continued from page than belonging ….

continued from page

than belonging to a Black voting bloc.

In a survey done by the NAACP last September, 26% of Black men under 50 said they would support Trump. Of these, 82% said their most important issue was the economy.

Barone also points out, correctly, that the central role of the Black church as a platform for political unity is weakening.

The PRRI American Values Survey released in September showed 13% support for Trump among Blacks saying they attend church weekly or more, 15% among those saying they attend church monthly or a few times a year, and 23% among those saying they seldom or never go to church.

Per The New York Times, Black church attendance over the last 20 years is down 20 percentage points. Among young Black millennials and Gen Z, 50% of those who say they do attend church say they attend a Black church compared to two-thirds of older generation Blacks.

There is meaning both to more Blacks not attending church and to the movement of those attending church to non-Black churches. Politics are far more likely to be the topic of discussion and sermons in Black churches.

Kamala Harris’ campaign pitch to the American people was about big government. More spending, more subsidies, more social engineering. More young Blacks, certainly young Black men, see the path to prosperity as taking personal responsibility, and this means an economy that is kept free. Less government spending and lower taxes.

The data is there to see that Blacks can get ahead in America. Per the Federal Reserve, median Black household wealth stood at 5.6% that of white households in 1989. By 2022 this was up to 15.7%. In 1972, median Black household income stood at 57.5% of white households. By 2022, this increased to 62%.

Is this enough progress? Clearly, no. But it is increasingly clear to a new generation of Black Americans that what they need to get ahead is freedom.

Data abounds showing countries that are more economically free have far greater wealth and opportunity.

The ideological divide between the Democratic Party and the Republican Party — more or less government, more or less freedom — is more pronounced than ever.

Black Americans, particularly young Blacks and Black men, want a future, and they see the future in freedom.

Star Parker is president of the Center for Urban Renewal and Education and host of the weekly television show “Cure America with Star Parker.” Her recent book, “What Is the CURE for America?” is available now. To find out more about Star Parker and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www. creators.com. COPYRIGHT 2024 CREATORS. COM