If the exclusion had been just at the hands of a few, then it could have been overcome. But when those who knew about it, sat back and quietly let it happened, it added fuel to the fire, which is in part one of the reasons why now, the Republican Party is struggling to attract African Americans. Even those whose religious beliefs are more closely aligned with the Party are relunctant to identify with a party that labels itself as Christians, but whose practices can be so mean spirited, territorial and racist. We simply do not know this god of the Republican Party, as we have seen it in Tennessee.
[Excerpts from my book, Black Eyes Shut - White Lips Sealed.]
Almost everywhere I went, I encountered the Republican White Wall of Silence, coupled with a “snub” which was just down right mean and callous! Even after several trustworthy whites substantiated my story to be true to those in local, state and national leadership, they still remained silent, without a word of reconciliation. On the other hand, some were willing to soothe the pains of those whites who had been retaliated against because they stood with me, while I was left with no encouragement at all. It was as if within the GOP, the suffering of a black victim was less important to that of the white Samaritans who stopped to help.
The fact that Congressman Wamp and Robin Smith had spread negative rumors that I was not to be trusted, and those dealing with me should be careful of me; that I was a trouble maker; that all I wanted from the Party was money; that the reason why I was recruiting blacks and other minorities into the Party was because I was building a power base for myself; and that I wanted all of the attention and credit to go to me, may seem petty, but it was enough to cause many Republicans to become leery of me, and close many doors of cooperation and support locally, as well as on a state and national level. Places I had gone, and individuals and groups I had spoken with who were eager to embrace and welcome blacks and other minorities into the Party from our Caucus were now cold, indifferent, and completely silent.
I had begun a 95 county recruitment tour in Tennessee, and in just less than three months had visited twelve of those counties with successful recruitment results. Now it was difficult, to impossible to get even an ear from whites within some of those counties.
The Republican National Committee also went silent. Even my contacts at the White House refused to return repeated phone calls. It was nothing short of the erection of a solid Republican White Wall of Silence. All because of race and because I would not play dirty politics, Zach Wamp and Robin Smith style.
By labeling me as a “trouble maker”, one who “could not be trusted”, and by telling people to “watch out for me” marred my credibility and reputation, especially since I was a well respected member of the clergy on a local and national level. To say something like this, went to the very heart of my ministry, and my reputation.
Ministers must be trustworthy, otherwise parishioners will not confide in them. Therefore, trust is a major issue. As a minister of the gospel, my job also is to follow peace and to pursue it at all cost. This is something in which I am bound to, and obligated to teach to others. Here again, this is a major issue, which goes to the heart of my calling. You cannot be effective in ministry if you are at the heart of confusion. Ministers are called to be reconciliators, and not troublemakers.
Not only was all of this an issue because of my clerical calling, but also it was an issue as a local, state and national leader within the Republican Party. To be labeled in this manner greatly impacted upon my ability to lead others. That impact was evident among whites, as they began to withdraw themselves from me, and became silent.
In slavery and during the segregation years, racist whites used the same, identical labels as code words to brand those blacks who dared to oppose racism and bigotry. When a racist white said a “nigger” was a “troublemaker”, this meant that he had visions of freedom and equality, which caused him to long for, and seek to be freed of his chains and shackles. If it was said that he “could not be trusted” that meant that now that he yearned for freedom, he could not be trusted as the docile slave that he had been beaten into submission to be. To say “watch out” for him meant keep your eye on him, and watch his every move, because now that he knew he was equal in his heart and before God, everything he did now was suspect, and was to be treated as a threat to keeping him enslaved. Now in the 21st Century, these labels were being used pretty much in the same manner.
I was now asserting the right of African-Americans to have a part in the Republican Party, and to sit at the table of the “power brokers”, to give input and be a part of the decision making of the Party. I was talking about political parity which would force the Party to elect qualified candidates regardless of color, which meant blacks being elected not just in predominantly black districts, but in predominantly white districts as well. This was a threat because it would cut into the white elected power base of the Party, which was almost exclusively white male dominated.
What was even more fearful was that I also was delivering a potent African-American voting block, which could not be controlled by Congressman Wamp or any other dirty, power hungry politician that lacked integrity and sought to use it for their own political gain. Although this is what democracy is all about, and this is the freedom the GOP shouts from the mountaintops, when it came to applying this same political standard to African-American Republicans, it was received with vigorous opposition. The more successful I was with the numbers, in growing the African American presence, the more they withstood me. It was as though Satan himself rose from the pits of hell to fight against me, with all the forces of his demonic powers.
Finally it came to a point where I was forced once again to try and confront the situation to break the deadly silence. To no avail, everyone I tried to speak with regarding this matter avoided me. But by then, Congressman Wamp, and those he used had contaminated anyone and everyone they could talk to locally, and at the state and national levels. Every door was now closed to the Caucus, and personally to me.
The County party chair boasted of having “brought individuals over to their side”, and that they had gotten them “to finally see the light.” Ms. Smith made this comment regarding the Marion County Vice Chair, Connie Grifitt, who for no apparent reason, ceased all communications with me, after we had traveled to her county and was welcomed to return to recruit blacks.
She seemed to have been sincere in welcoming blacks into the Marion County Republican Party, and she and I had become friends, attending political functions together, and talking way over into the night about politics. I thought. But after this, she abruptly ended our friendship, stopped calling, and according to Robin Smith, she had begun to make negative comments about me. I don’t know if this was true or not. I just knew she went totally silent on me for no apparent reason that I knew of.
Anyone in which they felt was in support of the Caucus, or me they approached or telephoned with negative comments to cause them to oppose me, and our recruitment efforts. As Smith and Congressman Wamp made their way across the State and nation with this vicious campaign to destroy and discredit the Caucus and me, one by one, white Republican friends I had made in Tennessee, and as I traveled across the state and nationally went completely silent on me. I saw this as a pattern for how some white Republicans practiced racism. They used silence as a racist tool to discriminate, without the effects of being caught doing or saying anything which would prove just how racist they truly are. But silence is just as potent as a lynching. In fact, it is one in the same. Because if you kill someone’s reputation and credibility, you in fact have killed them off politically. Despite this, I knew I had been called by God for this task, so I had no other alternative except to hang in there and keep moving forward. There was nothing I could do but pray, and ask God to open eyes, unseal lips, and bring those who had been turned against the Caucus and me back to truth.
They went beyond silence and began investigating me, and bragging about doing it. They openly told other Republicans that wherever I went, they were checking my every move, even when I met with individuals at the White House. It was said that there was nothing I could do or any place I could go within the Republican Party that they would not know about. Perhaps this might explain why very abruptly, many doors were shut.
Robin Smith bragged about and claimed that she had personally spoken to Congressman J.C. Watts and had finally convinced him of me, and now he would have nothing to do with me. This might explain why when I was in Congressman Hilleary’s office in Washington, and he tried to get J.C. or someone from his office to see me while I was there, his office would not extend even to him the courtesy as colleagues to facilitate that meeting. This was a white Republican Congressman, trying to get a black Republican Congressman to see a black Republican national leader who was recruiting and doing positive things within the Republican Party. But Hilleary was told, J.C. had his own project for recruitment that he was working on, and no one in J.C.’s office would extend the courtesy to him as a colleague to see me. This certainly had me puzzled. It of course must have made Hilleary wonder as well.
Again, something more was at work behind the scenes, which caused this kind of reaction from someone of my own race. Nevertheless there still was no excuse for J.C. not seeing me, or having someone in his office at least speak with me, which said a lot about who he had become as a black Republican.
Before this, Congressman Watts was willing when he spoke in Chattanooga at the Hamilton County Lincoln Day Dinner to introduce the Caucus. Now it appeared he was ducking and dodging us. Also the White House liaison, Angela Sailor seemed all of a sudden very distant from me. Before she had given me the number to her personal cell phone, and vowed to work together with us to fulfill the inclusion agenda of the President. She seemed to have been a very compassionate, open and supportive sister, who I was looking forward to working with. Her husband Elrod, who was also Chief of Staff for Congressman J.C. Watts also seemed to be an okay person. He had even extended a very warm and cordial invitation to my daughter and I to stay at their home while I was in Washington. They both seemed like down home folks to me. But now I could not get her to return calls, no matter how many messages I left. I thought this also to be a strange and abrupt change from open discussion between two sisters, to dead silence. I thought something surely was behind this and Congressman Watts’ change in attitude. But then again, I couldn’t find out why because no one would return my calls or talk to me. They had managed to blackball me by those of my own race! That was the most disheartening and saddening of all that was done to me. However, it was the way dirty politics were played within the Republican Party. If you wanted to be the Party’s “token”, you had to play the role, whether you wanted to or not, even if that meant shutting out or opposing another one of your own race, without really having a reason to do so. I saw this done from the local level token black, all the way up to the White House and Congress. Any relationship I had forged with anyone that could have become meaningful and advantageous to the President, African-Americans and the Republican Party were brought to a silent halt, regardless of whether they were black or white! While I absolutely did not want anyone to know this was happening because it was so vicious, cruel and mean, Robin Smith was busy, openly making her boast about how they had been able to block me, shut me out, and bring individuals over to their side and way of thinking, and there was nothing we could do about it.
