Prelude: The National Republican African American Caucus Has It's Say!: An 18 Day GOP Political Revival

April 9, 2010

NRAAC's National Chair
Dr. Jean Howard-Hill

National Republican African American Caucus [NRAAC] Blog
http://nraac.blogspot.com


The National Republican African American Caucus Has It's Say!: An 18 Day GOP Political Revival

Lest anyone should dare think that the membership or national chair of the National Republican African American Caucus [NRAAC] is anti-Republican or are in war against the Republican Party, let us assure you that we love our party. However, we do not love what it has become or the direction it seems to be taking. Therefore, we feel it necessary to speak out; especially at a time when everyone else seems to be having their say. After all, what do we have to lose? Either way, we risk being excluded if we do, and excluded if we don't. But both time and experience tell us that keeping quiet as some have or are willing to do, while they await political crumbs from the GOP banquet, certainly does not ensure us any more of a welcome and a place at the Republican table. Nor is it is condusive to building a more inclusive and politically healthy party.

So as an organization of Republican African American people of Spirit and faith, ...why not? If Palin, Bachmann, Limbaugh, Beck and others can throw words around like out-of-control planets orbiting in space, then surely at least we ought to be able to speak a word or two. In fact, ...it would be a change to get a word in, that comes from a different moral prospective and a different hue of the color spectrum of GOP Republicanism.

During the next few days that is just what we will do! Honestly, candidly and in the spirit of reconcilation, love and extending of the olive branch, we will speak out and have "our" say in an 18 day series called, The National Republican African American Caucus Has It's Say: An 18 Day GOP Political Revival. It's a way to get off our chest what many of us have carried for so long; wanted to say it; dared to say it; thought about saying it; warned not to say it; afraid to say it; needed to say it; and even a rare few like myself, boldly have said it.



But first let's be clear on this. Our goal is not intended to be mean spirited or vindictive, nor to hurt the Republican Party. To the contrary, our hopes and prayers are to revive and strenghten it!

....And for those of "color" who think this is not the time or place to vent, we beg to differ. If Republican leadership for the past 9 years has not been willing to sit down and reason in private, then it opens itself to a public venue.

Also, since over 76 percent of us are clergy in the NRAAC, we understand that you cannot get the Republican Party to the altar, without first preaching about the SIN. So we consider this an 18 Day Republican Revival of sorts, which we hope will end in positive change within the GOP. If not a change, at least an open and honest discussion, with a recognition of what the Republican Party has to do if it truly wants to gain any significant foothold for support and participation within the party from the African American community.

Today's NRAAC Blog is a political sermonic prelude to what you might expect for the next 18 days:

Day 1: Why the National Republican African American Caucus was created, its vision and mandates, and why it has been kept a quiet political secret by the GOP.

Day 2: Why African Americans have to reclaim our historic Republican birthright, and not allow it to be stolen, taken by default, controlled, blocked, denied or squandered.

Day 3: Why the Republican Party can afford to ignore us, and why political parity within both major political parties is crucial for all African Americans.

Day 4:The 15 Flavors of Black Republicanism, and which flavors have positive or negative impact on the African American Republican image.

Day 5: Why being an African American Republican is not easy; and why we are suspect to the larger Black community, and are often viewed as traitors and "Uncle Tomish".

Day 6: The candid truth about how many African Americans are treated within the Republican Party and our speculations as to why.

Day 7: The 16 Boundary Rules for being a "GOP Acceptable - African American Republican", and what happens if and when you cross the line in belief that you should be treated the same.

Day 8: Why those African American Republicans who speak out or have the intelligence to think for themselves and form their own opinions are viewed as "trouble makers".

Day 9: Why so many of us have hung in there despite not always being welcomed, treated fairly or allowed a place at the table or allowed to be among the elite elected white leadership.

Day 10: Why White Republicans who are inviting and who do want Blacks in the party, (including those who feel this way, but are afraid to speak up or welcome us), remain silent on the issue of racism, even when they see and know it exists within the Party; and what happens when they do.

