When the Welcome Mat Has “Whites Only” Written in Small Print

Let’s talk about the elephant in the room—or should I say, the elephant in the Republican room that some Black conservatives keep pretending isn’t trampling all over them.

Here’s what should terrify every Black Republican: it’s not just the old guard anymore. A recent leaked group chat called “Young Republicans”—filled with 20 and 30-somethings—showed us exactly what the future of the party looks like. These aren’t your grandfather’s Republicans clinging to outdated views; these are millennials and Gen Z conservatives who’ve grown up with diversity initiatives and still chose racism.

These are peers of Charlie Kirk, the conservative wunderkind who actually said out loud that the Civil Rights Movement was a mistake. Let that sink in. A prominent young conservative influencer believes that giving Black Americans equal rights was an error in judgment. And he’s not some fringe character like Andrew Tate or Nick Fuentes—Kirk was mainstream enough to speak at Republican events and shape young conservative minds.

The choice of platform speaks volumes too. These Young Republicans chose to use Telegram for their “political chats.” Not Signal, Whatsapp, GroupMe, Facebook Messenger, or Discord. They chose a messaging platform that is infamous for hosting illegal content. Telegram is like OnlyFans. Why are you using the platform if you’re not using it for porn?

To my Black Republican friends: what exactly do you think you’re gaining here? Political diversity is important, and conservative values around family, faith, and financial responsibility resonate with many Black Americans. But the Republican Party isn’t just offering you conservative policies—it’s offering you conservative policies wrapped in a worldview that fundamentally questions your worth as a human being.

You’re not changing the party from within. You’re not showing them that Black conservatives exist and deserve respect. You’re serving as their “I’m not racist, I have a Black friend” card while they work to dismantle the very civil rights protections that allow you to participate in their party at all.

Look at the actual policies. Voter restriction laws that disproportionately affect Black communities. Opposition to police reform while Black Americans are disproportionately killed by law enforcement. Resistance to addressing systemic inequalities in healthcare, education, and criminal justice. These aren’t abstract political positions—they’re direct attacks on Black American wellbeing.

How do you reconcile supporting a party whose policies actively harm Black communities while claiming to care about Black prosperity? 

What more does Trump need to do to show Black people that he doesn’t care about us? Trump has sent federal law enforcement to mostly Black cities: D.C., Chicago, and Memphis, when statistics show that crime has reduced in these cities since 2023. 

Every time a Black conservative is elevated in Republican circles, it’s with great fanfare. Or is it because Trump isn’t even trying to pretend that he cares about diversity? With DEI programs dismantled and the firings of high rank Black leaders in the Pentagon like General Charles Q Brown Jr, the second Black chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the nation’s senior military official. DePartMenT oF WAr Secretary Pete Hegseth recommended General Brown to be fired due to his support for DEI programs and questioned his promotion due to him being Black. 

Pete Hegseth’s military career consist of him being an infantry officer with one deployment to Iraq and his highest rank as a Major. That’s a career anybody can have. While being an Air Force fighter pilot and promoted to a General is not something you get just for being Black.

This isn’t about telling Black Americans they must be Democrats. The two-party system has failed Black Americans in many ways, and political diversity of thought within Black communities is healthy and necessary. But aligning yourself with people who question your basic humanity isn’t political diversity—it’s self-destruction.

I grew up in the Baptist Church. You can have Conservative values without aligning yourself with the Republican Party. While some Black people may be thinking the Republican Party supports their Conservative values better, whats more affective to your life is the party that moreso supports your humanity. 

If you’re genuinely conservative, fight for a conservative movement that doesn’t require you to ignore racism. Demand better from the Republican Party or build something new. But stop pretending that the current GOP is anything other than what it repeatedly shows itself to be: a party that tolerates your presence but will never truly accept your humanity.

The Democrats might take your vote for granted, but at least they acknowledge you deserve to vote. The Republicans are actively working to ensure you can’t. That’s not a political difference of opinion—that’s an existential threat.

It’s time to stop making excuses for people who wouldn’t make excuses for you. Your conservatism shouldn’t come at the cost of your dignity. And if it does, then maybe it’s time to question whether you’re really as welcome in that big tent as they keep telling you that you are.