As a part of their investigation, they called over to the Election Commission to check my voting record, of which Robin Smith had to finally admitted to having done. Prior to that, they tried to deny it and pretended they didn’t know what I was talking about. But they were caught red-handed! What they did not know was that since I had worked at the Election Commission many years back as a Deputy Registrar, and most of the people who had been there for awhile knew me and liked me, I also had allies within the camp on both sides of the political aisle. [Which also begs the question: With my experience as a Deputy Registrar, which they knew of, why was one of their cronies appointed to the Election Commission, who had absolutely no experience at all? The answer is obvious. It was another opportunity to block me from serving in any meaningful capacity within the local party and to teach me a lesson, to stay in my place! (Pardon the digression)] So when they sought information on me, one of those persons, who was white and Republican, did not think it was right for them to do this, so she told me about it. After hearing about this, I went over to the County headquarters to find out why they had called.
I was a Republican who had paid a tremendous price to be one. I had always voted in the Republican primaries, and there was no reason why they should have sneaked behind my back to do this.
When my daughter and I arrived, Valerie Morris, who later became the president of the Republican Women’s Club was at the desk, sitting in for Marty Fairbanks, the Executive Director. Wes Kliner was there, who at that time was the Minority Outreach Chairman. This is the same person Robin Smith had gotten to teach “us” how to handle ourselves in public, i.e. Republican training classes, and who later was appointed to the Election Commission. He also had been appointed by Robin Smith to head the efforts to recruit blacks, which really made no sense at all, because he lived in McDonald, Tennessee, was white, and really didn’t have any contact with or any inroads to the African-American community, and certainly did not know the first thing about recruiting minorities. But we all knew this was just another way of blocking minority recruitment, while giving the impression that a mechanism was in place to do so. When it failed to bring blacks in, they could then say, we had a committee and we tried, but no one wanted to join. However, the truth of the matter is that the committee was never created with the intentions of being successful. If they truly wanted to bring in minorities, then why were they blocking every effort we made, and why hadn’t they been able to at least gotten one more black other than the two and a half they had? Also why did they need a committee headed by a white man to do what we were successfully doing ourselves? It is a cardinal rule that “black sheep, beget black sheep”. So how was it that a white man, without any contacts to the black community, who didn’t even live in the area, could reasonably be expected to be successful at recruiting blacks into the Party? Again, I think Kliner’s heart was in the right place, and I don’t doubt his sincerity, nor his faith, but obviously he wasn’t aware that he was being “used”! Apparently something was happening that prevented him from seeing this. Perhaps he was too trusting of white Republican wolves in sheep clothing. Because most people around him saw and knew it. They also knew how they spoke unkindly of him behind his back, while using him.
Robin Smith the County Chair also was there at the headquarters when I arrived. They were not expecting me, because they thought their little dirty Republican secret was between them and the white Republican they had called at the Election Commission. I must admit, I was seeing red, with flames pouring out of my ears! I tried to pray and get myself calmed down before I went in, but the more I thought about how they had treated the Caucus members, how hard I had worked, how financially broke I was because of trying to sustain the recruitment efforts of the Caucus, and now they were investigating me, the more I saw even deeper shades of red, and the more the flames poured from not only my ears, but from my mouth!
I combatively walked in and asked two simple questions: “Who did it?” and “Why?”
Valerie Morris who was filling in at the headquarters, nervously, but immediately rallied to Robin Smith’s defense. While Wes Kliner was left somewhere in between trying to keep face as a professed Promise Keeper, and at the same time appeased the party chair, (which was the only way he would advance within the local party) while also trying to referee what looked like a cat and dog fight between Robin, me and anyone else who was a part of investigating me. Robin Smith had made it clear that according to her, if you wanted to move up in the local party, you had to come through her, Congressman Wamp, or one of the Cokers. So perhaps this was why Wes Kliner did what he could to keep us from killing each other, but wasn’t about to cross her, even if he knew she was dead wrong, and what she was doing was not in Christian love. He knew he had to go along, to get along. But at least when Smith questioned my walk with God, Kliner did rally to my defense.
My poor daughter witnessed the exchange and heard every word that was said. Robin Smith at first flexed her political muscles. I guess this was her way of trying to intimidate me or prove her power and authority. Apparently she did not know that I was not moved by power or authority, but only by what was right. She raged about who she was as chairman of the local party, and how she had to make sure everything within the party was done with her approval. To which Valerie Morris nodded her head in agreement. Then she raged on like a mad woman about how angry she could get because of her Cherokee and Irish blood. At that point, I guess I was supposed to have become intimidated or scared into submission, as she waited for me to back down. Instead, I sat there pleading the Blood of Jesus to keep me calm as I thought, “But for the God within me, I would have taken on my fleshly nature, reached over, grabbed her and whipped the snout out of her!”
If she thought her Cherokee and white Irish blood made her so mad that she had enough nerves to jump me, she hadn’t seen anything until she saw an African, a Nigger and an Indian act up! Feeling my old nature trying to rise up, made me pray even harder. I fought to keep the Edi Amin, Ghetto, Geronimo spirit of the 60s from rising up in me! But thanks be unto God, I was able to keep my old nature from rising up, and retain my cool without completely showing the true colors of my ethnic rainbow. My spiritual anchoring helped me to deal with it both like a lady and a Christian. However not to the point that I would back down without first letting all of them know this was wrong, and just exactly how I felt. Everything they had done to me up to this point was wrong. I had turned every cheek I had to turn. Now it was time for me to speak up and not allow them to continue to run over me, just because I was trying to be like Jesus. Because even when Jesus had enough of the foolishness, he walked into his Father’s House and turned it out!
From that day on, Smith never would meet with me, without having others with her. This perhaps was a wise move on her part, just in case I took a notion to backslide for a few minutes.
It was interesting how during my race for the County Commission seat against two white candidates who ran on the Republican ticket, they never once checked either of their voting records, although one candidate had not been active in politics, and had not registered to vote prior to him running for office, and the other had a consistent democratic voting record. But here I was a loyal and consistent Republican going back to 1979, and they dared to secretly call to check my voting record. I was in the party and voting Republican before Robin Smith and Zach Wamp graduated from high school! Now they were questioning my party loyalty! That was enough to make anyone backslide!
In that same meeting, she also told me that after I had met with Sarah from Senator Thompson’s office to introduce the Caucus that she had called her to inquire if we had her approval. Then she told me that anyone that I went to, and complained about her to, they always would let her know, and would check with her to see if I had cleared things with her. She was insinuating that Sarah had called her to tell her I had complained about her. Which was not the case. She used this as an example to prove to me just how much power she had, and how no one could get pass her in the party, unless she said so. Again she assured me that wherever I went, she would know, because she was the county party chair, and anyone I talked to within the party would always call her first before they made any commitments to work with me and the Caucus.
Although I did not like it, nor did I agree with her Gestapo tactics, at that point I realized what she was saying was true, and that the threats she had made were not idle words.
I had not gone to Senator Thompson’s office to complain. I visited with Sarah to make sure Senator Thompson knew about the Caucus, and to leave information on our organization. While there she asked a question, which led me to respond. I shared with her that it would have been a good move, since Congressman J.C. Watts was going to be the Lincoln Dinner speaker, if while he was here, we could announce the formation of the Caucus, especially since Fox News and Channel 12 had done a special on the formation of the Caucus. She asked me if I had spoken with the party chair and I told her I had, but to no avail. I also mentioned having one of our clergy members participate in the program by doing the prayer, and was a little puzzled that none of the Caucus members had been invited to participate on the program, while the two black pastors giving the benediction and opening prayer, one was not a Republican, and the other had chosen not to be a part of the Caucus. I did not mean any harm, or to make any negative inference to either of the two fellow pastors. They were my brothers in Christ, and fellow clergy. However, the point still remained. We were the ones who were willing to face the opposition we would receive from the African-American community for being Republicans, so why were they chosen and we excluded? I also told Sarah that I had already spoken with Robin about this, and she flatly refused to have any member of the Caucus including me on the program. I didn’t think any more of this, until I got slammed with it that day. But it all made sense then.
After I said my say to Robin Smith, Valerie Morris, and Wes Kliner, my daughter and I left the Republican headquarters. In the car she was extremely quiet. Finally, I broke the silence because it was important for me to know how all of this was affecting her. She had been with me in every meeting and had witnessed every encounter I had with the Republican Party. She had watched the abuse and insults I had endured. She had seen Republican politics at its worse!
LaShunda broke down in tears. Then she said, “Mommie, this makes me not want to ever be involved in politics. I just did not know that people could be so mean and power hungry. I thought the Republican Party was a party with true Christians. But these people who are professing to be Christians, they don’t even act like they know God.”
Her hurt and observations stunned me. Yet I was thinking the same thing. But what broke both of our hearts was when Marty Fairbanks repeated comments that are rumored to have came from Congressman Wamp, and were circulated by Robin Smith about me singing at my husband’s funeral, as I eulogized him. When I was told this, I broke down. For three days straight all I could do was cry. No one knew just how difficult it had been to lose my husband and best friend. Then to have to eulogize him was equally as painful. My singing to him was my way of saying good-bye to the man I loved so much, and how could anyone label that as grandstanding or as being something negative, I could not understand. Congressman Wamp had been there, and even spoke, and how he could have said anything like this to anyone, I could not imagine. I did not want LaShunda to know what had been said, but she had overheard the conversation, and saw me crying. Now not only was my heart aching, but her little heart was broken as well.
She was almost four when Bobby died, but she remembered the service. We were forced to relive that moment of sadness and loss, but under the worse and most cruel circumstances. It was equally as painful to know that part of the last memories I had of my husband alive were of him being at the Hamilton County Republican Convention, before the morning I found him in a pool of blood.
