Dr. Terry Smith has raised an issue that few are discussing, and it is an important one. Should the Congressional Black Caucus be inviting Tea Party-backed candidates into the fold? He suggests that when we invite members based on race, we satisfy the stereotype that black people always support black people, which is false. Smith argues that Rep. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) and Rep. Allen West (R-Fla.) should not be allowed to be members of the CBC because they are backed by a party whose interests are anti-black. He offers the example that the Tea Party Caucus wouldn't welcome Rep. Chaka Fattah, so why should the CBC welcome Scott and West just because they are black? Dr. Smith states, "The black caucus' decision to admit Reps.-elect Tim Scott of South Carolina and Allen West of Florida perpetuates a harmful caricature of black politics. This caricature leads white voters to the mistaken belief that black voters cast their ballots for black candidates simply because they are black. And it has led to Supreme Court rulings that treat black voters solely as a racial group, despite abundant evidence that they are a political group that faces discrimination based on race." A great point indeed. What do you think?
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