Most black social and political leaders tend to be liberal, advocating higher taxes, more regulation of business, and a larger role for government. But opinion polls show most blacks are actually conservative on many issues, sometimes more conservative than whites.

What is "black conservatism"? Why are "black conservatives" so seldom seen on television or in newspapers? Does religious faith lead to conservative or liberal political beliefs? These and other questions were addressed by five black thinkers and activists who appeared on a panel at the 2004 Heritage Resource Bank Meeting, held in Chicago in April 2004.

The speakers were:

Lee H. Walker
President of The New Coalition for Economic and Social Change, a think tank for black conservative thought, and senior fellow at The Heartland Institute, a libertarian think tank based in Chicago.

Bruce Montgomery
A journalist and author, graduate of Northwestern University’s School of Journalism, and M.A. in history from Dartmouth University.

Dr. Hardy Murphy
Superintendent of the Evanston/Skokie school system, a suburb north of Chicago, with a doctorate in educational psychology from the University of Texas.

Rev. Ceasar LeFlore
A Baptist pastor and Midwest Regional Director of LEARN, the Life Education and Resource Network.

Dr. Elroy Leach, Sr.
Professor of economics at Chicago State University. He holds a doctorate in economics from the University of Illinois.

The presentations at the conference were transcribed and appear here, edited with the speakers’ permission. Also in this volume is a foreword by Edwin J. Feulner, president of The Heritage Foundation, which hosted the event, and an epilogue by Lee H. Walker, president of The New Coalition for Economic and Social Change, who organized the panel.