After standing up to Robin Smith that day at the Republican headquarters, this prompted an even more vicious and vindictive campaign not just against the Caucus, but more targeted personally at me. I guess she must have wondered, “How dare this nigger stand up to me!” This meant anyone or anything attached to me were targeted. Nothing was sacred if it could be used to destroy the Caucus and especially me. This is also one of the reasons why after Congressman Wamp had asked one of the Caucus members, Patrick Favors to work in his office, he never followed through, and completely shut him out. Knowing this, in good faith, I could not allow Caucus members to walk into a Republican Party ambush. So I refused to give the Party a list of our members, which they insisted I must give them under the pretense of wanting to include them in the monthly mailing. But if we were not recognized as a legitimate Republican organization, and could not make announcements or place information in this same newsletter, then why would they want to waste the postage to send it to us? Something was strange about their sudden need for the names, addresses and telephone numbers of Caucus members.
I later heard that one of the two and a half, black Republicans in the party had said, we didn’t have a Caucus or members. I guess this was a way of making us prove it. But even that didn’t make any sense to anyone who was rational. By now Caucus members had begun to show up at Republican functions, and Robin Smith, along with one of the two black Republicans who had said this, also had attended our first Caucus meeting. It was so like them to make attempts to sow seeds of division and discord among those in the Caucus, and the two and a half blacks they had in the party.
The Hamilton County Republican politics under Robin Smith’s leadership and Congressman Wamp’ directives, just kept getting stranger. All of the underhanded maneuvering was foreign to me, even with me having seen some pretty politically low down and dirty things during my political lifetime.
Rather than deal with our Caucus, the Republican Party now had chosen to completely ignore us, not only on a local, but also now on a state level. I guess they figured they would surely teach me a lesson that they meant for me to stay in my place, and not ever question how they chose to treat the colored folks in the party.
Robin Smith made it clear to me that if I made waves, they had the power to cut me off. But now the threat extended to the local media. I was warned that Robin Smith checked in with the local press and media, and had people there who would let her know what was going on. So, if I tried to get to them to tell what was going on, she had the power to block it. She already had threatened poor Mary Louise Collins of what would happen if she uttered a word to the press about the way in which I had been treated. Out of fear, and because she did not want it to hurt me, when the reporter from the local newspaper called to inquire about this, she was forced to pretend as if she didn’t know anything. Apparently they had well insulated themselves from any attacks or negative press. I figured now, I didn’t stand a chance, if what they said about having their own base of media support was true.
The media is the source that informs the people. Ideally this is done, fair, impartial, and balanced. But under these circumstances, if it was true what they had said and alluded to, I could not expect to be treated fairly even if I did go to the press with my story.
Perhaps what they said was true. When endorsement time came for the 8th District Commission race, one of the editors of the Chattanooga Times Free Press refused to even discuss my candidacy in his editorial endorsement, describing my position as a write-in candidate as “virtually untenable”. This was done even after I was forced to divulge to him some of the problems I was having within the party, which precipitated such a run as a write-in candidate, and prevented me from meeting the qualifying deadline. He was usually democratic oriented, but I could not help but wonder if this was evidence of their influence. But even if it was true, I was due the same respect and courtesy as the other candidates to at least have had my candidacy discussed and compared to the other candidates. But like everything else, I persevered even over this.
When RNC Chair Governor Raciocot came to town, Smith assured everyone that she would check in with her media people at the local paper and local television stations to make sure I hadn’t planned anything to sabotage his appearance, by sharing that I had sent him a personal letter regarding the problems I was having with her, Wamp and the local Republican Party’s leadership.
Before all of this happened, I always got good press coverage, and never once had any form of negative press. However now this left me with absolutely no refuge in the local media, because I didn’t know the depths of their control or influence, and there was no way of substantiating if what they had said was true, other than by going directly to the media. So I was left to cautiously ponder all of this, until the time came when I could test the waters to determine if this was indeed true.
Next they attempted to silence our community involvement by circumventing and up-staging our Hamilton County Caucus’ Back-to-School Closet Project, by using Johnny Horne as a way of doing this. From the information that had been sent to them, they knew one of the community projects of the local Caucus was the Back-to-School Closet Project which provided school supplies, clothing and other school related items to needy school children. So to take away from it, they encouraged and collected donations in the Pachyderm meeting to support their alleged Minority Outreach Committee, now led by Johnny Horne in his project to do what we had planned to do. This was placed also as an announcement in the Hamilton County GOP Newsletter, while we were denied the privilege of sharing our projects, except through information we gave out when I introduced the Caucus at the Pachyderm meeting. In the newsletter the announcement read:
The Minority Outreach Committee …led by Johnny Horne, represented the Hamilton County Republican Party at the Eastdale Community Center during their Fall Festival. A need for school supplies for these children has been made known to the HCRP [Hamilton County Republican Party] and a generous response resulted in more than $300 of school supplies being given to 100 children. Special thanks to Congressman Zach Wamp’s campaign represented by Rick Tucker, Marty & Randy Fairbanks, Wes Kliner and Bubba Williams for their “elbow grease”. Very special thanks to Top Flight and Gold Bond for assisting us in obtaining these supplies. [Hamilton County GOP News, November/December 2001]
This was done to defeat our efforts, and included support from the same names of those people who were being used to do Congressman Wamp’s and Robin Smith’s dirty work. Where was this “elbow grease” when it came to supporting the Caucus and its efforts to recruit minorities and provide a well needed community service? Not only this, but not one of our Hamilton County African-American Caucus members were members of this fictional Minority Outreach Committee, which now consisted of only one black, Johnny Horne, one or maybe two Hispanics who no one had seen, …and the rest? I guess they were invisible, because no one knew who they were. While we had an active Caucus, which by then had grown in number to 1276 Caucus members! Maybe it was just us, but we felt there was something terribly wrong with this picture.
In that same edition, which I call, the Teach Jean Howard-Hill and her Nigger Caucus Not to Mess with us, But Stay in Their Place Edition, the next paragraph read: (Continue to keep in mind, our Hamilton County Republican African-American Caucus is not allowed to place any information in the Newsletter!)
More Congratulations! …Johnny Horne, who already serves on the Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth as Executive Secretary and in the National Coalition for Juvenile Justice, has received two appointments in the last few months. Johnny was appointed by Mayor Bob Corker to the Human Service Advisory Board in June and in October was asked to serve as Chairman of the Tennessee Minority Issues Committee. Congratulations Johnny! [Hamilton County GOP News, November/December 2001]
It was clear, this edition was for the Caucus, but especially for me! How could the State Party create a Tennessee Minority Issues Committee and not include us?
Then there was the issue of all the appointments going to only one black in the Party. I had made it clear that within our Caucus, no one person would personally benefit. But rather, when there was a need for a minority to serve in a position, we would make that decision within the Caucus, from a list of qualified member candidates, so that we always had qualified people representing the African-American community, and not just a token few. Never would the Caucus have allowed for any one person to have been loaded up with appointments the way they had done. Not to criticize Mr. Horne’s appointments, but with so many qualified members of our Caucus, there were many people with expertise in these areas who would have been ideal to serve in these positions, who were new recruits, as well as others who had been voting black Republicans for twenty to thirty years. Therefore, there was no reason to give all of the appointments to one person who may not have had the adequate experience or qualifications to fill them. But by lavishing upon Johnny Horne all of the “Republican goodies”, this meant they could use him as the Black Republican Poster Child to show how compassionate they were, and how willing they were to have blacks, that is one black like Johnny Horne in the Party. Johnny didn’t make any waves. He had no reason to. They made sure he was well taken care of. Therefore all he needed to do was smile for the Republican Black Kodak Moments. He wasn’t about to oppose them. He certainly posed no threat to them, because he always “went along with them, to get along”, even to the point of separating himself from the Caucus. This made him the sole benefactor of all of the Republican political affection, even if he had only been active within the local Republican Party for a very short period of time. But we were not about to scratch our heads and grin just to be appointed to any position. Nor were we there looking for a hand-out. (Not to say that he was.) So whatever they had to lure us with, if the embrace was not real, and the appointments were not in the best interest of the Party and African-Americans or as a show of sincere inclusion, we weren’t willing to take the bait.
None of this mattered. They needed their token black, and they were willing to do and pay whatever alms necessary to make sure he was the only one. This gave them a rebuttal to any accusations that they were not inclusive of minorities. “Look at Johnny Horne”, they would say. We have opened our arms and accepted him. So it must not have anything to do with being black.”; “She and her Caucus are just troublemakers.”
But even many whites now were beginning to figure it out. It was a true saying. All you have to do is sit back and give a person enough rope to hang themselves. After these two announcements were made, many of them privately expressed to me their displeasure in seeing how Johnny Horne was accepted and appointed to serve in positions in which he may not have been the best or most qualified person to serve, while they ignored those like myself who were more than qualified. What they thought would convince other whites of their embrace of blacks, turned out in many white Republican’s opinion to be nothing more than a sham, and a personal attack on me, which really served to open their eyes to what was happening to the Caucus and me, without me ever having to say a word.
