Part One: African American Republicans Extending An Olive Branch to the Republican Party

The Decision to Wear the Republican Label

In 1980, history was made when as the first African American candidate to run in Hamilton County as a Republican, I ran for the office of State Representative. My campaign was well received by the Republican Party, and became the center of media attention. Unfortunately because of the racial climate at that time, Blacks were mistrusting of the Republican Party. President Ronald Reagan had refused an invitation to the NAACP's National Convention, which was seen by many Blacks as a snub. Also his "trickle down" economic plan had not yet "trickled down" to those who needed economic relief the most, i.e. the black community. Regardless of whether this was true or not, it struck panic in the minds of those who were already questioning if President Reagan truly could understand the plight of the black community as the leader of our nation.

Added to this, two Black women had been shot on Martin Luther King Boulevard by the Ku Klux Klan, who had come into the black community with its own brand of racial hatred and terrorism. This was the straw that broke the political camel's back for any embrace of a Republican candidate – even one who was African American. To even think of aligning with anyone who the black community suspected might not understand their continuing struggle for equality was taboo.

Also, having made the shift from the Democratic Party, this made any efforts to embrace a black Republican candidate highly suspect to those who did not fully understand and have an appreciation for my shift of political parties. However, I saw it as a sign of true freedom, where a descendant of slaves could align again with the party of Lincoln and embrace some of the Republican values. Also I sought to become involved to bring about full participation in both political parties, so that blacks could be equally represented politically within both parties.

Despite the political turmoil of those times, I was able to muster up enough courage to challenge the incumbent, debated him on the issues, and hung in there facing undue ridicule from even her own race for aligning with the Republican Party. This netted an endorsement from the Chattanooga News Free Press, and 35% of the votes from the 29th district. It also opened the way for other African American women to run for elected office at the state level. Additionally, it afforded the Republican Party the unique opportunity to show itself as a party of inclusion of minorities. Also my campaign received national attention as President Ronald Reagan sent a letter of personal endorsement, and national and state political figures such as former Governor of Texas John Connaly, former Governor Lamar Alexander, his wife Honey Alexander, and former Tennessee Supreme Court Justice George Brown, made the campaign stump in support of my candidacy.

The acceptance as an African American in the Republican Party was for the most part welcoming. With the exception of being called a nigger by an unnamed white woman who attended a campaign event, bringing flowers of which after she found out I was Black, remarked, “I didn’t know she was a nigger”, and unpolitely took her flowers and left!

Later in 1987, I began the National Black Republican Women’s organization with my husband, Attorney Bobby Lee Hill heading the National Black Republican Men's organization. After his death, with ironically his last public appearance being at the Hamilton County Republican Convention the night he became ill, I remained active in Republican politics on a national level and founded and headed the National Republican African-American Caucus with state and county chapters throughout the United States.

But seeing that the Republican Party even on a national level was not willing to reach out to African Americans in masses and only sought to embrace a selected few, I took the national organization I headed and regrouped as a non-partisan national women’s organization, called the National Impact Coalition of Politically Active Women. In 1999, all three organizations, were combined to create the National Republican African American Caucus (NRAAC)

As head of all three of these national organizations, I traveled extensively throughout the United States addressing concerns of senior citizens, children, African Americans, Hispanics, and American Indians, the plight of Africa’s children, and the political, and social condition of women, children and the family. I also headlined national conferences as a speaker, lecturer and presenter.

Returning to my hometown of Chattanooga after having been away for several years, believing then that the GOP now would be more accepting of African Americans, I returned to the local Hamilton County Republican Party in 2000 to find that the party that once embraced my membership had changed even more drastically to the point where under its local leadership, it now had become mean spirited and politically territorial.

Despite the success in attempting to bring other minorities into the party numbering 1,276 locally, this was met with less than a welcoming embrace by both the local chair and third district congressman. The local party leadership demanded that I acquire legal approval before they would recognize the NRAAC group, something which was not required of any other Republican organization or heard of within the GOP. Nevertheless, I spent time and money venturing to Washington, D.C. to the RNC and even with the help of Congressman Van Hilliary, those attempts to get recognition for the group were of no avail. Finally, I had no choice but to retreat, but remained determined to continue to try to make a difference in the Republican Party, and to tear down territorial and any remaining racial barriers that prevented African Americans from being active in the Republican Party.

It is unfortunate that the foundation that was laid by Jean in 1980 that afforded the Republican Party the unique opportunity to show itself as a party of inclusion of minorities, has become tarnished by those in appointed and elected leadership.

This kind of politics was new to me. Starting out as a Democrat, during my early political beginnings, I enjoyed the acceptance and opportunities to participate in the Democratic Party at the local and state levels. My previous democratic involvement dated back to the early 70s when I was very active in the Hamilton County Democratic Party before becoming a Republican in 1980. I had worked at the Hamilton County Party headquarters, and in the elections of Senator Jim Sasser, Bob Clement, Annie Belle Clement, and Congresswoman Marilynn Lloyd.

It is my hope one day, that those at the elected and appointed leadership helm of the Republican Party, who have not been so welcoming, will come to this same point as Democrats have, in allowing the involvement and participation of all people. I also acknowledge and I am pleased to have found so many Republicans at the grassroots level and within the party who are warm, inviting and accepting without biases and territoriality, and I feels fortunate to call many of them brothers, sisters and friends. This alone is encouraging, and provides evidence that not everyone feels this way. It also is hope for further inclusion. But also, fully convinced that partisan politics which excludes anyone because of race or because those in power feel threatened, is not a part of the democratic process, I believe it is important to advocate for a Republican Party which will allow all people, regardless of political affiliation, race, or social and economic background to freely choose and participate within the Republican Party.

My vision is to see a political landscape where party affiliation no longer divides, but provides the opportunity for meaningful and constructive debates and discussions that lead to policies and laws being enacted in the best interest of all people regardless of party lines. I also have hope that the Republican Party will return to truly being the party of Lincoln, and will embrace those of color, without relegating them to tokenism within the party in order to wear the GOP label.

[To be continued as a Nine Part Series, with excerpts of chapters from my book, Black Eyes Shut, White Lips Sealed.]