Tim Scott Becomes Latest Beneficiary of NAACP’s Bias

Tim Scott’s swearing in ceremony as United States Senator was an historic achievement that was embraced and celebrated by many—except the NAACP. Ben Jealous, president of the organization, made this claim: “We have Republicans who believe in civil rights — unfortunately he is not one of them,” Jealous said. “And unfortunately his party as you know, has really gone after so-called RINOs as they call them, these Republicans who believe in civil rights, again and again.”

Let’s cut to the chase: Scott was ostracized by the NAACP because he’s a black conservative Republican who refuses to subscribe to the myth that all blacks must be loyal to liberals and big government policies.

It’s asinine for Jealous to suggest Scott, who is the product of a dirt poor single mother in South Carolina, isn’t concerned with civil rights. The fact of the matter is that the NAACP, who claims to be nonpartisan, vocalizes opposition against anyone who believes in conservative ideals such as school choice, limited government, lower taxes, and individual liberty.

Here are some recent examples of the NAACP’s bias against conservative Republicans:

Rev. CL Bryant, a FreedomWorks fellow, held a key leadership role within the NAACP, including serving as president of the chapter in Garland, TX in the late 1980s. He noted that after he declined to speak on behalf of the NAACP at a pro-choice rally due to his religious convictions, the organization began to turn sour towards him and that it led to his inevitable departure. He was also relieved of his duties as a pastor due to his opposition to race-card cohorts Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton, and after vocalizing his beliefs in the principles of limited government. 

Bryant and Deneen Borelli, Director of Outreach for FreedomWorks, reached out to the NAACP for support after many racial slurs were hurled at them for their outspoken conservative stance. The organization refused to respond or correspond with them in any way.

And if you thought they were only hostile to individuals who differ in opinion, think again. Benjamin Jealous addressed the issue of voter ID in July 2012 at the NAACP’s Annual Convention in Houston. Unfortunately, he embraced the left’s absurd belief that equates voter ID to voter suppression and an assault on the rights of minorities. He likened the movement of opposition to voter ID laws to the Civil Right Movements in Selma and Birmingham. Mr. Jealous invoked this resemblance to elicit an emotional response during an intense presidential election cycle. What he neglected to inform the oldest civil rights organization in the nation of, is that voter ID prohibits voter fraud, which currently serves as the biggest hindrance to casting a ballot and ensuring fair elections. 

In July of 2010, the NAACP passed a resolution condemning presumed racism from the Tea Party. Hilary Shelton, director of the NAACP’s Washington bureau and senior vice president for advocacy and policy, made the assertion that Tea Party activists spat on Rep. John Lewis, a civil rights activist and friend to Dr. Martin Luther King, and called Rep Emanuel Cleaver the ‘N-word’. As of this date, neither claim has been proven true and no evidence has been presented to back up these claims. Many Tea Party activists have indicated on numerous occasions that racism will not be tolerated and that the movement is focused on making government fiscally responsible and ruled according to the Constitution.

In 2006, NAACP Chairman Julian Bond compared the GOP to Nazis and compared judicial nominees of then President George W. Bush to the Taliban. 

The partisan rhetoric spewed by members of the NAACP proves that they are entrenched in the far left movement, and that they are not as concerned with civil rights and racial equality as much as they are about creating a false narrative that black Americans are victims and continue to live in oppression.

By bringing these examples to light, I am not suggesting that conservatives ignore the NAACP.  It is important to note that the NAACP was founded by the Republican Party and conservatives should challenge the NAACP to provide a message of equality and opportunity, instead of a message of victimization.