Black conservatives in tea party movement oppose taxes, policies of 1st black president

Black conservative tea party backers take heat

ALBANY, N.Y. — They’ve been called Oreos, traitors and Uncle Toms, and are used to having to defend their values.

Now black conservatives are really taking heat for their involvement in the mostly white tea party movement — and for having the audacity to oppose the policies of the nation’s first black president.

As with many conservative movements, opponents have tried to brand the tea party as racists hiding behind economic concerns. An occasional tea partier toting ugly race-based phrases gives them ammunition.

But these black conservatives don’t consider that representative of the movement.

Some say Obama’s election rallied them and inspired more black Republicans to run for office in November. Some are courting tea partiers with a fiscally conservative message.