Minority Conservatives

Conservative minority students at Harvard face resistance from ethnic groups and political allies.

Some people aren't sure how to react to Amanda P. Williams '96, a black woman who is also an outspoken Republican. But for one man, it was simply a matter of reading the signs.

"I was postering for the [Harvard-Radcliffe] Republican Alliance," Williams says. "A black fellow came up to me and shook his head and said, 'That's a damn shame.'"

Williams, who is the group's president, says it wasn't the first time someone had reacted negatively to a black woman with conservative political views.

"When I tell people that I am president of the Republican Alliance, they laugh because they are shocked to see a black woman so openly and visibly aligned with the Republican party," Williams says.

Williams says she considers herself "out of the ordinary." But she is certainly not alone. Williams is only one member of a small--and often silent--group of conservative minority students at Harvard.

And despite the recent prominence of leaders such as Colin Powell and Clarence Thomas, many of Harvard's minority conservatives say the old stereotypes of the mainstream conservative pitted against the bleeding-heart liberal minority are alive and well.

False Expectations

"It's a shock every time you find another black conservative," says Holly A. Foster '97, who is black. "There's a growing contingency, but it's still taboo."

Foster, who describes herself as a "liberal Republican," has worked in a Republican politician's office and wrote for the Salient, a conservative bi-weekly student publication, as a first-year.

She traces her political views to her conservative upbringing, but says that her racial identification has nothing to do with her political opinions. "Neither party has been for my race," Foster says.

Still, Foster says she sees herself as bucking social expectations. "For too long people have said that if you're black or a woman you must be a Democrat," says Foster. "Now if I'm against abortion, why should I ally myself with a party that continues to promote abortion?"

Arvind M.R. Krishnamurthy '97, whose family is South Asian, says he agrees with Foster that there is social pressure to sign up for the Democratic Party. "In popular circles, if you're a minority, you're supposed to be liberal," Krishnamurthy says.

But, he says that pressure has dissipated over time--it is now "more acceptable" to be right-wing.

"It's cooler to say that you're conservative than it was 10 years ago," Krishnamurthy says.

Although conservative politics may be in vogue in the rest of the nation, many students say liberalism is still the only acceptable ideology in many minority camps.

If you are black and "don't live in the Quad and you are conservative," says Foster, a Lowell House resident, "then you must be a sell-out."

Some students say it is easy to feel particularly alienated because they are, effectively, minorities within their minority groups.

"The ultra conservatives say I'm not a conservative and many liberal minorities say I'm not doing justice to being a minority," says Williams.

Whose Ideology is It?

Boston University's Glenn Loury, an economics professor and prominent black conservative, says he agrees with many conservative minority students that political ideals and race are two different things.

"Political ideology should not be a function of race," Loury wrote in an e-mail response to an inquiry from The Crimson. "For this reason the whole notion of 'black conservative' is suspect to me."

Loury, who was a professor in Harvard's Afro-American Studies Department and at the Kennedy School of Government from 1982 to 1991, says ethnic minorities should not feel pressured to align themselves with any specific political group.

Davis J. Wang '96, who is Asian-American, says the term "minorities" encompasses a diverse group of people who should not be pigeonholed into any particular political camp.

"It is somewhat narrow minded to think that minorities can hold one viewpoint," Wang says. "One of the standards by which the assimilations and integration of minorities into society can be measured is how diverse their views are."

Changing Conservatives

But many Harvard minority students say pressure to voice liberal political views is only half of the problem.

They say getting fellow conservatives to accept them can be almost as problematic as getting fellow minorities to accept their political views.

Williams says part of the reason she helped create the politically moderate Republican Alliance was because she was "made to feel unwelcome" in other conservative organizations like the right-wing Harvard Republican Club. Williams is one of approximately five minority students affiliated with the 50-member alliance.

Foster says she quit the Salient after her first year in part because the staff, comprised mostly of white males, often took "ultra-conservative" stances on social issues, including race relations.

