https://redstate.com/author/lenny_mcallister/feedConservative News & Politicsen-usThu, 23 Apr 2026 19:54:48 -0400<![CDATA[Consistent with America’s past, progressives claim to push for equality for all yet cleave to political norms that stifle transformative change for those who need it the most.]]>Tue, 25 Jun 2024 07:00:25 -0400<![CDATA[Lenny McAllister]]><![CDATA[Education]]><![CDATA[progressivism]]><![CDATA[School Choice]]>https://redstate.com/lenny_mcallister/2024/06/25/politics-over-progress-roc-nation-criticism-highlights-lessons-about-progressives-from-our-past-n2175918<![CDATA[I know that an annual “Faith and Freedom Coalition” conference, a national holiday, and Fathers’ Day will not always line up on the same week. Yet, no one should lose the irony of the first-ever federal Juneteenth holiday, a conference that promotes the value of the nuclear family, and our traditional celebration of the gift of fatherhood all falling on the same weekend during these turbulent times.]]>Sun, 20 Jun 2021 11:00:32 -0400<![CDATA[Lenny McAllister]]><![CDATA[4th of July]]><![CDATA[America]]><![CDATA[Black Lives Matter]]><![CDATA[Civil Rights]]><![CDATA[Commonwealth Foundation]]><![CDATA[Fatherhood]]><![CDATA[father's day]]><![CDATA[Juneteenth]]><![CDATA[Lenny McAllister]]><![CDATA[Slavery]]>https://redstate.com/lenny_mcallister/2021/06/20/faith-freedom-and-fatherhood-intertwined-n399677<![CDATA[Anyone that is shocked by the pushback by the Congressional Black Caucus against Congressman Byron Donalds (R-FL 19th) has not been paying attention to how race and politics have been misconstrued and ultimately misaligned with the best interest of America for some time now.]]>Sun, 13 Jun 2021 14:00:31 -0400<![CDATA[Lenny McAllister]]><![CDATA[Byron Donalds]]><![CDATA[CBC]]><![CDATA[Commonwealth Foundation]]><![CDATA[Congressional Black Caucus]]><![CDATA[Diversity]]><![CDATA[Lenny McAllister]]><![CDATA[Senate]]><![CDATA[Tim Scott]]>https://redstate.com/lenny_mcallister/2021/06/13/cbcing-what-some-call-diversity-these-days-n396041<![CDATA[There is some angst among right-minded Americans over the near-sighted tweet from Vice President Kamala Harris concerning the 3-day Memorial Day Weekend we currently enjoy. Whereas many Americans wrongfully view the Memorial Day Weekend as the May cousin of September’s Labor Day Weekend (with each Monday signifying the mileposts for the summer season), it is abhorrent that the person “…a heartbeat away from the presidency…” would signal a tone-deafness to the meaning behind our celebration of the last Monday of May.]]>Sun, 30 May 2021 11:00:18 -0400<![CDATA[Lenny McAllister]]><![CDATA[Civil War]]><![CDATA[Commonwealth Foundation]]><![CDATA[Conservatism]]><![CDATA[Constitution]]><![CDATA[Lenny McAllister]]><![CDATA[Memorial Day]]><![CDATA[soldiers]]><![CDATA[Veterans]]><![CDATA[World War II]]>https://redstate.com/lenny_mcallister/2021/05/30/remembering-the-whys-behind-the-whos-this-memorial-day-n388821<![CDATA[There has been a resounding opposition coming from conservatives over pushback against The 1619 Project, the influence of thought leaders such as Nikole Hannah-Jones continuing to rise in influence and impact, and the advancement of Critical Race Theory into the curriculum of K-12 school systems around the nation.]]>Sun, 23 May 2021 11:00:17 -0400<![CDATA[Lenny McAllister]]><![CDATA[Commonwealth Foundation]]><![CDATA[Constitution]]><![CDATA[Critical Race Theory]]><![CDATA[Lenny McAllister]]><![CDATA[Patriotism]]><![CDATA[Philadelphia]]><![CDATA[Woke]]>https://redstate.com/lenny_mcallister/2021/05/23/lets-not-fret-crt-quite-yet-n385118<![CDATA[Most times, the average conservative in America simply cannot stand the average moderate, particularly those that claim to be in the center-right.]]