The Caucus also knew that this was just another way of teaching us to stay in our place, and of showing us who had the real power. Nevertheless, to see them use one of our own race, to spite the Caucus and me was an inner blow to us all. Then to have it placed in the newsletter was like rubbing our noses in it. Just thinking about this being in the same Hamilton County Republican Party Newsletter in which Robin Smith had refused to allow our Hamilton County Republican African-American Caucus to print any of our announcements or news–even news of the recruitment efforts, was enough to make me want to just throw up my hands and give up! Month after month, I watched every kind of announcement under the sun appear in the newsletter. But the blacks in the Hamilton County Republican Caucus were silenced.
Not only that, but I could no longer make announcements at the Pachyderm Meetings. After making a few announcements about our Caucus, even as a card holding member of the Pachyderm, I was told that if I had an announcement to make, to give it to the president of the club, and he would channel it through to the group. Yet again, anyone else within the Party, visitors as well, were free to stand up and make whatever announcements they wanted. Anyone except the Caucus and me; because we had been silenced.
Despite all of this, I knew I had to keep my cool, be strong, and not give up, because if I did, so would the rest of the Caucus members. I also knew I was on a spiritual mission, where the powers of darkness would do anything to get me to retreat, give up or to stoop to their level. Because of this, even with the full load of the Caucus on my shoulders not only on a local and state, but a national level as well, I had to keep my composure, and continue to stand for what I knew was right. I could not allow Robin Smith’s temper or Wamp’s viciousness cause me to fail God by fighting back with carnal weapons. My weapons had to be solely spiritual. The only way I got through all of this with my salvation and sanity intact, and without exploding, was because I went deeper into fasting and praying to be able to bear it. I also had prayer warriors both black and white, all across the country standing in the gap and praying for me. It seemed the more we prayed, the more I had to endure.
Next came the silencing of me personally within the Hamilton County Republican Women’s Club. Unanimously I had been elected as an alternate delegate to the National Federation of Republican Women’s Convention in St. Antonio, Texas by the membership of the Republican Women’s Club. But once Congressman Wamp and Robin Smith heard about this, Marty Fairbanks, who was a club member, and was not present the day I was elected, insisted that I had no business going to the national convention. When asked why they did not want me to represent them at the national convention, by another white club member, Grace Williams, being that I had been duly elected, no one, including Marty Fairbanks could give a reason other than my race, and that I had been labeled as a “trouble maker”, and could not be trusted.
The situation got so out of hand that whether I should be allowed to represent the club as a delegate was discussed even in the Republican Women’s State Convention Planning Committee meeting. This may have accounted for why I never heard back from the state chairwoman, Betty Canon. I had met her during a six county recruitment trip in West Tennessee. She seemed very eager to work with the Caucus and me. But I never heard back from her. I was told by the Third District Committeewoman, Connie Griffitt that Mrs. Canon and she would meet with me after the State Convention was over. This was after it had been suggested that I might speak to the State Convention to tell them about the Caucus, and handout materials, but was not allowed to do so. This would have been a great opportunity to welcome our African-American ladies into the National Federation of Republican Women. But again, this was the last I heard of it from either of them.
Also the president at that time of the Republican Women’s Club, June Cooper had openly said in one of the meetings, that she did not want me representing the club. So when it came time to attend the National Federation Convention, which was shortly after the September 11th tragedy, she canceled my reservations so that I would not be able to attend, and told me that they were going to cancel the convention, because no one from Tennessee was going to attend. But in fact, this was not the case. However it was used to prevent me, a black person from representing the Hamilton County Republican Women’s Club at the National Federation of Republican Women’s Convention. They also are believed to have intentionally lost my membership check, which would have disqualified me for membership in the Hamilton County Republican Women’s Club, and as a delegate to the national convention. But when those white members who fought to have me in the club heard about this, they got together, and Betty Rice took her own personal check over to the Republican Party headquarters to prevent them from making this maneuver to oust me. They later told me what had happened. They were embarrassed to have to tell me that this kind of prejudice was in the local Hamilton County Republican Women’s Club, and at the helm of the county party’s leadership. But by then, I already had begun to feel the racial chill, and its icy silence.
The Hamilton County Republican Women’s Club had already made it clear that they did not want me and other black women in the club. Valerie Morris, the same person who was present at the headquarters the day I confronted them, and had been the one used to call the Election Commission as a part of the local party’s secret investigation of me, was elected president of the club. She immediately began her term of office by calling around to tell members that she did not want me in the club, or our Caucus women, and told them that I was a “trouble maker”. When asked what had I done, she could not offer any thing to support her claims. This was something that apparently she had been told by Congressman Wamp, Robin Smith, Marty Fairbanks, and others within their political clique. When she approached Janey Stitt, the Vice President of the club with this, she strongly believed that anyone who wanted to be a member should be accepted and treated the same, and would not go along with the conspiracy to silence and shut me, Caucus members or anyone else out of the club.
I had shared with her what had happened with me and the Caucus, and up until that point, it was hard for her to believe what I was telling her could be true. But after she was approached by Valerie Morris, and heard with her own ears what was being said, she called back to let me know that I was right, because now it had been said personally to her. Because of this, she resigned as Vice Chair and removed her membership from the club.
Then the secretary of the Women’s club, had this brilliant solution to the problem of keeping blacks out of the Women’s club. She offered the suggestion that they let us join, because they had ways to get rid of us. This was unbelievable! How on earth could I tell the African-American women in the Caucus who were looking forward to joining the Hamilton County Republican Women’s Club that neither they nor I were wanted, after I had gotten them all excited about being Republican women?
I decided to keep quiet, and not tell them anything hoping that this too would pass. However it did not pass, but got worse. I had been a member of the Republican Women’s Club going back to 1980, and rejoined when I returned to Chattanooga in 1986, and remained a member up until the time after my husband’s death, when I left Chattanooga in 1993, and just automatically assumed there would be no problem in me returning to the club. Although in the past I had encountered some racism, I over looked it, and counted it as ignorance. It was certainly mild to nothing in comparison to what I now experienced. Although there was this one interesting racial experience from the past.
In recollecting that time before when I was a member of the club, I remembered when I ran for State Representative, Honey Alexander, former Governor and now Senator Lamar Alexander’s wife had come down from Nashville to speak at a campaign event for me. A lady came in with flowers, and asked if she personally could present them to me. But when she realized I was not white, but was black, she replied to the two black women supporters at the door, “Oh I didn’t know she was a nigger!” Then she took her flowers and left. When they told me about this, I could not stop laughing. It was funny to me to see someone be this ignorant and so disappointed because of my race. I was okay with being black, but obviously she wasn’t. Also around 1987, I had been asked to serve as Ways and Means Chair of the Hamilton County Republican Women’s Club, and had been treated very shabbily by a few of the women. But I chalked this up to personalities, rather than anything else, because when my husband died, most of the Republican women had been very supportive. They brought food to the house, sent flowers, and many attended the funeral. So all in all, I ignored the attitudes of those who were a little less accepting of me being black, only because I did not feel this was the majority sentiment or opinion of the other members. Now that I had returned home, and organized the Caucus, I was looking forward to getting back into the club, and was delighted when Mary Louise Collins extended a personal invitation to renew my membership. But things were apparently different now.
Years back, the Hamilton County Republican Women’s picnic was one of our largest events of the year. However now it was quite noticeable that the club had dwindled in membership, so I assumed getting our women involved would have been most welcomed.
When it came time for the Annual Republican Women’s Picnic, our Caucus took several large covered dishes that evening. Our Caucus secretary because it was on a Wednesday night, which was a church night for most black folks, and because she and her husband pastored, was unable to stay. Being a member of the club and having brought food, with plenty of it for everyone, I asked her if she wanted to fix a plate and take it with her. She prepared one for her husband, and herself. I went over to the dessert table and continued to dish out the desserts. While she was preparing her plates, one of the Republican women, who happened to be the wife of one of the county elected officials came over to her, and in a very nasty tone of voice asked, “How many of those plates are ‘you people’ going to fix and take out of here?”
I was praying members of our Caucus did not hear about what she had said. I shared it with Betty Rice, and Connie Griffitt who were at the table with me. When Mary Louis Collins and Betty Rice were told what she had said, they bent over backwards to be even kinder and welcoming to our Caucus members, and wanted to make sure that we did not take this as a sign of not being welcomed by all white Republicans. But a few days after this, rumors floated throughout headquarters, spread by Marty Fairbanks, that the “black people” had come to the picnic and had fixed all of these plates and were slipping them out the back door, and had to be stopped! Despite this we continued to show a substantial presence at Republican functions.
At the 2001 Annual Hamilton County Picnic, with about a crowd of 150, we brought 38 of our Caucus members. With only one to two blacks usually showing up at these events, now to have 38 was substantial. Knowing how they felt about us, I made sure all 38 of us brought the cleaning product they had asked those who were coming to bring. I also told them to make sure they mingled, and to avoid being in a group, because with having this number of African-Americans show up, as opposed to their normal one or two, might cause fear and make the white racists within the Party a little nervous. Because in the 60s, during the Civil Rights Movement, if two or more blacks congregated together, this constituted a riot!
I carefully selected the 38 who were to attend and kept that number under 40 people because I knew by now that the greatest fear was not just of our “color”, but it was a combination of both our “color” and our “numbers”. Just as I predicted, it made some nervous. In fact, Congressman Wamp got so nervous that when he got up and tried to welcome us, he said he was so happy to see so much color or coloreds in the mix! No one white or black were sure if he said “color” or “coloreds”. They all just looked puzzled after his statement.