Day 11: How much of the mean spirited rhetoric of some within the Republican Party is directly related to racism, ignorance and arrogance.

Day 12: How the Republican Party has allowed religious hypocrisy to tarnish its moral values and credibility, as well as dull its spiritual conscience.

Day 13: How money controls the leadership and political outcomes within the party to the political detriment of African Americans within the GOP.

Day 14: The disparities within the GOP, when it comes to support and financial backing of some African American primary election candidates with equal and even superior qualifications and GOP service to those of white candidates.

Day 15: More on why those of color are reluctant to sip the tea, until we know for sure, what's in it; and why the GOP will not denounce racism, lack of civility or other unacceptable conduct displayed by some within the Tea Party Movement or within the Republican Party.

Day 16: Why the Republican Party needs more than a few "token" and "Kodak Moment" flies in the bowl of buttermilk.

Day 17: What an organization like the National Republican African American Caucus with a 76% clergy membership could offer the Republican Party, if they had the good sense to be more welcoming and less concerned with gate keeping and fear of changing the complexion of the party!

Day 18: The need for a true spiritual and political revival of thought and practices within the GOP, if it is to continue to make claims of being the party of moral values.

Day 1 begins, Monday, April 12, 2010.



To reach the NRAAC national chair:

Jean Howard-Hill
423-702-5622 NRAAC office
nraachowardhill@gmail.com
Jean.howard.hill@gmail.com

[Dr. Jean Howard-Hill is the author of Black Eyes Shut, White Lips Sealed. She has serves as the national chair for the National Black Republican Women with her late husband, Attorney Bobby Lee Hill serving as the head of the Black Republican Men for Change from 1987 to his death in 1991. After his death up until 1993, she remained head of the organization, and in 1999 combined the two groups to form the National Republican African American Caucus.

She has taught full time and as an adjunct, American Government, State and Local Government, and International Politics and Culture of Nonwestern Countries at the University of Tennessee Chattanooga, and was voted 2006 Outstanding Professor of the year. Additionally, from 1976 to 1979, she designed and directed the "Democracy In Action" Program, which was a civics program taught in the local school systems. Howard-Hill also is a local political commentator and holds a law degree from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville College of Law. She also is ordained clergy and heads The Healing Place Ministries International, overseeing 47 ministries throughout Africa.

She also is a TN third district congressional candidate. If elected, she would be the first African American Republican and female to be elected from the third district. Her campaign website can be found at: http://ladyjforcongress.com and http://jeanhowardhillforcongress.com; http://jeanhowardhillcampaignnews.blogspot.com; http://blogwithladyjforcongress.blogspot.com; http://jeanhowardhillforcongress.ning.com; http://www.youtube.com/JHHCongress; http://twitter.com/ JHHCongress.]

The National Republican African-American Caucus is an organization that is comprised of Spirit filled people of faith within the African American community, that works in conjunction with local, state and national party efforts to embrace, and offer African-American Republicans opportunities for inclusion and involvement in the Republican Party, and builds bridges between the African-American community and the Republican Party. In doing so, it seeks to carry out the philosophy and mission set before President Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglas to build a stronger and more inclusive Republican Party, where those guiding principles are more important than politics.

More information on the NRAACcan be found at:

http://www.nraacaucus.org; http://nraacaucus.ning.com [NRAAC] National Republican African American Caucus Social Issue Network (members only); http://nraac.blogspot.com [NRAAC Blog]; http://youthonthehorizons.blogspot.com [NRAAC Youth on the Horizons Blog]; http://the-twig.blogspot.com [NRAAC New Generation-New Direction Blog]; and
http://theblackolivebranch.blogspot.com [NRAAC National Chair's Blog]. Each State Caucus can be accessed by state. See related links at http://www.nraacaucus.org/index_files/Page816.htm. Also can be found on the RNC group page at http://our.gop.com/Groups/National_Republican_African-American_Caucus_NRAAC.