As Black History Month kicks off, a prominent conservative organization feels the GOP is the party that gives the Black community "access to the American dream."
"The Democratic Party is not the party for the Black community, but the Republican Party is," Black Conservative Federation CEO Diante Johnson told Fox News Digital.
The Black Conservative Federation, which bills itself as the premier hub for Black conservatives throughout America, will have former President Trump as the keynote speaker at its upcoming annual Honors Gala.
The 2024 BCF Honors Gala, themed "Restoring the American Dream," will take place on Feb. 23 in South Carolina on the eve of the state’s primary election. The gala celebrates Black History Month, along with leaders of the movement. The black-tie event is normally held in Washington, D.C. but heads to Columbia, South Carolina, this year where Johnson feels the Black vote is critical for Trump’s efforts to retake the White House.
"The Black vote is important for President Trump and his reelection because it's the forgotten community," Johnson said. "In 2020, President Trump got 20% of the Black male vote… I believe that that's going to increase tremendously."
Johnson explained that he feels a small percentage of Black voters switching from Biden to Trump could swing the 2024 election, and he believes people are sick of the current administration.
"We're hearing what the Black community is actually saying. They thought that, you know, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris were going to be something different. They thought that the grass was, quote unquote, greener on the other side… it was actually worse," Johnson said.
"They saw that Kamala Harris is nowhere to be found. They saw that Joe Biden does not know what's going on, and they have not done anything for the Black community. But the Black community said, ‘Listen, we don't even care about the race issue. We care about the economy issue,’" he continued. "Under Donald Trump, regardless of what he says, regardless of what he does, regardless of what he tweets, we were in a better space economically. And that is what the Black community is looking at."
Johnson said the Black Conservative Federation has conducted internal polling that indicates the economy is the No. 1 issue for Black voters, but education is also a priority for them.
"Black men do not like the idea that their children are being taught that you don't have to be a boy or girl. You can decide your gender. Black men do not like their sons being taught that. And so, they're waking up," he said. "Black families don't want their children learning about the LGBT community in fourth grade."
Johnson believes the Democratic Party has gotten even more extreme on these issues since the last election, which should push more Black voters to the right.
"This is not the same Democratic Party that we had in 2020 or even before that. It's gotten worse. And that's sad to say because it was worse in 2020, but it's gotten even worse, and with President Biden and Kamala Harris in leadership, it's just constantly going down," Johnson said.
"We want to elevate the conservative movement by diversifying members of Congress, by diversifying the individuals who work through different factions of the party. But also, we promote conservative principles," he said. "We can promote what it means to be a conservative, what it means to be a Black conservative, and what it means to America to have Black conservatives."
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The Black Conservative Federation is "all hands on deck" for Trump, according to Johnson. The group has boots on the ground trying to spread a critical message.
"I tell people all the time that I am a conservative because I believe that Black lives matter, because the conservative principles are the only principles that will bring us out of poverty, bring those out of an education lock, and… make sure that our communities are, you know, presentable and make sure that we can have access to the American dream," Johnson said. "That's our purpose."
The upcoming gala, which will honor Dr. Ben Carson, singer Mary Millben and 21-year-old Republican Georgia state Senate candidate C.J. Pearson, will advocate for restoring the American dream.
"That's our theme, restoring the American dream, restoring families back to its original intent. Moms and dads in the household, and children going to school learning to read and write and [do] arithmetic," Johnson said.
"They're going to college… they're going to take out loans. They are going to pay their own loans back. They're going to get a decent job, and they're going to be a productive member of society," he added. "That's the American dream, that's the American way. And we have to restore that."
