Fear of a Black Republican (2011)

Examines why there are so few Black Republicans and how this affects the U.S. political system. Beginning in his hometown of Trenton, NJ, filmmaker Kevin Williams journeys over four years and two Presidential Elections to find out if America's Two-Party Political system is failing his city and the country. In taking a self-critical look at his own Republican Party, Williams speaks with both Democrats and Republicans to explore the GOP's efforts in urban areas versus the suburbs, the Democratic Party's success in retaining the African-American vote and the experiences of Black Republicans with Democrats and their own Party. The result is a documentary sure to create discussion amongst audiences and a film which they'll never forget. During this journey, Williams speaks with scholars such as Professor Cornel West and Professor Howard Taylor, political leaders like former Maryland Lieutenant Governor and Republican Party Chairman, Michael Steele and previous RNC Chairman Ken Mehlman; former New Jersey Governor Christine Todd Whitman; Presidential candidates Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, Jim Gilmore and John McCain; Conservative thinkers such as Newt Gingrich, Grover Norquist and Ann Coulter; and Commentators Tavis Smiley and Michelle Malkin, amongst others. Also interviewed in the film is the first and last Black Republican Senator popularly elected since Reconstruction, former Senator Edward Brooke of Massachusetts. The film also includes rarely seen footage of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Jackie Robinson.