Finding Neoliberalism Within Black Conservatism
Location
PANEL: Fourth Year Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship Panel
Wilder 101
Document Type
Presentation
Start Date
4-28-2023 3:00 PM
End Date
4-28-2023 4:00 PM
Abstract
This presentation seeks to understand neoliberalism’s impact on Black conservatism by examining recurring themes in interviews with two conservative Black women. I aim to continue the work of political scientists who have attempted to nuance the concept linked fate, or the idea that Black people vote primarily in their community's interest and not using their individual policy preferences. First, I will provide a brief history of Black conservatism in the US and the political ideologies that constitute it. Second, I shall examine what ideologies constitute Black neoliberalism and the historical forces influencing this political ideology. Black neoliberalism differs from its namesake due to chattel slavery’s enduring legacy in American society and the unique dehumanization Black Americans experienced that continues to negatively influence how we are perceived today. Third, I will discuss how my interviews demonstrated that the participants used neoliberal rhetoric to justify their conservative political beliefs. Both interviews showed evidence of the valorization of Black success and the normalization of the constant violence Black people face. My research will further the work of scholars such as Lester K. Spence and Kevin L. Clay, who have critically examined how neoliberalism has impacted Black political discourse. The implications of this project are broadening the idea of linked fate regarding Black political behavior and gaining a deeper understanding of how state-sanctioned racism impacted Black neoliberal thought.
Keywords:
Neoliberalism, Black conservatism
Recommended Citation
Baker, Vanessa, "Finding Neoliberalism Within Black Conservatism" (2023). Research Symposium. 4.
https://digitalcommons.oberlin.edu/researchsymp/2023/presentations/4
Major
CAST; Politics
Award
Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship
Project Mentor(s)
Wendy Kozol, Comparative American Studies
2023
Finding Neoliberalism Within Black Conservatism
PANEL: Fourth Year Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship Panel
Wilder 101
This presentation seeks to understand neoliberalism’s impact on Black conservatism by examining recurring themes in interviews with two conservative Black women. I aim to continue the work of political scientists who have attempted to nuance the concept linked fate, or the idea that Black people vote primarily in their community's interest and not using their individual policy preferences. First, I will provide a brief history of Black conservatism in the US and the political ideologies that constitute it. Second, I shall examine what ideologies constitute Black neoliberalism and the historical forces influencing this political ideology. Black neoliberalism differs from its namesake due to chattel slavery’s enduring legacy in American society and the unique dehumanization Black Americans experienced that continues to negatively influence how we are perceived today. Third, I will discuss how my interviews demonstrated that the participants used neoliberal rhetoric to justify their conservative political beliefs. Both interviews showed evidence of the valorization of Black success and the normalization of the constant violence Black people face. My research will further the work of scholars such as Lester K. Spence and Kevin L. Clay, who have critically examined how neoliberalism has impacted Black political discourse. The implications of this project are broadening the idea of linked fate regarding Black political behavior and gaining a deeper understanding of how state-sanctioned racism impacted Black neoliberal thought.
