The Free Thinking Conservative Legacy of George Schuyler

In a world rife with conformity, George S. Schuyler stands as a beacon of defiant brilliance.

A Black journalist of unparalleled wit……

…..a conservative commentator who sliced through mainstream narratives like a hot knife through butter;

……..a novelist whose words danced provocatively on the edges of the conventional, and an outspoken critic whose scathing critiques of racism in the U.S. reverberated through the halls of power,

……….Schuyler's views are not only  fascinating; they are a siren call to the intellectually curious and those who are free-spirited. 

His perspectives offer a tantalizing glimpse into the mind of a man who refused to be pigeonholed by society's expectations, challenging us to look beyond the surface and question the status quo.

Born on February 25, 1895, in Providence, Rhode Island  to George Francis and Eliza Jane Schuyler, George spent his formative years in Syracuse, New York in a Black middle-class environment. 

At age 17, he enlisted in the army, ascending in the ranks to first lieutenant in the all-Black 25th U.S. Infantry. 

In 1918 while stationed in Hawaii, he went AWOL after a racial encounter. He later turned himself in in Chicago, Illinois, serving nine months of a five-year sentence for desertion. 

After being honorably discharged in 1919, Schuyler held a number of menial jobs and for a short time was considered homeless. Later he joined the Socialist Party of America along with the anti-Marcus Garvey organization, Friends of Negro Freedom. 

A voracious reader, Schuyler through books and other forms of literature became intrigued with socialist and communist ideas. For many blacks, socialism was viewed as a possible alternative to the prevailing segregation and discrimination they were experiencing. 

Schuyler, however, later became critical of these philosophies, which he viewed as a corrupt, manipulative tool to control and influence Black Americans through dictatorial methods. 

Schuyler’s Deep Journalistic Immersion

In the 1920, Schuyler embarked on a career in journalism, writing for a number of publications. Known for his stinging  sarcasm and often controversial views, many at the time referred to him as “The Black H.L. Mencken,” the latter a highly acclaimed American journalist and cultural critic. 

Over time Schuyler built a deep friendship with Mencken, then editor of the American Mercury, who allowed some of Schuyler’s anti-racist work to appear in the publication.

That same year Schuyler published an article for The Nation entitled “The Negro-Art Hokum,” where he offered a scathing criticism of the exploding cultural movement known as the Harlem Renaissance.

In a point directed toward Langston Hughes, a key figure in the Harlem Renaissance movement, Schuyler opined, “Aside from his colour, which ranges from very dark brown to pink, your American Negro is just plain American”. 

In 1926, Schuyler took his writing talent to a number of other publications, including the Pittsburgh Courier,  at the time one of the largest and most respected Black newspapers in the United States. For over 30 years, he served as a senior editorial writer for the publication, with his article narratives reaching Black Americans daily and throughout the week. 

Much of his work centered around his belief that Black citizens were first and foremost Americans first, asserting that racial identity had little to do with national identity. 

A few years later in 1928, Schuyler wed Josephine Cogdell, the daughter of a prominent white cattleman and banker in Dallas, Texas. An itinerant writer and one-time pin-up girl, they were an intellectual, artistic, and cultural match in terms of interests, which included jazz dancing and classical music. 

In 1931, their daughter Phillipa, was born and reportedly could read and write by age two. Three years later she was reputedly composing classical music pieces. 

During her formative years she began performing on the radio, including a 1939 concert appearance at the New York World’s Fair while age eight. When she became older, Phillipa began performing in Europe and other places outside of the U.S. in order to untether herself from the racial barriers that often prevented her from securing concerts in the states. 

Schuyler’s Views and Philosophy

The many writings of George Schuyler, which span essays, novels, and columns, focus deeply on issues of race, culture, and the politics of the 20th century. Many offer insights that continue to provoke thought and debate.

At the heart of Schuyler's philosophy is a staunch individualistic, libertarian bent coupled with a critical skepticism of racial essentialism. His latter view reflects his vociferous opposition to the notion that art or cultural expression could be inherently racialized, arguing instead for a universal standard of merit. 

This perspective is vividly articulated in his critique of the Harlem Renaissance through his controversial, aforementioned essay "The Negro-Art Hokum," where he disputes the existence of "Negro art" while championing the idea that art transcends racial boundaries. 

This argument served not merely as an aesthetic judgment but was emblematic of Schuyler's broader ideological stance against what he saw as the dangers of racial divisiveness and identity politics.

A highly respected book author, Schuyler in 1931 published his powerful magnum opus, Black No More, a satirical fiction work about a new chemical discovery that can transform a black person into a white person. In the end the book offers a hopeful narrative of Black emancipation from racial bigotry in America. 

By capturing the imaginative premise of a scientific procedure that eliminates racial differentiation, Schuyler delivers an uncommon narrative that is a scathing satire while offering a powerful examination of identity, power, and societal transformation. 

The novel's premise serves as a metaphor for Schuyler's vision of a society where racial distinctions are rendered meaningless, challenging readers to confront the arbitrary and constructed nature of race. 

Schuyler’s Black Conservatism Leanings

Schuyler's conservative views, particularly his critiques of the Civil Rights Movement and prominent figures within it, such as W.E.B. Du Bois and Martin Luther King Jr., positioned him at odds with many of his contemporaries. 

His skepticism towards collective social movements and his emphasis on individual agency, self-reliance, and economic self-help reflect a conservative ethos that diverges sharply from both the liberal and radical currents of Black political thought in his era. 

