Written by Kazemde Ajamu
How the Southern Strategy is at work
The Southern Strategy was a political strategy employed by Richard Nixon and the Republican Party in the United States to win votes from white southern voters who had traditionally been loyal to the Democratic Party. The strategy involved appealing to white southern voters on issues such as race and law and order. In the 1972 Presidential election, Nixon won 43.4 percent of the vote to Humphrey’s 42.7 percent, and Wallace captured 13.5 percent. Third-party candidate George Wallace was unsuccessful in his run for the U.S. presidency that year, winning 13 percent of the vote (9,906,473) and five Southern states as the nominee of the anti-liberal American Independent Party. Wallace garnered the majority of his backing from White Southerners and disgruntled blue-collar workers who were fed up with the Democratic Party’s Civil Rights policies from the previous decade. The success of this tactic led to its adoption by other Republican-majority states.
In 2021, the Republicans have complete control over the legislative and executive branches in 23 states, while the Democrats will have control of the legislative and executive branches in 15 states. African Americans make up a significant portion of the population in Republican-controlled states. As of 2022, the population of African Americans living in the 23 states controlled by Republican politics is 20,925,486.
The Federal government’s passing of legislation to end Jim Crow and ensure rights for women was vital in setting the stage for progress in the southern states and across the country. This number is expected to increase in the coming years, which made it all the more imperative that the Southern Strategy refocuses its efforts on fighting for State Rights.
The term “states’ rights” is often used in political discussions, but what does it actually mean? States’ rights are the powers and authority that are reserved for state governments, as opposed to the federal government. This means that each state has the right to govern itself and make its own laws, as long as those laws don’t violate the Constitution.
So why is this important? The states’ rights vs. federal government. It is clear that in order for the Republican party to maintain power, they need to grow their base and control state politics. By passing laws within their own states and sending representatives to Washington to vote on legislation and putting Supreme Court Justices on the bench, they are working to dismantle any obstacles that stand in their way.
Beginning in 1954, the Supreme Court ruled that segregated seating was unconstitutional and made segregation illegal in public schools in the case of Brown v. Board of Education. President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964—legislation initiated by President John F. Kennedy—into law on July 2 of that year. Followed by the Voting Rights Act on August 6, 1965. The Fair Housing Act was a groundbreaking piece of legislation that was passed in the aftermath of King’s assassination. It aimed to put an end to housing discrimination and ensured that everyone had equal access to housing opportunities, regardless of race, sex, national origin, or religion. This act was one of the many accomplishments of the civil rights movement. The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) passed Congress in 1972 and was quickly ratified by 35 of the 38 states needed for it to become part of the Constitution. As the seven-year time limit for ratification approached in 1979, Congress and President Jimmy Carter controversially extended the deadline by three years. However, no additional states ratified. During the mid-1970s, a conservative backlash against feminism eroded support for the Equal Rights Amendment, which ultimately failed to achieve ratification by the requisite 38, or three-fourths, of the states, by the deadline set by Congress. Roe v. Wade is a 1973 Supreme Court case that legalized abortion nationwide. The decision was based on the Fourteenth Amendment, which protects a woman’s right to privacy.
When Trump nominated Brett Kavanaugh, Neil Gorsuch, and Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court, it shifted the ideological balance of power toward conservatives who embraced the Southern Strategy. These justices have embraced the Southern Strategy and delivered rulings that have brought power back to the states. The Supreme Court is now majority-conservative, we can expect to see more rulings that favor the states over the federal government and that chisel away at the civil rights protections that have been put in place over the past few decades. This is a major shift in the balance of power, and it will have far-reaching consequences for our country.
The recent Supreme Court decisions on the Voting Rights Act and Roe v. Wade show that the Southern Strategy is working. For example, the Voting Rights Act was weakened when the Federal government was stripped of its oversight role. Similarly, Roe was overturned, and states were given the power to make their own decisions about abortion. This is a huge step backward for civil rights in America.
