The Tale of One God and Two Cities

African American Christians & the Evangelical Right – One Bible, One Lord, Two Parties

Republican Presidential nominee Sen. John McCain pivoted from the Republican convention accompanied by a rejuvenated conservative base and, with the choice of Alaska Governor Sara Palin as his running mate, a clear focus on securing the non-educated, ‘hard-working’, white female and previously lukewarm evangelical [white] vote. While pinning for this category of voter, Sen. McCain simultaneously succeeded the African American vote, which includes a large Christian populous, to the historic candidacy of Sen. Barack Obama. While Sen. Obama’s candidacy has not always guaranteed the majority of the African American vote [Remember Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton?] the ramifications of his successful nomination clearly would have made it extremely difficult for Sen. McCain to garner significant numbers within this group.

Although the mechanics of such a divide between white and black Christians are to most political strategists a logical response to our current cultural climate, the undercurrent of the Christian response is not. The alarming fact, within the intellect of the faith community, is that on the surface, Christian values seem to be as divided as the parties which vie for their vote. GospelCity.com therefore attempts to take a serious look at what factors attribute to this great divide, democracy withstanding, amongst white and black Christians in our political process. Are the parameters of faith persuaded by cultural differences and is there a strain of diversity within those differences?

Historically, African Americans, Christians included, have overwhelmingly voted Democrat since the civil rights movement of the 1960’s. The civil rights movement birthed out of the bowels of the black church and whose agenda has and presently is staunchly engraved by the pursuit for economic and education equality, human rights, and against the notion of unjustified war.