Schuyler's advocacy for conservative principles, including his support for free-market capitalism and his opposition to what he perceived as the welfare state, underscores his belief in the primacy of individual liberty and responsibility.

His work, however, cannot be easily categorized or dismissed as mere contrarianism. Schuyler’s  nuanced critiques of race and identity politics in America are imbued with a profound understanding of the complexities and contradictions that define the American social fabric. 

Schuyler's writings invite readers to engage with the difficult questions that lie at the intersection of race, individualism, and the quest for social justice. In reflecting on the contributions of George Schuyler, it becomes clear to me that his work offers a valuable, if contentious, perspective on the ongoing dialogues surrounding race and identity in America. 

Most notably, Schuyler's insistence on the importance of individual agency, his critique of racial essentialism, and his vision of a society unburdened by the constraints of racial categorization challenge us to reconsider the narratives that shape our understanding of race and politics. 

Through Schuyler's eyes, we are compelled to envision a society where, in the truest sense, the content of one's character transcends the color of one's skin. 

His legacy, though fraught with controversy, remains a testament to the enduring power of critical thought and intellectual independence in the American discourse on race and identity.

Schuyler’s Daughter and His Later Years

In the shadow of America's deepening racial chasms and battling the existential quagmire of her mixed-race identity, Phillipa Schuyler cast aside her musical ambitions to carve a path through the thorny landscape of journalism—a realm her father, George S. Schuyler, navigated with controversial fervor. 

She plunged into the turbulent waters of reportage and foreign correspondence for a conservative beacon in New England, seeking truths in corners of the world that many dared not look.

Then in 1967, amidst the chaos of South Vietnam, Phillipa threw herself into a daring rescue to save Vietnamese orphans from the impending shadow of Vietcong violence. But fate, cruel and indifferent, intervened. The helicopter, a hopeful chariot of salvation, plummeted into the sea, claiming Phillipa’s life as she, unable to conquer the waves, was swallowed by the abyss. 

At the age of 35, her story, rich with potential, was cut tragically short. The reverberations of her loss echoed painfully two years later when Josephine, her mother, surrendered to the weight of her grief, ending her own life on the haunting anniversary of Phillipa’s demise.

As time marched on, her father, a titan of conservative thought whose pen had once commanded respect and fear, found himself an outcast. The very publication that had been his platform, the Pittsburgh Courier, turned its back on him as readers recoiled from his unyielding stance on individual liberty, free enterprise, and racial equality. 

Ostracized and vilified, Schuyler remained defiant, a lone voice in the wilderness, until his journey ended in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 1977, at the age of 82.

This is not just the narrative of a family’s saga through the tumultuous waters of racial and political turmoil; it is a stark reminder of the cost of conviction, the weight of legacy, and the inexorable march of time that waits for no one.

Books and Scholarship Highlighting George Schuyler’s Legacy

The exploration of George S. Schuyler's life and intellectual legacy through three scholarly works — "George S. Schuyler: Portrait of a Black Conservative" by Oscar R. Williams, "The Sage of Sugar Hill: George S. Schuyler and the Harlem Renaissance" by J. B. Ferguson, and Helen Lock's article "George S. Schuyler, Black and Conservative" in the Ethnic Studies Review — offer a comprehensive and nuanced understanding of one of the most enigmatic figures in American literary and social history. 

Each of these works, in its unique way, sheds light on the complex interplay of race, politics, and identity that characterized Schuyler's life and work.

O. R. Williams' "George S. Schuyler: Portrait of a Black Conservative" provides a meticulously researched and critically engaging biography that delves into the contradictions and complexities of Schuyler as both a man and a thinker. 

Williams portrays Schuyler not just as a contrarian figure but as a pivotal voice in the conservative intellectual tradition within Black American thought. The book contextualizes Schuyler's conservatism within the broader socio-political movements of his time, offering insights into his opposition to the Civil Rights Movement, his critique of the welfare state, and his advocacy for individualism and self-help.

J. B. Ferguson's "The Sage of Sugar Hill: George S. Schuyler and the Harlem Renaissance" focuses on Schuyler's relationship with the Harlem Renaissance, highlighting his critical stance towards what he perceived as the movement's excesses and its fixation on racial identity. 

Ferguson adeptly navigates Schuyler's complex views on race and art, illustrating how his skepticism towards the concept of "Negro art" and his satirical writings, including "Black No More," served as both critique and commentary on the era's racial and cultural politics.

Helen Lock's article "George S. Schuyler, Black and Conservative" in the Ethnic Studies Review offers a concise yet insightful analysis of Schuyler's ideological evolution and the intellectual underpinnings of his conservatism. 

Lock's work is particularly valuable for its exploration of the philosophical and economic principles that informed Schuyler's writings and public positions. 

By examining Schuyler's contributions to conservative thought, Lock highlights his significance as a figure who challenged both the prevailing norms of his time and the simplistic categorizations that often define the discourse on race and politics.

Together, these works paint a portrait of George S. Schuyler as a figure of enduring relevance and controversy. They invite readers to grapple with the complexities of Schuyler's identity as a black conservative, his critiques of racial essentialism, and his vision of a society beyond the confines of race. 

By engaging with Schuyler's life and work through these diverse scholarly lenses, readers gain a richer understanding of the intersections between race, ideology, and the quest for individual and societal freedom. 

These writings underscore the importance of revisiting and reevaluating the contributions of figures like Schuyler, who offer challenging perspectives on the enduring questions of race, identity, and politics in America.

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