At Congressman Wamp’s annual picnic, we again showed our presence. This time I decided to gradually increase the number to 65 people. We could have had as many as 250 Caucus members who did not have anything better to do other than enjoy Congressman Wamp’s barbeque on Labor Day, and would have been happy to come. But again, I was afraid to overwhelm the racists within the party, in light of their present fears of having us there, and the possibility of having us take over. Also I was afraid that if we showed up in any larger numbers, this would cause the leaders of the local party to fight us even more. Therefore I only asked a few who I felt could deal with any possible hostility, which at this point had greatly increased to the point this time that Congressman Wamp did not even acknowledge our presence!
At the Hamilton County Republican picnic, Robin Smith and Congressman Wamp did manage to welcome us, but at his picnic, he welcomed everyone else, his neighbors, his friends, his neighbor’s neighbor, his friend’s friends, and everyone else. Except us! He totally ignored us. It was hard to over look us because this time, fearing possible hostility, I asked everyone to sit together, and try to stay together this time, as opposed to having asked them to mingle at the last event. We all sat together in the top to middle bleachers. It looked like a “colored only” section at a Woolworth lunch counter back in the early 60s!
When a few whites sat next to us, we wondered if they knew this was segregated seating by political design. Except for Johnny Horne and his wife, and a couple we never saw before, this is where the “coloreds” sat. Because our presence was so obvious, this apparently made Congressman Wamp even more nervous. It certainly made a liar out of those who had said, we didn’t have any members. But our increased presence didn’t warrant a welcome, which led us to take that as an unwelcome.
Rather than get upset, I joked and told the Caucus members, “That’s okay if he ignores us! Let’s just eat his food and be happy little colored Republicans. And make sure this time, we all fix more than one plate and one by one sneak them out the door! Cuz this is some good eating!” Pointing to the cooler, I added, “Oh, …and don’t forget to grab some of that good Mayfield’s ice cream he got over there!”
This eased the tension at least for us.
All during the picnic, we joked with each other about this. They were brave to have endured this, because I was brave. However nothing was funny about the insult, and the way in which we were being treated. But when you have had to endure as much racism as we have had to endure as a race, you realize that sometimes you just have to laugh at racist ignorant white folks, rather than get upset about it. There certainly was plenty enough of them within the Wamp-Smith camp to deal with! For them, no matter what we did, or how many of us who showed up, we just were not going to be recognized, welcomed or accepted.
Because of what had happened at the Wamp Picnic, by the time the day came around for me to speak at Pachyderms, none of the Caucus members wanted to come, and I didn’t blame them. We only had seven or eight to show up. But even that was a crowd in comparison to the “one” they normally had. I was no longer hiding the truth from Caucus members. From that point on, they knew they were not wanted, and would never be accepted as political co-equals as long as Congressman Wamp and Robin Smith were in power.
I watched many of the Hamilton County 1276 African-American Republicans, and over 5000 throughout the state, fall back into the political shadows. After all of the hard work, and the sacrifice of time and resources, I was completely devastated to see all of my efforts, seemingly be in vain. I feared we would never be able to rebuild the kind of momentum that we had in Hamilton County, across the state or throughout the nation.
As if everything that had happened was not enough. The fierce campaign of defamation continued against me. Marty Fairbanks started the rumor that I had stolen items at the Republican Women’s Picnic. According to her, at the picnic, I had not paid for a record player I took from the auction. Now they were accusing me of stealing! I guess that makes what my father use to say true. That some whites thought all black folks stole, just because they were black! Fortunately I had written a check and had given it to the person in charge of the auction, which was my friend Mary Louise Collins. Also my daughter was helping with the auction, and knew I had given her the check. Discovering this, Marty then had to recant her story. But by then, the damage was already done. Added to being a ”troublemaker”, and “someone not to be trusted”, also I was a “thief”!
I was affected even outside of politics. The campaign seemingly spilled over into anything I did. I took Caucus literature to a known Republican printer, and thinking nothing of this, mentioned it to Robin Smith. That was the last I heard back from the printing company, which was closely aligned with Congressman Wamp and Robin Smith.
I also was called by the executive director of a local non-profit organization to get me to do consultant work for them relating to faith-based funding. I sent them a proposal, and in it was reference to my Republican involvement. I figured because the individual I spoke with was Republican, he must have spoken to Congressman Wamp or Robin Smith, because all of a sudden, they no longer needed my services or continued their communication with me. When I did finally call him, I was told, “This is an impressive package. We will get back to you in the future, if we need your services”. This was strange because when I spoke with him the first time, this was something that appeared to have been an urgent priority. Now he tabled it for the future, a future which years later, still has not come. I knew then there was something “dirty” behind this sudden brush-off from this charitable based organization.
A white pastor from Georgia, called Republican headquarters after hearing about the prophetic letter I sent to the president. Negative comments about me were made to him. Now they were trashing me to fellow clergy. Also they had done the same to one of the pastors within the Pachyderm Club, who later became president of the club.
I applied for a position at a local two-year college in nearby northern Georgia, and also seemingly was impacted. With a law degree, and prior graduate and undergraduate teaching experience, I was told I did not have the qualifications they were looking for to head a community college criminal justice department. At the last moment, they were looking for someone to fill the position, who had less qualifications. If this wasn’t a classic textbook, law school example of discrimination, I don’t know what is! I had mentioned that I had applied for the position in Republican congressional company while attending a reception in Lafayette, Georgia. I may have been just paranoid, but after all that I had seen, I had to think that me not getting the position was a mixture of racism and politics at work even across the Georgia state line. Otherwise the reason why I was not hired, or my application to just teach a few classes was denied, just simply did not make sense. Not in the world of academia, where a college normally looks for the most qualified candidates, rather than those who are less qualified.
I also had been invited to speak in Lafayette, Georgia at an annual Republican function, and had met a lot of extremely nice whites who seemed interested in establishing caucuses within their state. But when I prepared and sent a strategic plan for recruitment of blacks to the elected officials in Northern Georgia, no one responded. Again, it may have been just my political paranoia kicking in, but I thought that was kind of strange to see the same kind of silence coming from a neighboring state. I wasn’t sure what was going on in northern Georgia. But it appeared to be another shutout.
Later I found out from a white Republican that news of me being a “trouble maker” had been spread to northern Georgia. I wasn’t sure if this would be a repeat performance of what I was experiencing in Tennessee, but one thing I believed, Congressman Wamp was behind it one way or the other.
The defamation continued. When some whites within the party questioned if what they had said about me was true, they were assured that it was. According to Robin Smith and Marty Fairbanks, if anyone did not believe what she or Robin Smith had to say about me, there were several people who would support their claims. She freely and publicly gave out the names of Congressman Zach Wamp, Commissioner Harold Coker and his wife Lil, Wayne Crop, and one other person who the person who told me was not able to recall. According to them, these people were ready and willing to stand by them and substantiate everything they had said about me.
I was very surprised to hear Harold Coker’s name was on the list. I had sent Commission Coker, Representative Bobby Wood, and Gene Hunt a “big brother” letter asking them for their advice on how to deal with this matter. In that letter I wrote:
NRAAC
THE NATIONAL REPUBLICAN AFRICAN-AMERICAN CAUCUS
Embrace
October 5, 2001
I need some “big brother’s” advice.
I am having problems on the local level with the County Chair Robin Smith. I have made every attempt to resolve the matter, to no avail. Because I greatly respect you and have confidence that you will steer me in the right direction, I am coming to you for guidance in how to proceed in handling this matter.
I am greatly concerned because we have such a strong following in Hamilton County of African-Americans who have crossed the line and have become Republicans. Never have we had such a large number as we now have. But I am afraid that if this matter is not resolved wisely, it will escalate into an embarrassment to the Party, which could reverse and damage the in routes we have made. Right now, the Democratic Party would want nothing more than to see African-Americans have problems with acceptance within the GOP. In the year 2002, both the Democrats, including African-American Democrats are lining up their strategy to use the Florida fiasco and play the race card. This being the case, we do not need to have anything happen that will allude to there being a racial problem within the Republican Party. Can you imagine how this will play out in light of the battle the County Commission just fought over redistricting? I am not sure if the problems I am having stem from race, or if they are just individuals who want to be mean. I do not know what it is, but I do know it needs to be resolved quickly, wisely and privately among Republicans.
I have enclosed all of my correspondence to Robin and to Congressman Wamp. Please take a moment and look at what I have written, and advise me if I have done anything that would warrant confusion or that is unbecoming as a leader or a Christian/minister. I welcome the opportunity to be corrected, if I am wrong, and will humbly apologize to anyone I have offended, and make it right.
I have paid a tremendous price to be a Republican. I have fought many battles and have won the respect of both Democrats and the African-American community. But the fighting that is going on within the Party is something I cannot comprehend. It is the most painful battle of them all.
Please give me the benefit of your advise in how to resolve this matter.
Thanks,
Jean
[Dr. Jean Howard-Hill]
Commissioner Coker did give me a call. I was not in when the call came, so he left a message on my answering service that he was on his way out of town, but he wanted to get back with me. He said that he was my oldest Republican friend, and that from the materials he had read, I had certainly done a lot of hard work, and that you aren’t always appreciated for the hard work you do. But that he believed I loved the Party. He told me the only thing he saw that I might be doing wrong is that I might be trying to move a little too fast. I appreciated his advice, although I wasn’t sure how I might be moving too fast just to have blacks who wanted to be a part of the Party, being that the President had made it a mandate to reach out to minorities. Despite what they had said, about him being willing to speak evil of me, I had to take him at his word that he was a friend, and that what they had said was not true. So I decided to ignore the use of his name as an enemy to me. Even if when he decided to retire as County Commissioner, knowing I would have made an excellent replacement, he did not support me. I had worked with Commissioner Coker during the Democracy In Action program. Therefore he knew I had probably a better understanding of county government and commission function than most of the commissioners who were already serving on the county commission. This coupled with my law degree made me a more than qualified candidate.