>Sun, 09 May 2021 11:00:27 -0400<![CDATA[Lenny McAllister]]><![CDATA[ACLU]]><![CDATA[ban]]><![CDATA[Bill Maher]]><![CDATA[Commonwealth Foundation]]><![CDATA[Constitution]]><![CDATA[Donald Trump]]><![CDATA[Facebook]]><![CDATA[First Amendment]]><![CDATA[Free Speech]]><![CDATA[Lenny McAllister]]>https://redstate.com/lenny_mcallister/2021/05/09/even-the-center-gets-it-squarely-n377026<![CDATA[There is a responsibility – and perhaps even a mandate – in a pure democracy to represent the will of the people. With political parties and elected officials, there is a direct tie between the demands of the electoral bosses that, through votes and polling, express the direction which the politicians in power should follow.]]>Sun, 02 May 2021 11:00:49 -0400<![CDATA[Lenny McAllister]]><![CDATA[Abraham Lincoln]]><![CDATA[Commonwealth Foundation]]><![CDATA[Conservatism]]><![CDATA[Conservatives]]><![CDATA[Constitution]]><![CDATA[Lenny McAllister]]><![CDATA[Republican Party]]><![CDATA[Ronald Reagan]]>https://redstate.com/lenny_mcallister/2021/05/02/out-of-step-or-ahead-of-the-curve-n372764<![CDATA[It’s been a hard week for me.]]>Sun, 18 Apr 2021 11:00:52 -0400<![CDATA[Lenny McAllister]]><![CDATA[Chicago]]><![CDATA[Civil Rights]]><![CDATA[Commonwealth Foundation]]><![CDATA[court packing]]><![CDATA[Daunte Wright]]><![CDATA[Domestic Violence]]><![CDATA[FDR]]><![CDATA[George Floyd]]><![CDATA[Joe Biden]]><![CDATA[Lenny McAllister]]><![CDATA[voting rights]]>https://redstate.com/lenny_mcallister/2021/04/18/the-economic-cost-of-civic-inequality-social-anxiety-and-personal-vulnerability-n363578<![CDATA[Surely, there is always a need to ensure that voter validation is a foundational component of every election in America. I mentioned that in Philadelphia some years ago, pushing alongside civil rights organizations to advance policies that secure election integrity and encourage election participation. As I said back then, we must proactively address the vulnerabilities within our election processes that can mute the will of the people with fraud for candidates on either side of the political aisle, just as we must address other maladies within electoral politics such as egregious gerrymandering practices and limitless electoral terms for officials within their protected fiefdoms.]]>Sun, 11 Apr 2021 11:00:50 -0400<![CDATA[Lenny McAllister]]><![CDATA[2012]]><![CDATA[2020 Elections]]><![CDATA[Black voters]]><![CDATA[Civil Rights]]><![CDATA[Commonwealth Foundation]]><![CDATA[Democrat Party]]><![CDATA[Georgia]]><![CDATA[John Lewis]]><![CDATA[Lenny McAllister]]><![CDATA[North Carolina]]><![CDATA[Pennsylvania]]><![CDATA[Republicans]]><![CDATA[Texas]]><![CDATA[voters]]><![CDATA[Voter suppression]]>https://redstate.com/lenny_mcallister/2021/04/11/the-side-door-vs-the-glass-ceiling-n358821<![CDATA[President Joe Biden’s “ecumenical” statement that Russian President Vladimir Putin had no soul should be worrying enough – much more than the 46th president’s impersonation of Gerald Ford in 1975.]]>Sun, 21 Mar 2021 11:00:19 -0400<![CDATA[Lenny McAllister]]><![CDATA[Alaska]]><![CDATA[China]]><![CDATA[Commonwealth Foundation]]><![CDATA[COVID-19]]><![CDATA[Foreign Affairs]]><![CDATA[ISIS]]><![CDATA[Lenny McAllister]]><![CDATA[Russia]]><![CDATA[trade wars]]><![CDATA[Vladimir Putin]]>https://redstate.com/lenny_mcallister/2021/03/21/soulless-man-n347550<![CDATA[On the one-year anniversary of school shutdowns from Philadelphia to Portland, it is obvious that America has changed in many ways.]]