WATTS, J(ulius) C(aesar), Jr. 1957-

PERSONAL:

Born November 18, 1957, in Eufaula, OK; son of Buddy (a minister and city councilman) and Helen Watts; married Frankie Jones; children: LaKesha, Jerrell, Jennifer, Julia, Julius Caesar III. Ethnicity: "African American." Education: University of Oklahoma, B.A., 1981. Politics: Republican. Religion: Southern Baptist.

ADDRESSES:

Home—Norman, OK. Office—2420 Springer Dr., Suite 120, Norman, OK 73069.

CAREER:

Canadian Football League, Ottawa Rough Riders, quarterback, 1981-85, Toronto Argonauts, 1986; Watts Energy Corporation, president and owner, 1987-89; Sunnylane Baptist Church, Del City, OK, youth director, 1987—; Oklahoma Corporation Commission, commissioner, 1990-94; U.S. House of Representatives, member representing the fourth district (OK), 1995-2003, member of Armed Services Committee, and House Republican Conference chairman; honorary co-chairman, Republican National Convention, 2000. Co-chair of Coalition for AIDS Relief in Africa. Member, National Drinking Water Advisory Council.

MEMBER:

Fellowship of Christian Athletes (board of directors), Oklahoma Special Olympics.

AWARDS, HONORS:

Most Valuable Player, Orange Bowl, 1980, 1981; Most Valuable Player, Grey Cup, 1981; Black Achievement Award, University of Oklahoma, 1981; inducted into Orange Bowl Hall of Honor, 1992.

WRITINGS:

(With Chriss Winston) What Color Is a Conservative?: My Life and My Politics, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 2002.

SIDELIGHTS:

During the four terms he served in the U.S. House of Representatives, J. C. Watts was a rarity: a black Republican in Congress. Moreover, in 1994 he became the first African-American Republican to represent a southern state since Reconstruction and he eventually became the first black ever to hold a Republican Party leadership position. A former quarterback for the Oklahoma Sooners, Watt went into politics after coming to the realization that his values were more closely tied to the Republican Party than the Democratic Party, and switched his affiliation.

Watts has sought to convince others that while African Americans have historically been Democrats, changes in both parties have weakened the basis for this connection. With this in mind, he wrote the book What Color Is a Conservative? My Life and My Politics. At about the same time as the book's 2002 publication, he announced that he would not run for reelection, and expressed an interest in working in sports or as a political commentator.

Growing up in Oklahoma, Watts broke several racial barriers. He was one of the first black students to attend his elementary school and became the first black quarterback for the Oklahoma Sooners. Under coach Barry Switzer, Watts led his team to two conference championships and two Orange Bowl titles. He went on to play professional football in Canada. After working as a youth minister and president of the Watts Energy Corporation for a few years, he entered politics in 1990, when he was elected to state office as a member of the Oklahoma Corporation Commission. In 1990 Watts was elected to Congress by Oklahoma's mostly white fourth district.

In Congress Watts supported the Republican-led Contract with America and that program's associated legislation. He does not side with Republicans who would end affirmative action, but does see room for improvement in such programs. He is outspoken in his criticism of African-American leaders who he believes encourage dependence on welfare. Such stands kept him from joining the Congressional Black Caucus because, though he felt they shared the same goals, they could not agree on how to reach them.

What Color Is a Conservative?, which Watts wrote with Chriss Winston, gave the politician a chance to detail his personal history and affinity for Republican values. He discusses the roots of his religious faith, strong sense of independence, and work ethic. These subjects, and the debate surrounding relevant political issues, interested reviewers. Writing for the Townhall Bookclub, Aaron Lee described the memoir as "heavy-laden with football stories" and "a refresher course on Conservatism 101." Ta-Nehisi Coates commented in the Washington Monthly Online that the book is "a failed memoir that bears all the markings of Watts's press office," and regretted that it repeatedly avoids the issue of racism in the author's life as well as its part in a history honored by many Republicans. A Publishers Weekly critic called the book a "forthright and up-by-the-bootstraps" story that contains "plenty of touching moments." Booklist's Vernon Ford made note that Watts "snipes at black leaders …, but he also acknowledges Republican flirtation with principles at the expense of human realities."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Booklist, October 1, 2002, Vernon Ford, review of What Color Is a Conservative?: My Life and My Politics p. 283.

Publishers Weekly, September 1, 2002, review of What Color Is a Conservative?

ONLINE

Townhall Bookclub,http://www.townhall.com/bookclub/ (May 8, 2003) Aaron Lee, review of What Color is a Conservative?

Washington Monthly Online,http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/ (December, 2002), Ta-Nehisi Coates, "House Negro."*