Where are the Black Libertarians?

Welcome to Ask a Libertarian 2012 with Reason's Nick Gillespie and Matt
Welch. They are the authors of the book The Declaration of Independents:
How Libertarian Politics Can Fix What's Wrong With America, coming out in
paperback later this month. Pre-order:
http://www.amazon.com/The-Declaration......

On June 12, 2012 Gillespie and Welch used short, rapid-fire videos to
answer dozens of reader questions submitted via email, Twitter, Facebook,
and Reason.com.

In this episode, they answer the question:
"Where are the black people? Or any other minorities? When I saw you guys at the book signing in Chicago -- a city that hasn't been majority white for some time -- I could only see one non-white person in the room, and I think he was the rep from the bookstore. Why do so few minorities identify themselves as libertarians? And what can we do about it?"

Produced by Meredith Bragg, Jim Epstein, Josh Swain, and Tracy Oppenheimer
with help from Katie Hooks.

To watch answers from 2011's Ask a Libertarian series, go here: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=...

• Category

  News & Politics

[bosshog7169]

I think Ron Paul's exposure helped with this. I know a lot of blacks in Baltimore have turned on Obama and love what Paul has been saying. A lot of black democrats hold many libertarian social views and they don't even realize it. Legalizing drugs, reducing the police state, reducing foreign war, civil liberty, etc are all things that many blacks vote dem for because they think they're better than the GOP on these issues. We need to keep showing that we are the solution to these issues, not dems

[Brandon H]

I'm a black libertarian and have been one since I was 25 (32 now). Blacks are very much collectivist. Many aren't educated on economics and free market ideals, but this is most of America. Liberarian leaning public figures like Thomas Sowell are virtually unknown out of very elite academic circles. The black republicans are bafoonish at best, and smarter ones get very little light on national TV

[adwaye]

blacks are looking for a savior. Whether statism or religion. I dont think libertarianism should looking for tokenism. Look how corny republicans looked showcasing their "negros" around their convention.

[bosshog7169]

DC and Baltimore, two predominately black cities that are fed up with DEM leadership for the past 50 some odd years and are ready for alternatives. I find more and more black libertarians every day.

[Christopher St. John]

I misunderstood you and apologize about that. Where are you from?

[bosshog7169]

That's what I was saying though. I said blacks vote Dem because they think they're better on those issues than the GOP because of people like that and that they only have two choices. I was saying libertarians are the way they should be voting on those issues.

[shakaama]

I'M RIGHT HERE.... YO YO YO.... OVER HERE.

[shakaama]

I agree with you... lol I too am a political scientist libertarian +

[Christopher St. John]

@bosshog In regards to blacks not voting for Conservatives/GOP is very simple. The ones presented to us, do not espouse the principles of Conservatism. With the likes of Rick Santorum, Newt Gingrich, Sarah Palin, Michelle Bachman, etc. are "Neo-Conservatives". In fact, they should be labeled as a completely different party, such as, Tory. From a fellow Libertarian to another, keep up the good fight!

[bosshog7169]

My two favorite rappers are probably Big Boi and Snoop Dogg. Both of them supported Ron Paul and later Gary Johnson. If somebody can get these super famous black libertarians to speak up more it might help.

[bosshog7169]

I'm a sophisticated political scientist libertarian (I have fancy degrees!) and I think a lot of other libertarians you'll find on Reason are. Reason is the best place to go for real libertarians. If you got to Glenn Beck's page or some other bozo who just claims to be libertarian, sure you'll get some dummies but I don't think you'll find anything different if you look at the Dems on MSNBC or the Reps on Fox.