I also knew Representative Bobby Woods going back to Democracy In Action. His wife before she died was a very precious Christian woman, and a dear friend. I thought him to be a friend as well, and a brother in the Lord, so I was surprised not to hear back from him. I left the package with his son Glen, but for whatever reason he never responded. I was later told that one of the people involved in working against me were members of his church. Perhaps because of this, he did not respond. Although that would have been even all the better reason to facilitate peace between the two of us. But as a professed brother in the Lord, I had to give him the benefit of the doubt, just as I had done Coker.
I had the same letter and package for County Executive Claude Ramsey, since I also had known him going back to 1976 when I began the Democracy In Action program in the two local school systems. I attempted to hand deliver it, but I did not feel comfortable leaving it in his office, without putting it in his hands. I called. He was out. He returned my call, but I was out. Playing telephone tag, and with so much going on, I never got to speak with him. But I had met with him before this to discuss the Caucus and to give him information on the organization. I also personally hand-delivered a copy of the letter I sent to all of the elected Republican officials to his office. He had always responded in the past, and had even attended the Historically Black Colleges and Universities [HBCU] Technology Briefing I held in Chattanooga. Therefore, I also added him to the list of those I should give the benefit of the doubt.
I also called Gene Hunt, because we had been such good friends and campaign buddies back in the 80s. His response was, “You sure have been busy. You have done a lot of work for the Party.” He said that he didn’t see anything wrong that I was doing. We joked about some other things, as we always did, and ended the call.
My race for the county commission seat for the 8th district also was evidenced of them working to influence others to shut the Caucus and me out. The race was an interesting one. Although I do not have anything personal against either candidate, and did not perceive any prejudice from either of them, it was obvious that those who had warned me that they would continue to silence and block me in whatever I did in the party, were once again living up to their promises.
It was difficult to imagine a twenty-two year veteran African-American candidate having to run as a write-in candidate in a predominantly white Republican district, while two white gentlemen, one of whom had no locally known prior Republican history. In fact he only registered to vote March of the same month of the same month he decided to run for office, and had never since that time voted in a county election, at least during the seven years in which he resided in Chattanooga, Tennessee after moving here. The other candidate according to his voting record, [which bears repeating again-they checked mine, but did not bother to check his], consistently voted as a Democrat in every primary from 1992 to 2000. Which meant he probably was a Democrat during that time, and did not vote for Bush. It was hard to believe that either of these two gentlemen would be supported by the County Chair Robin Smith after she had so adamantly boasted to me and others that she would not allow anyone to be a part of the local Republican Party, or run as a candidate who did not pass her Republican litmus test, and prove by their voting records they were “real” Republicans. Yet they checked my records, which showed a consistent Republican Primary voting history, and denied me full access and participation, and even stood to block my campaign, as a write-in candidate.
Neither of these gentlemen had ever to my knowledge attended a Pachyderm meeting. However, they were allowed to address the Pachyderm club as candidates, while as a member of the group since 1987, I was excluded, because I was not in the opinion of those in leadership considered a “qualified” candidate. I did not have but four weeks to campaign to test the waters of Republican inclusion, before the primary election. The last week of the campaign, I sent out a mailer. It was obvious from the qualifications of the other two candidates, that I was more qualified for office. But by then, both of them had built their own solid base of supporters, who were not about to switch over to another candidate who was black, even if I was more qualified.
What was interesting was that although the local party was always trying to get a black Republican Johnny Horne to run against a white Democratic Brenda Turner in a predominantly black district, after I mentioned the need for African-American Republican candidates to run successfully in predominantly white districts, in the letter to the editor, everyone remained as quiet as a mouse to keep me from knowing that the commission seat within my district was up for grabs. I knew nothing about it until it appeared in the newspaper. I may be wrong, and welcome the opportunity to be corrected. But I believe this was done by design to prevent me from successfully running. I couldn’t believe anything less than this in light of how I was treated as I stepped out as a candidate.
The other two candidates names appeared in the Hamilton County Republican Newsletter, and in the Party’s e-mail sent out to Republicans, while my name was excluded. The e-mail used the term “qualified” candidate, as a way of saying they did not sanction or approve of me running as a write-in candidate, and that I would not be allowed to address my own Pachyderm Club.
A white Republican friend received the e-mail, and sent it to me. They had taken me off the e-mail list, so that I would not receive any information from the local party. Also they had stopped sending me newsletters. Nevertheless, the e-mail was forwarded to me and read:
> From: HCGOP
> Reply To: HCGOP-News-owner@yahoogroups.com
> Sent: Thursday, May 2, 2002 2:41 PM
> To: HCGOP-News
> Subject: [HCGOP-News] Pachyderm Speakers & Election Night
>
> The Pachyderm speakers on Monday, May 6th will be Qualified Republican
> Candidates for County Commission District 7 seat:
> Larry Henry and Mark Richman.
>
> The Pachyderm speaker on Monday, May 13th will be Congressman Ed Bryant,
> Republican Candidate for U.S. Senate.
>
> The Hamilton County Republican Headquarters will be open after the polls
> close on Election Night, Tuesday, May 7th to watch the returns. All
> Republicans are welcome.
* * * * * * * * * * *
When I attended a Pachyderm meeting prior to this e-mail being sent, and tried to announce my run as a Republican write-in candidate, I was repeatedly ignored by the club. With my hand raised, he kept looking at me and saying, “Only qualified candidates will be allowed to speak.” Again, I saw those who spiritually should have known better, succumb to the influence of mean spirited and racist politics. But although it hurt so much inside to witness this, God gave me the inner strength to keep my hand up when I really wanted to just leave. But I waited until he was forced to recognize me. At that time in a humble and gracious way, I announced my candidacy to the surprising response of those white Pachyderm members who applauded and showed their pleasure that I was in the race. Many came up to me after the meeting to wish me well, even if they did not reside within my district. Some explained they had already committed their support, but had they known I was running, they would have supported me. That was okay. I understood, and did not expect them to break the commitment they had made to the other two candidates.
Needless to say, I did not win. But it was meant as a test to see if the Republican Party was ready to embrace a qualified African-American Republican candidate. Also God would not allow me to be bitter about the election, or to have any ill will against either of the two candidates.
God told me that it was his will that Larry Henry should win, but it also was his will that I should run, and said, “There is a purpose for you being in this race. Although you will not win this time, it shall lead to a future victory. Do not speak evil of either of these gentlemen, other than to speak the truth. They are not your enemies.”
I had no reason to have spoken evil of them, because neither of them knew what had happened to me. They were just candidates who wanted to win.
Later God said:
“In time, I am going to use them to be a voice, and with at least one of them, I will use to stand up in boldness to speak truth, and challenge the wrong that is being secretly and silently done within the Republican Party, because My Spirit resides within him, and he has a heart to do what is right. If he will allow Me to use him, I will break down many racial and partisan walls through his leadership. He will not be swayed, because just like you, I will strengthen him, and in time will send him on this mission, and he will not fail.”
I felt a lot better once I heard this. I wasn’t upset with either of them. From my knowledge, they had nothing to do with what was being done to me by others in the Party.
A few months after this, things got so bad, that I finally reached my limits. At that point, I cried out to God, “Lord I can’t take any more!”
With this cry, I felt the hand of God reach down and embrace me. Then He said, “Yes you can take it, because I have ordained you to be strong, and to carry this burden. Do not back down! Keep moving forward. What they have done to you, I am going to take it and make it count for a greater good.”
God instructed me to write a letter and personally hand deliver it to the Republican elected officials, and call and personally fax it to Andy Card at the White House, and Marc Racicot at the RNC. It was ironic that on the very day of the anniversary of Bobby’s death, God had me prepare and deliver this letter.
On April 8, 2002, I went to the Pachyderm meeting so heavy, and burdened that I could hardly keep from showing my grief and pain. Every time I thought about the last time I saw Bobby alive and functioning was at the Hamilton County Republican Convention, I fought hard to hold back the tears. LaShunda was my strength, but she too was affected by everything that had happened. She kept observing me with a careful and watchful eye to see how I was faring. When I could not take it any more, I went out for a moment to pull myself together. As I walked around the parking lot, I cried out once again to God, “Lord! I need an extra portion of your strength and your grace. I am so heavy Lord, and the load seems even heavier today.”
With the same comfort in which God had always consoled me, He wrapped his arms around me, and I could feel him pouring into me, as He said:
“You shall be strong, and you shall endure even this day. I am with you, and not one of the instructions I have given you has been for naught. I have even a reason for choosing this day, the day of your deepest sorrow, and will turn it around one day, and cause it to become a day of tremendous rejoicing. Just be faithful, and steadfast, and watch me prove myself to you in time. Now go back in there, and do what I have called you to do!”
Although my heart was heavy with grief. God’s words encouraged me to go back inside, and to have the strength to complete the assignment He had given me to do that day. I silently sat savoring every word God had said. Inside I hummed a song of praise to God for his faithfulness in getting me through every test and every situation. I knew He also would get me through this day.
