations discussion, Dr. Eric Wallace, founder of Wallace Multimedia Group, said today. "Rev. Wright's uncomplimentary comments about accomplished national black conservatives such as Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas reveal an ideological struggle among African-Americans," Dr. Wallace said. "He owes black conservatives an apology for insulting all of us when he mocked Dr. Rice and Judge Thomas."

Dr. Wallace said that Rev. Wright does not speak for all blacks in America, and that this controversy presents an opportunity for blacks to share other political perspectives, especially those which counter what he calls Rev. Wright's "radical leftist viewpoints". "American blacks are not monolithic. There's a considerable portion of us committed to the ideals of limited government, individual rights, free markets and traditional family values. Just because Dr. Wright doesn't approve of our views does not excuse his disrespect for those who have the same skin color, but hold different political persuasions," Dr. Wallace, a Chicago suburban resident and chair of the African-American Republican Council of Illinois, said.

In March, Wallace Multimedia Group launched its premiere issue of Freedom's Journal Magazine, an online bi-monthly publication that focuses on a black conservative perspective. "We are pleased that national conservatives such as Herman Cain, Star Parker and Armstrong Williams agreed to join our efforts by contributing to our first Freedom's Journal Magazine," Dr. Wallace said. "They represent the myriad of bright, gifted leaders that encourage black Americans to accentuate natural abilities and encourage independence from government programs and confidence in themselves. Freedom's Journal Magazine is an easy first step in tapping into the bountiful intellectual leadership readily available to black conservatives."

My response: I don't know about the late Frederick Douglass being put on that cover as a conservative. I'd call him a liberal, and even moderate would be a stretch for his time period. However, it is good to see an online magazine showing that not all black Americans are liberal and putting other viewpoints out there. Dr. Wallace also lives in the Chicago area, so he and I should probably connect. According to one poll a few years back, which I believe was done by the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, 22% of black American respondents said they favored limited government (if my memory is correct, 68% favored big government, and the rest did not know). Work from there.