Black Conservatives Weigh in on 'America First' at Inauguration Event

The Black Conservative Federation (BCF) hosted an event at the Arena Stage in Washington, D.C. on Jan. 19 to celebrate President Donald Trump’s election victory and inauguration.

Reps. Burgess Owens (R-Utah), Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) and Virginia Lt. Gov. Winsome Sears were among the politicians in attendance at the BCF Legacy of Freedom Ball.

"We felt Trump would do well for our communities and our country," BCF board member Shannon Kendrick told Patch. "I want him to finish the wall and the entire country knows why that's important now. There's more we need to do with national security."

The BCF rose to national prominence last year when Trump gave a speech at its South Carolina gala.

Some 500 people, who were mostly business owners, elected officials, political candidates, lobbyists, and donors, attended the formal affair on Sunday where the Mississippi Valley State University (MVSU) brass band entertained the crowd.

"Americans want to be proud of who they are and we are proud of who we are," Rep. Owens told Patch. "Whatever you dream in this country, you can achieve it no matter what your skin color is. The American culture teaches that so we have to get back to teaching who we are."

Attendees dined on a full-course meal that included oysters, shrimp, brisket, mashed potatoes, pasta, champagne, and various appetizers.

Ben Kazora, 40, director of the Tanzanian American Chamber of Commerce in Dallas, is looking forward to President Trump's America First policies sweeping the country.

"America First policies allow black people in the U.S. to be producers of products that can sell to the U.S. that are currently coming from China, Taiwain and other countries," Kazora told Patch. "So, it opens up doors for black Americans to participate in the economic growth od this country."

Hrm Yahu Blackwell, 38, wants Trump to focus on the economy, inflation, and immigration.

"There's nothing wrong with people coming here but they need to come here the right way because it's a security risk," said Blackwell who owns several businessess in the Washington, D.C. region.

Blackwell is also a king in Osu, Africa, which is in Ghana.

Navigator Research found in a post-election poll that 14 percent of black Americans voted for Trump in 2024, compared to 81 percent who voted for Vice President Kamala Harris. Among black men, 24 percent voted for Trump and 71 percent voted for Harris.

Only 7 percent of black women voted for Trump in the 2024 election compared to 90 percent who voted for Harris, according to the Navigator poll. Carson Hicks, 41, from New York, who was among the conservative women who voted for Trump, believes America First policies benefit black people, too.

“I am an American black whose family has been here for centuries and America First means we prioritize whose land this is and that includes black people,” Hicks told Patch.