After the meeting, I did as God had instructed and delivered this letter to everyone to whom God said to send it.
NRAAC
THE NATIONAL REPUBLICAN AFRICAN-AMERICAN CAUCUS
Embrace
CONFIDENTIAL
APRIL 8, 2002
TO: THE HONORABLE REPUBLICAN ELECTED OFFICIALS:
GOVERNOR DON SUNDQUIST
SENATOR FRED THOMPSON
SENATOR BILL FRIST
COUNTY EXECUTIVE CLAUDE RAMSEY
MAYOR BOB CORKER
SENATOR DAVID FOWLERS
REPRESENTATIVE BOBBY WOOD
REPRESENTATIVE CHRIS CLEMS
REPRESENTATIVE JIM VINCENT
REPRESENTATIVE JACK SHARP
COUNTY COMMISSIONER BILL HULLANDER
COUNTY COMMISSIONER HAROLD COKER
COUNTY COMMISSIONER CHAROLETT VANDERGRIFF
COUNTY COMMISSIONER RICHARD CASAVANT
COUNTY COMMISSIONER FRED SKILLERN
GENERAL BILL COX
SHERIFF JOHN CUPP
COUNTY ASSESSOR BILL BENNETT
COUNTY REGISTRAR OF DEEDS, PAM HURST
JUDGE SUZANNE BAILEY
JUDGE RUSSELL BEAN
JUDGE FRANK BROWN
JUDGE REBECCA STERNS
JUDGE RONALD DURBY
JUDGE MICHAEL CARTER
FROM: DR. JEAN HOWARD-HILL,
NRAAC NAT’L CHAIR, TRAAC STATE CHAIR
CC: NRAAC BOARD MEMBERS
TRAAC BOARD MEMBERS
HRAAC BOARD MEMBERS
RNC Chair, Honorable Governor Marc Racicot
President Bush’s Chief of Staff, Andrew H. Card Jr.
Page Two: Memo to Elected Officials
Please excuse the informal, rather than individual manner in which I am addressing you. But this was the most expedient way to bring a most urgent matter to your attention.
I greatly respect your leadership, and deeply regret having to advise you, that unless the following matter is amicably resolved within the next thirty days, I will be forced to proceed with the filing of a discrimination and defamation action against, Congressman Zack Wamp, Robin Smith, the Hamilton County Republican Party, Marty Fairbanks, Wesley Kliner, the Hamilton County Republican Women’s Club, Valeria Morris, and the Tennessee Republican Party.
Because of my strong commitment to the party, and my earnest desire not to bring injury or embarrassment to you as an elected official, as a matter of courtesy, I bring this matter to your attention, should you desire the opportunity to investigate the merits of my accusations, and do whatever you may think is appropriate to bring this matter to a quiet and amicable conclusion, without bringing further public embarrassment to the Party.
It is not my intentions, or the organization’s intentions to harm the Republican Party or embarrass those “good” Republicans who operate with moral convictions, and a sense of what is “right” and what is “wrong”. Neither do I wish to harm those who have welcomed African-Americans within the Party, and do truly believe they have a right to be Republicans, and play vital roles within the Party. However, there are Republicans within the Party, who have adamantly opposed and brought personal injuries to me, through continuous malicious and egregious defamatory gossip and statements, and have sought to bar me out of active participation within the Party, as well as members of the organization, despite the tremendous sacrifices and efforts we have made to bring African-Americans into the Party within Hamilton County, and throughout the State of Tennessee.
To no avail, I have made every attempt to resolve this matter with those parties involved. I have been saddened and greatly disappointed that no one has been willing to sit down, discuss this matter, and bring it to an amicable resolution, which is certainly in the best interest of the party. For several months now, the organization and I have pulled back, praying and quietly hoping that this matter would righting itself, or go away. However, turning the other cheek, has only given the powers to be, even more opportunities to continue their discriminatory and defamatory conduct. Because of this, I have been forced to take legal action as a final recourse.
I will be more than happy to share with you those facts upon which I am asserting my allegations, substantiated by e-mails and other written communications. Also, there are several sources within the Party, all white, who can substantiate those claims. I am very grateful for those individuals of principle, who have stood against the racist statements, acts, and malicious gossip, and have distinguished themselves from such conduct. However, some of those individuals, because of threats of reprisals and retaliation that already have been made against them, should they speak out, will need to be kept confidential for their own protection. I feel a moral obligation not to expose them, at this time, unless they can be afforded protection against future reprisals. It is not my desire to bring this matter to court. It would be unfortunate should “good” republicans be subpoenaed, and risk having to make a decision between perjuring themselves or enduring the possible impending Republican political reprimands, as a result of them telling the truth.
The entire incident has left me speechless. Never in a lifetime would I have believed that after spending over $1700 of my own personal money to fund the organization, investing so much time and energy in putting together recruitment strategy, traveling throughout the State and nation implementing it, and recruiting over 1276 African-Americans within Hamilton County alone,
Page Three: Memo to Elected Officials
[which includes prominent pastors and influential individuals, as well as forming working relationships with organizations that have histories of being anti-Republican], that I now would have to face my own Party, and fight racism and such ugliness. I am saddened, hurt, and even embarrassed. Nevertheless, I am a Republican by philosophy, and will continue to be a strong Republican. I also have a personal responsibility to those African-Americans in Hamilton County, as well as across the State of Tennessee, and nationwide, who have embraced the Party and have made a risky sacrifice to go against the often “brutally embedded democratic mentality” of the African-American community, and face the “rebuke” of those of their own race, to become Republicans because of my recruitment efforts, now only to find they are no more welcomed by the Party as Republicans, than they now are endeared by the African-American community for becoming a Republican! This is devastating. Therefore, I have an even greater obligation that goes beyond my personal injuries, to do everything within my power to try to right this wrong, and protect their best interest, even to the point of filing this lawsuit to ensure, not only African-Americans, but people of all races have the right to be treated equally, and with respect within the Republican Party.
I know I have placed myself in a highly vicarious position in going against the “Republican Political Giants” in ensuring African-Americans are welcomed and treated fairly within the Party. But there comes a time in one’s life, when what is being said and done is so blatantly wrong, that the David spirit which is within them, despite how small and insignificant they may be, must stand up to the “Political Goliath”, and say it is wrong, and that this is enough! I realize I am a “David” in this situation. But the cause is far too great, and the injuries run much too deep to stand back and allow the “Giants” to continue to prevail to the detriment of the Party I love, and have pledged my allegiance and support.
I appreciate “good” Republicans such as you, who will continue to move forward to embrace people of all races, and welcome them into the ranks of the Republican Party. I am also encouraged to know that there are many “good” Republicans who are standing with open embrace. Unfortunately, a small minority of “bad” Republicans can tarnish the good for which we all stand.
I look forward to an opportunity to resolve this matter, so that it does not cause injury to you as a friend, and highly esteemed Republican elected official, and the State Party, or bring national embarrassment to the Republican National Committee and to the President.
I invite your input and wisdom over the next thirty days, and I am more than willing to sit down at the table to seek peace, so that we get beyond this, and move forward as a strong, viable and inclusive Party. I also hope this matter does not injure our friendship or working relationship.
Also, despite attempts to keep me from full participation within the local party, this week I will be announcing my run for County Commissioner for the 7th District, Harold Coker’s seat, as a “write-in candidate”. Each term, my friends and family, regardless of party affiliation, have worked hard to re-elect Commissioner Coker. The electing of a qualified African-American republican from a predominantly white district will speak louder than any mere words of embrace can ever echo. It also will send a powerful and clear message to African-Americans, that the Republican Party truly is a “Party of Inclusion and Opportunity”. I look forward to the opportunity to serve the people of the 7th District, should I be elected. I would appreciate your vote and your support.
Thank you, and for those of you who are up for re-election, please let the local Caucus know what we can do to help. Most of the Hamilton County and state elected officials have received information on the Caucus. But if you have not, please let us know, and we will be happy to send it to you, and place you on our mailing list.
The second letter I sent was to the RNC Chair, Marc Racicot. I also sent a copy of both letters to Andy Card at the White House. I entrusted his office to get the letter to the president.
NRAAC
THE NATIONAL REPUBLICAN AFRICAN-AMERICAN CAUCUS
Embrace
CONFIDENTIAL
April 8, 2002
Honorable Governor Marc Racicot
Chairman
Republican National Committee
310 First Street S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Dear Chairman Racicot:
Congratulations on your appointment to the leadership of the Republican Party. There is much work to be done to bring the GOP message to the grass roots communities.
I continue to have a strong commitment to bring minorities, and especially African-Americans within the Republican Party. We have worked very long and hard to do this. However, despite these efforts and commitments, we are faced with situations that are both disappointing and discouraging.
In my own county of Hamilton County, and state of Tennessee, we are experiencing unexpected racism and opposition. The opposition is coming from a very small minority. However, I am encouraged to know that there are many “good” Republicans who are standing with open embrace. Nevertheless, a small minority threatens to tarnish the image of the Party. I have exercised all of our options to sit down like “good” and “loyal” Republicans, and bring this matter to a quiet and amicable resolution, without further embarrassment and injury to the Party. But instead, I have been met with refusals to discuss this matter, retaliation, and continuing malicious acts, and personal injuries. This has forced me to exercise the only remedy left. That is to bring a racial discrimination and defamation action against those individuals involved, as well as the county and state Republican Party.
