'Black Americans Are Waking Up:' More African Americans Exiting Democratic Party in 'Blexit' Movement
A recent poll found that 54 percent of African Americans believe the Democratic Party isn't paying enough attention to their needs. It is an issue that is leading a growing number of blacks to rethink their choices at the ballot box.
For decades African Americans have been a key voting block for Democrats. In 2016, 89 percent of black voters supported Hillary Clinton over Donald Trump.
Now, a movement called Blexit, which means the exit of black Americans from the Democrat Party, is encouraging African Americans to abandon the status quo.
Conservative firebrand Candace Owens started the organization that now boasts chapters in several states.
"Black Americans are waking up," Owens said during an appearance on the Mike Huckabee show. "They're realizing they've been sleeping at the wheel and really what I'm saying is just to embrace your future. You can be in the driver seat of your future."
Danielle Robinson, a member with Blexit in North Carolina told CBN News, "This is not a quiet time at all. It is an all-in time. And those that are fighting this battle, those of us that are part of Blexit, we are all in because we've got nothing to lose because we've lost too much already."
Robinson, who is a devout Christian, recently became a Republican. She says she's proud of specific inroads President Trump has made into the black community. They include historically low unemployment for African Americans, prison reform, and allocating a record amount of federal money to historically black colleges.
"Regardless of if you like him or not, his results are undeniable," said Robinson. "I never expected to have a president deliver in such a way."
Some liberals agree.
Following the president's recent State of the Union address, CNN analyst Van Jones issued a warning to his fellow Democrats.
"We've got to wake up, folks, there's a whole bubble thing that goes on," said Jones. "We say, 'Well he said s-hole nations, therefore all black people are going to hate him forever.' That ain't necessarily so. I think what you're going to see him do, 'you may not like my rhetoric, but look at my results and my record for black people'. If he narrow casts that, it's going to be effective."
Paris Dennard of Black Voices for Trump says it's time for African Americans to compare the president's results to the lack of progress in big cities run by Democrats.
"When you look at the impact on the ground - Baltimore, and Detroit, there is high crime," Dennard told CBN News. "There's a lot of problems that are there. But there is an opportunity that's growing because of President Trump and I think more and more black Americans are waking up to the fact that we might have to give Donald Trump another chance and we might have to give the Republican Party - not just at the president but down ballot a first look."
Meanwhile, Robinson, who has faced backlash for her conservative political views, urges other African American believers to consider their values.
"They have fooled us every election into voting against God or voting diminishing freedom of religion. They cause us to forget what's not working. And we're not doing that anymore. As a community, as Christians, we're coming into alignment," said Robinson.