>Sun, 14 Mar 2021 11:00:45 -0400<![CDATA[Lenny McAllister]]><![CDATA[Commonwealth Foundation]]><![CDATA[COVID-19]]><![CDATA[Donald Trump]]><![CDATA[Lenny McAllister]]><![CDATA[operation warp speed]]><![CDATA[pandemic]]><![CDATA[Unemployment]]>https://redstate.com/lenny_mcallister/2021/03/14/the-american-proof-of-concept-confirmed-again-1-year-later-n343181<![CDATA[During the last day of Black History Month, there was a little bit of history made when CPAC declared America Uncanceled last weekend:]]>Sun, 07 Mar 2021 11:00:43 -0500<![CDATA[Lenny McAllister]]><![CDATA[Barack Obama]]><![CDATA[black conservatives]]><![CDATA[Black History Month]]><![CDATA[Commonwealth Foundation]]><![CDATA[Democrat Party]]><![CDATA[Frederick Douglass]]><![CDATA[Jeff Charles]]><![CDATA[Kira Davis]]><![CDATA[Lenny McAllister]]><![CDATA[Racism]]><![CDATA[RED + BLACK]]><![CDATA[Republicans]]>https://redstate.com/lenny_mcallister/2021/03/07/was-the-maj-toure-panel-too-much-blackness-for-the-folks-at-cpac-n338859<![CDATA[Over the past 20 years, it has been relatively easy for us on the right to champion #schoolchoice as the civil rights issue of the 21st Century. It has been a consistent messaging, said by everyone repeatedly &#8211; from the Trump Administration to the Bush Administration and conservatives in media and policy – as they advance this noble cause.]]>Sun, 21 Feb 2021 11:00:59 -0500<![CDATA[Lenny McAllister]]><![CDATA[Commonwealth Foundation]]><![CDATA[Conservatives]]><![CDATA[free market]]><![CDATA[Kira Davis]]><![CDATA[Lenny McAllister]]><![CDATA[Public Schools]]><![CDATA[RED + BLACK]]><![CDATA[segregation]]><![CDATA[Teachers Unions]]><![CDATA[Tim Scott]]>https://redstate.com/lenny_mcallister/2021/02/21/schoolchoice-the-best-chance-to-expand-conservatism-now-n330560<![CDATA[Valentine’s Day must be one of the most befuddling holidays of the year for many Black conservatives. After all, it’s about 6 weeks after elected officials are sworn into office. It’s right smack in the middle of Black History Month. It’s also the “holiday of love”.]]>Sun, 14 Feb 2021 11:00:54 -0500<![CDATA[Lenny McAllister]]><![CDATA[black conservatives]]><![CDATA[Black History Month]]><![CDATA[Commonwealth Foundation]]><![CDATA[Frederick Douglass]]><![CDATA[Lenny McAllister]]><![CDATA[RED + BLACK]]><![CDATA[Valentine's Day]]>https://redstate.com/lenny_mcallister/2021/02/14/black-conservatism-a-tragic-love-story-n326834<![CDATA[I understand that the Super Bowl is today. Although it hasn’t quite been the same, it will be nice to see 25,000 folks (and 30,000 cutouts) in the stands for a sporting event that brings the nation together in a day-long party.]]>Sun, 07 Feb 2021 11:00:35 -0500<![CDATA[Lenny McAllister]]><![CDATA[African American]]><![CDATA[Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez]]><![CDATA[Barack Obama]]><![CDATA[Black History Month]]><![CDATA[Commonwealth Foundation]]><![CDATA[Donald Trump]]><![CDATA[Hillary Clinton]]><![CDATA[Joe Biden]]><![CDATA[Lenny McAllister]]><![CDATA[RED + BLACK]]><![CDATA[Super Bowl]]><![CDATA[Ted Cruz]]>https://redstate.com/lenny_mcallister/2021/02/07/unemployment-anyone-n323305<![CDATA[Perhaps it’s through my common-sense upbringing in the working class in Pittsburgh. Perhaps it’s through being lucky enough to be a scholarship kid at some of the best schools in America (hat tip to school choice, especially as we celebrated self-determination in education this past week). Either way, I’ve had a chance to lean on a few axioms in my life to guide the way.]]