Although schools are no longer legally segregated, 23 Republican-controlled states are introducing legislation that prevents educators from teaching history through the experiences of African Americans and other minority groups in America. Florida Governor Ron Desantis, a potential candidate for President in 2024, has recently signed into law one of the most oppressive education policies in the country. In an article for the Counterpunch titled “The Nazification of American Education,” Henry Giroux writes: “Not only are these laws aimed at minorities of class and color, but this GOP attack on education is part of a larger war on the very ability to think, question, and engage in politics from the vantage point of being critical, informed, and willing to hold power accountable. More generally, it is part of a concerted effort not only to destroy public education but the very foundations of political agency.” This is a very serious problem that needs to be addressed. It is imperative that we take action against this discrimination to ensure that all students have access to quality education.
What began in 1968 with Nixon’s attempt to convert White southern voters to the Republican party by appealing to their racist and misogynistic policies through messaging that would be described as dog whistles or code language that only whites can understand, became the national calling card for the conservative movement. The “less government intrusion” platform plank of the republican party is nothing more than their “State Rights” agenda. The coded language ended when Trump won the 2016 Republican primaries and Presidential election. Trump spoke directly to the White disgruntled voters of America who feared that their whiteness was losing political and economic power to African Americans, women, and other minorities. Trump and his Republican base began to exercise their right to hate speech both politically and socially protected by the Constitution.
In the unsuccessful bid for Trump’s reelection, he still garnered 74,223,369 votes, the second most by any presidential candidate. More confirmation that the messaging of the Southern Strategy which was designed to win over Southern white voters has now permeated the mainstream. The current political landscape is dominated by identity politics. This has resulted in a decrease in moderate Republicans and fiscal conservatism has become the prevailing ideology while trying to conceal the true objectives. The groundswell of support from primary voters is carrying this party’s agenda forward, and those who align with this ideology are voicing their approval loudly. Those who oppose this movement within the party are keeping mum for fear of being voted out in future primaries. We saw the lengths they were willing to go to when the aforementioned loss was so devastating to them that they not only spread misinformation but also resorted to deception and violence in an attempt to storm the Capitol and disrupt Congress’ constitutional duty to certify Biden’s election.
Fortunately, Trump and his divisive rhetoric did not win in the end. Biden not only won the electoral college, but he also won the popular vote by over 7 million votes. This fight is far from over, with the midterm elections this year and the presidential election in 2024. Trumpism, identity politics, and the southern strategy are synonymous and still very much alive, even without Trump himself.
In conclusion, the consequences of the Republican platform are immeasurable. The ongoing campaign to spread misinformation amongst African Americans is designed to create apathy and confusion. This is precisely what they aim to achieve–create enough chaos as well as passing legislation to disenfranchise voters to guarantee their party’s victory. Their goal is to make America like it was before–great again. Which ultimately means returning us to our former position.
No matter how complex the Republican agenda becomes, we can see through it. We must be constantly vigilant in scrutinizing information designed to alarm us and prevent us from participating in the political process. While we should be concerned with what the current Administration and this Democratic Congress are doing or not doing, we must not lose sight of what the Republican agenda will do if they regain power.
It is imperative that we all turn out to vote this November. Why do you ask? Well, if we want to maintain control of both houses in Congress and also increase numbers in the Senate by having three more Democratic members, that’s why. Additionally, doing so would allow us to codify abortion rights for women and pass the John Lewis Voting Act – which would help restore the Voting Rights Act’s requirement that states pre-clear any changes made to their voting laws with the federal government. The act was reintroduced in the 117th Congress and is named after the late Georgia Representative and voting rights activist John Lewis. Another important piece of legislation we should demand is the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, it is a bold, comprehensive approach to hold police accountable, change the culture of law enforcement, empower our communities, and build trust between law enforcement and our communities by addressing systemic racism and bias to help save lives. These are only a few examples of the legislation we could hope to achieve but by no means a comprehensive list.
While we are focusing on Federal legislation, we cannot lose sight of what is taking place in our local and state politics. Remember that all politics is local. The Republican Party’s strategy for the last 50 years has been to control the politics in states. That strategy has proven successful for them. We are most effective where we live and must push back collectively on these repressive policies.
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