This past weekend in Atlanta, I got the opportunity to experience my first BLEXIT event. In case you have been under a rock, BLEXIT is a movement of political renaissance as millions of Americans, primarily black, are exiting the Democrat Party. Candace Owens, founder of BLEXIT, is the modern-day version of Harriet Tubman as she brazenly has become the trailblazer for freedom. Freedom of thought. Freedom of voice. Freedom of vote. Freedom of common sense.

For so many years within the black community, the only political voice you could have without any “blacklash” was liberal. Our parents, grandparents, uncles, and aunts have made the Democrat Party a matter of birthright. It’s so deep that it’s an unspoken or unwritten rule. It’s just as engrained as the melanin within our skin. It’s like a Thanksgiving holiday tradition that only certain people make the macaroni and cheese, turkey and dressing, or the lemon, pecan, and sweet potato pies. You don’t have to say it, it’s just understood. This “vote or die” liberal mentality has been passed down from generation to generation like grandma’s recipes.

For many black Americans, you grow up, go to church, graduate high school, go to college, vote Democrat, get married, and have some grandchildren to start the whole process over again. Did I mention vote Democrat?

Said differently, a black family person has a better chance of being accepted as a homosexual by his family, church, and community than of being a Republican believing in Christian conservative ideas. Yes, it’s that serious. The saddest part is nobody can tell you why. It’s all emotionalism.

At BLEXIT, however, something was different. I felt comfortable being in my own skin. Not because of the color of my skin, but because I was not being judged intellectually or politically based on my skin. I declared my political independence before the entire world.

Standing in a long line waiting to enter the Buckhead Theatre, I didn’t have to explain myself to anyone. We all had like minds and it was refreshing. It was good to see two teenage black males being able to articulate why they believe what they believe, instead of getting emotional and calling others names. It was amazing to hear their 55-year-old mentor say, “People think these young guys don’t have a clue. I just stand back and fold my arms and watch them handle interview questions from the media. They know their stuff!” He was smiling from ear to ear. It was good to meet an older white couple in line that overheard me say I was from Chattanooga, Tennessee. The man said, “Hey, I’m from Rossville, Georgia, right next door to you.”

The speakers included Brandon Tatum, an ex-cop and political activist; Terrance K. Williams, a comedian and political activist; Bishop E.W. Jackson, a pastor and president of STAND America; David J. Harris Jr., author and conservative activist; KingFace, a street conservative; and Maj Toure, founder of “Black Guns Matter.” Topics ranged from personal responsibility, family values, Jesus Christ, Liberty, and Second Amendment rights. I took it all in. I never know when I’ll have that opportunity again. But I’m grateful that there are an increasing number of free-thinkers who are leaving the Democrat Party behind.