We Must Return to the Classical Black American Tradition

An MLK-Day critique of post-civil rights developments

WE MUST RETURN TO THE CLASSICAL BLACK AMERICAN TRADITION

An MLK-Day critique of post-civil rights developments

Kendall Qualls

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s address at the Lincoln Memorial served as a definitive catalyst for the expansion of agency and opportunity for black Americans—an advancement particularly felt by those of us raised in the segregated South. Yet, the profound promise of the Civil Rights Movement was soon compromised by a strategic ideological shift within the American Left. Over subsequent decades, the leadership of the Democratic Party increasingly adopted a socio-political framework influenced by neo-Marxist and socialist critiques, fundamentally altering the trajectory of black civic life and political activism.

This ideological pivot prioritized state-managed social engineering over the cultivation of organic community capital. The resulting policy architecture—characterized by expansive welfare state interventions—has incentivized the erosion of the traditional nuclear family, the marginalization of religious institutions, and a decline in community order. What was initially presented as a benevolent safety net evolved into a system of institutional dependency that has presided over decades of declining church attendance, social fragmentation, fatherlessness, and violence within urban centers—instability that has now permeated the broader American social fabric.

Six decades later, the governance of America’s major municipalities remains consolidated under a progressive-technocratic wing of the Democratic Party. In these environments, a persistent and tragic pattern has emerged: systemic poverty and multi-generational fatherlessness are managed by a permanent political class that prospers while the populace remains stagnant. This disparity is most visible in the educational divide; the children of the elite are afforded the benefits of private education, while the public system increasingly emphasizes ideological indoctrination over the foundational literacy and vocational competence necessary for upward mobility.

To reverse this decline, a return to the classical virtues of the black American tradition is required: a synthesis of traditional Christian ethics and the robust principles of free-market enterprise. This synthesis mirrors the “Atlanta Compromise” ethos of Booker T. Washington, who championed economic self-reliance and moral development. This pragmatic path was largely abandoned in the mid-20th century, as the more radical approach of W.E.B. Du Bois and his ideological successors moved the focus away from internal development toward external political agitation and state-centric solutions. My heartfelt plea on this MLK Day is that we reclaim Washington’s vision and the proven blueprint for restoring the dignity, stability, and prosperity of black America that it offers.

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Kendall Qualls is an Army Veteran, retired executive from the healthcare industry and candidate for Governor of Minnesota. He also serves on the Board of Trustees at Crown College and Board of Advisors for the National Medal of Honor Leadership Center. He is the founder of Take Charge, which promotes strong families, education, and free enterprise as the means to prosperity.

Mr. Qualls has authored a book, The Prodigal Project: Hope for American Families. His message has reached millions of people as a speaker and through his articles published in the New York Post, Washington Examiner, The Washington Times, The Federalist, Real Clear Politics, The Christian Post, and the Minneapolis Star Tribune. His previous articles in the Journal of FBT include “The Scandal Hidden in Plain Sight,” “Resurrect the Family,” “A Movement for Revival and Restoration,” “Amazing Grace,” “The Cincinnati Beat-Down,” and “Charlie Kirk’s Message Transcended Ethnic and Political Boundaries.” He has appeared on the FBT Podcast with host Connie Morgan in an episode titled “Bucking the Narrative.”