>Sun, 31 Jan 2021 11:00:13 -0500<![CDATA[Lenny McAllister]]><![CDATA[2020]]><![CDATA[Barack Obama]]><![CDATA[Black History Month]]><![CDATA[Black Lives Matter]]><![CDATA[Civil War]]><![CDATA[Commonwealth Foundation]]><![CDATA[Frederick Douglass]]><![CDATA[Jeff Charles]]><![CDATA[Joe Biden]]><![CDATA[Kamala Harris]]><![CDATA[Lenny McAllister]]><![CDATA[Martin Luther King Jr.]]><![CDATA[MLK]]><![CDATA[protesters]]><![CDATA[Protests]]><![CDATA[Tulsa]]><![CDATA[Wilmington]]>https://redstate.com/lenny_mcallister/2021/01/31/black-history-month-2021-anticipated-and-explained-n319494<![CDATA[My RedState colleague, Jennifer Oliver O’Connell, brought up a valid point with her recent op-ed: Black Intellectuals Are Not Impressed with President Biden’s tact, tone, or focus in the weeks after the November election. There has been more skepticism over the initial days of his presidency as well.]]>Sun, 24 Jan 2021 14:00:10 -0500<![CDATA[Lenny McAllister]]><![CDATA[American Federation of Teachers]]><![CDATA[ATF]]><![CDATA[Commonwealth Foundation]]><![CDATA[COVID-19]]><![CDATA[Lenny McAllister]]><![CDATA[Miguel Cardona]]><![CDATA[nea]]><![CDATA[Teachers Unions]]>https://redstate.com/lenny_mcallister/2021/01/24/educators-watch-biden-this-week-n315667<![CDATA[As we approach the third Monday of January in the year 2020 + overtime, there is a simple question that all Americans are asking themselves, whether we want to admit it or not:]]>Sun, 17 Jan 2021 11:00:42 -0500<![CDATA[Lenny McAllister]]><![CDATA[Antifa]]><![CDATA[Atlanta]]><![CDATA[Black Lives Matter]]><![CDATA[Commonwealth Foundation]]><![CDATA[Donald Trump]]><![CDATA[George Floyd]]><![CDATA[January 6th]]><![CDATA[Joe Biden]]><![CDATA[Lenny McAllister]]><![CDATA[Martin Luther King Jr.]]><![CDATA[Pittsburgh]]><![CDATA[Protests]]><![CDATA[RED + BLACK]]><![CDATA[Riots]]><![CDATA[Seattle]]>https://redstate.com/lenny_mcallister/2021/01/17/do-you-still-believe-in-his-dream-n311341<![CDATA[We all have heard the expression said when parents find themselves too often arguing with indiscriminate tempers and careless timing:]]>Sun, 10 Jan 2021 11:00:55 -0500<![CDATA[Lenny McAllister]]><![CDATA[Children]]><![CDATA[China]]><![CDATA[Commonwealth Foundation]]><![CDATA[Democracy]]><![CDATA[Donald Trump]]><![CDATA[GOP]]><![CDATA[January 6th]]><![CDATA[Lenny McAllister]]><![CDATA[Protests]]><![CDATA[Republicans]]><![CDATA[Russia]]><![CDATA[segregation]]>https://redstate.com/lenny_mcallister/2021/01/10/the-young-are-watching-us-n307587<![CDATA[Millions of Americans continue to follow the political machinations of Washington, DC. Most are tortured with a too-familiar mix of frustration with the minutia of the process, anger with the arrogance of many of the players within the system, and anxiety for much-needed action to be signed into law. And while it is true that a second round of government-led stimulus boosts for vulnerable businesses and at-risk Americans could make the difference between living on the streets or surviving, it would be foolish for us to forget that the passage of laws rarely means the guarantee of remedy in America.]]>Sun, 20 Dec 2020 11:00:47 -0500<![CDATA[Lenny McAllister]]><![CDATA[Big Government]]><![CDATA[CARES Act]]><![CDATA[Commonwealth Foundation]]><![CDATA[Congress]]><![CDATA[Lenny McAllister]]><![CDATA[Pennsylvania]]><![CDATA[Senate]]>https://redstate.com/lenny_mcallister/2020/12/20/help-lost-to-the-labyrinth-n297563