"The Salient wasn't very open to new ideas and maybe my style of conservatism," says Foster. "The attitude is too stuffy for me."

Sammy C. Lai '97, who is Asian-American, works on the Salient. Though "there aren't too many minorities" on the staff, he says that fact has more to do with minority students than with the organization itself.

"Many are just moderate conservatives and feel it's too extreme," Lai says. "A lot are fiscally conservative without being socially conservative."

Dean of Students Archie C. Epps III says he thinks part of the reason conservative minority students are not more visible is that they are not politically organized.

"[Conservatives are] a silent group and we don't know what those numbers are," says Epps. "Black-Americans are quite conservative in terms of military and government policy."

Conservative groups as a whole, however, have difficulty reconciling their philosophy with the growing national trend of minority conservatism.

According to Kenan Professor of Government Harvey C. Mansfield Jr. '53, who is the faculty adviser of the Salient, Williams and Foster might be right: "There are some young conservatives who are unsympathetic to the suffering of blacks," he says.

"They look at the way things appear today and the advantages that blacks appear to have--and do have--and think that's the end of the discussion," Mansfield adds.

'Pulpit for Political Beliefs'

Many students say, however, that at Harvard ethnic organizations do no better at welcoming and representing political conservatives than conservative organizations do minorities.

Many ethnic organizations, including the Asian American Association (AAA) and the Black Students Association (BSA) have become more politically active during the past year.

While the AAA protested the passage of California's Proposition 187, the BSA protested The Bell Curve and hosted speakers such as the controversial Wellesley Professor of African Studies Anthony L. Martin.

"I have a bone to pick with [AAA] when they say they speak for Asians on the whole," says Yvonne M. Wei '97. "It's become like a pulpit for political beliefs."

Wei, who is Asian-American, says that unlike the political views reflected by AAA, a large number of Asians are conservative.

"Asians on the whole are more conservative than most ethnic groups," Wei says.

But Krishnamurthy says that while the politization of ethnically-oriented groups like AAA may not be directly indicative of its members' beliefs, political activism is what the membership wants to see.

"It's very hard to get elected in an organization when you're saying 'let's try to get along,'" Krishnamurthy says. "It's a lot more exciting, more dynamic, when you say we're going to protest for Ethnic Studies."

Former BSA president Kristen M. Clarke '97 told The Crimson last spring that because students on campus are politically oriented, it's natural that organizations like the BSA should also focus on political issues.

"Gov[ernment] is the most popular major at Harvard. The [Institute of Politics] is one of the largest organizations," Clarke said. "Politics is a big issue at this school, so it is inevitable that we are going to be confronted with political issues."

But Alvin L. Bragg '95, who served as BSA president before Clarke, said last spring that conservative blacks tend to feel uncomfortable participating in the organization's political activities.

"Republicans have told us they wouldn't be comfortable in the BSA," Bragg said.

Foster, for one, says she feels comfortable attending BSA events.

"For the BSA the most important thing is bringing speakers to the campus," says Foster. "I don't think the BSA tries to be a political divider."

Charting the Future

All in all, Harvard's conservative minorities seem to agree that it's sometimes difficult to find a place in right-wing politics.

Perhaps some student conservatives can take solace from the increasing prominence of men like Powell or Thomas, but according to Mansfield, much work needs to be done before conservative ideology accounts for the views of blacks.

For conservative philosophy to progress in the new era of thought we are entering, Mansfield says, conservatives must learn to incorporate blacks and other minorities into their party platforms.

"There will be a need for modulation, or modification in the interests of blacks and black conservatives will be especially sensitive to this," Mansfield says. "Such a person as Glenn Loury could be an example to many more black students than he actually is."

"Many [minority students] are just moderate conservatives and feel it's too extreme. A lot are fiscally conservative without being socialy conservative." Sammy C. Lai'97

"[People] laugh because they are shocked to see a black wom- an so openly and visibly aligned with the Republican Party." Amanda P. Williams '96