Because I do believe the President is sincere in his desire to include minorities, and because I do not wish to bring any public humiliation, embarrassment or injury to him, I am bringing this matter to your attention, in hopes that it will be properly and immediately dealt with to avoid legal action. Please also be advised that there are eleven other high profile African-American leaders throughout the United States, who also have experienced similar situations, and are prepared to join me in a racial, and gender discrimination class action suit. These collective incidents seem to strongly substantiate and establish a blatant pattern of practice and treatment of African-Americans within the Party throughout the United States, and warrants serious attention.
Unfortunately, this matter will not go away without the Republican Party taking action. We can not continue to take a back seat to “Goliath”, and tolerate his constant insults and blatant, malicious acts of “racial terrorism”, to continue to go unchecked and unabated.
Page Two: Letter to RNC Chairman Racicot
We have to stand and fight those “wrongs” that tarnish the principles and true spirit of the Republican Party. No longer can we sit back and allow the “Tyrant Republican Goliaths” to trample upon the rights of individuals who wish to become Republicans, and stand as “gatekeepers” to bar them from the Party simply because of race, and the self-serving motives of those bent upon using their
oppressive power to destroy others. No longer can they depend upon silence, and fear of retaliation as an intended response to their “terror”. This is wrong, and should never be condoned or tolerated by anyone regardless of their political rank or position.
Not only does it hurt the Party when “black eyes are shut” to truths that would otherwise open their eyes to the Republican philosophy, and cause them to accept it, but it equally damages the Party, when “white lips are sealed” and unwilling to speak out, and take action against wrongs that are perpetrated against African-Americans who have made tremendous personal sacrifices to stand against their own, and openly embrace the Republican ideology. I have done my part, and have paid a tremendous personal price to open the eyes of African-Americans to the ills of relegating themselves solely to one political party, and to educate and convince them of the positive message of the Republican Party. Now I call upon the “good” Republicans to break the “Republican white-wall of silence”, and to unseal white lips, and speak out against this wrong, so that the Party can grow into a true Party of racial and ethnic inclusion. I bring this to your attention because I am confident you will do the right thing.
Enclosed is a letter I have addressed to all Hamilton County elected officials, bringing this matter to their attention, and allowing them the opportunity to do what is right in clearing up this matter. I highly respect each of them, and feel confident that they too will take the lead, and do what is right.
Again, I deeply regret having to take this action, and strongly encourage you to look into this matter, and bring it to a halt. I am more than willing to work this matter out to avoid litigation. However, I am also prepared and committed to take it to whatever level that is necessary in order to ensure people of all races, and especially African-Americans are welcomed within the Republican Party, and are treated equally and with the same respect, and afforded the same opportunities for full participation, on all levels, as any other white Republican.
I look forward to discussing this matter with you, and I am more than willing to sit down at the “table of equality” to bring a quiet and speedy resolution to this matter.
Thank you for the opportunity to bring this matter to your attention. I am sorry we have to meet under these circumstances. However, I look forward to continuing to work with the Republican National Committee, each State Party, and President Bush to warmly embrace the African-American community.
Sincerely,
Dr. Jean Howard-Hill,
Nat’l Chair/TRAAC State Chair
Cc: The Honorable President G. W. Bush
NRAAC BOARD MEMBERS
TRAAC BOARD MEMBERS
HCRAAC BOARD MEMBERS
State and Hamilton County Elected Officials
Shortly after I hand delivered the April 8th letters, some rather strange things occurred around my house. I cannot say if they were Republican related, but it appeared someone was trying to scare or intimidate me. Someone was outside my house slamming chairs up against the wall around 2:43 in the morning, and my car was tampered with. Again I can’t say they left a Republican calling card behind, or that this was done by anyone opposing me. However, after hearing stories from other African-American Republicans about the scare tactics they were subjected to, I didn’t put anything pass those who operated in political racism and terrorism.
The night of the chair slamming, my first impression was that someone was trying to break in. I was not afraid because my daughter and I had lived under God’s divine protection, and had no reason to fear anyone or anything. We had angels encamped inside and outside of our home. Therefore, I relaxed knowing they could handle whatever was going on outside. All God had me do was go down stairs, and just listen. The noise was loud enough to awake me, had I been asleep. But it was around the time I am normally up writing or praying. I sat down stairs listening and continuing my nightly prayer.
As I prayed and listened God said, “Would a thief announce himself if he was here to break in?”
I thought about the wisdom of this. I continued to sit in a chair by the door, just listening, and praying. Finally whoever it was stopped.
A week later, on the eve of the election, my ignition and steering wheel of my Mercedes had been jammed. I called the police to make a report, and left the rest in God’s hand. But one thing was for sure, my faith and trust was in God. Therefore, I did not fear whatever someone was trying to do to me.
Weeks later, RNC Chair, Governor Racicot came to Chattanooga, and just like those on the local and state level, he also was silent. He ignored my request to meet with him, and at the Lincoln Day Dinner, along with other elected officials, not even knowing anything about Robin Smith, except what he had been told. Yet he bestowed unprecedented glory and praise upon her.
Many whites who now stood with me did not attend the dinner as a show of protest, and because they had heard what had happened to Mary Louise Collins, and how they had tried to prevent her from selling tickets to the event because she supported me. Those that did go, called to tell me how sickened they were to see everyone from candidates to elected officials to Racicot, praise Robin Smith, knowing what she had done to the Caucus, and especially to me. Some vowed to stop sending money to the RNC because of this.
Following that, Vice President Cheney addressed the State Party at the Statesmen’s Dinner. I am not sure if he knew anything about what was happening, but there were those in the White House who did, because I called and personally made sure the letter was faxed directly to the RNC and White House so that it went directly to Racicot and Card. They all came into the state, and never once said a word to us or to try to remedy the problem or to show any support for recruiting African-Americans into the Party. This made it really hard to understand why later in a January 2, 2003, Associate Press articles, entitled, GOP chairman courts minority candidates, voters, that same RNC chair Marc Racicot was quoted to say, “Republicans must attract more minority candidates and voters into their ranks even though that process will take time and lots of work.”
There has been so much that has happened that it is impossible to share it all. I wish I could just erase all of it out of my memory, and awaken to a new day where Republicans are more accepting of minorities. But the decision to ignore my cry for help, and the attempts to silence us testifies for itself that there are those within the Republican Party on a local, state and national level that do not want to seriously include African-Americans within the GOP ranks.
I still hesitate to question the sincerity of the President to include African-Americans and other minorities. But it is apparent that his sincerity is not shared by those at the grass roots level, and not by some in leadership.
I had come to know, just as many other blacks across the country that the common practice within the Republican Party is to ignore the complaints or ill treatment of African-Americans. Case in point, is my own attempt to bring to elected officials the problems I was experiencing, and to give them an opportunity to help me to resolve those issues in the best interest of the Party. I guess it can be best summed up this way. African-American Republicans don’t count! Therefore they can be ignored, blackballed, silenced, and mistreated all in the same sweep, and no one from the bottom to the top cares in the least; and if they do, they dare not say a word.
There is something about the silence of whites that goes all the way back to slavery. Back then, we were not considered as human beings with the intelligence to understand what was being spoken or said about us. Neither were we thought of as having feelings or the capacity to be emotionally effected. Therefore, we often were ignored and treated as if we were invisible and unimportant. It was unheard of for any white to give an account of the most heinous deeds if they involved someone who was black. I saw this same kind of slave-time political mentality as the cries of the Caucus and me were ignored, just as though we did not exist. Perhaps in the eyes of those I went to, they saw no injustices or need to respond to us because we still existed to them as the invisible, inhuman beast of yesteryear.
I remember an incident that took place summer 1976. A fellow student and I were on our way through Mississippi from the campus of Ole Miss. Just before we got to the Tennessee state line, a pickup truck with two white men attacked a black truck driver. Hanging out of the pickup, one of the white men had a baseball bat beating it against the windshield and window of the cab of the truck. Although they were not doing the beating, other white drivers helped the two white men to box the truck in. They proceeded up the road terrorizing this poor black trucker, with no one coming to his aid. The scene was something I can never forget. Whites just ignored what was happening, while blacks were paralyzed with fear, as this black man was being beaten. This was my first up-close taste of the deadly sin of white silence to racial injustices. It was an indoctrination that made me realize how those who said and did nothing during slavery, and the segregation era were just as much to blame, as those who carried out the acts.
During the course of the period of waiting for the Republican White Wall of Silence to be broken, every word God said proved true. I kept a journal of every prophetic word, often sharing them with those who were standing in the gap in prayer on my behalf, and praying for a change within the Republican Party. It made me know and understand that God was not just idly sitting in heaven allowing wrong to be done, without a day of reckoning. I continued to pray for those who mistreated me and the Caucus. I had to, because to do anything other than this, placed me in the same position as they were. I was determined not to be counted among those who would hate, or sow seeds of discord. Neither would I be one who was so full of political greed and power hungry, as to trample under foot, anyone felt to be a threat. But they did just the opposite. They continued to defame my name, even after I pulled back, and stopped attending regular meetings.
I was so deeply saddened after I had addressed my letter to each elected official, that none of them called, spoke to me, met with me, or made any attempts to assure me that the Caucus members or I were welcomed in the Party and that racism was not practiced or condoned by them. Although some had meetings regarding other whites who complained about Robin Smith and Marty Fairbanks, they never made any attempt to meet with me or attempt to hear my side of the story or to assist me in amicably and quietly resolving the matter. If they heard about what had happened to me, it seemed they preferred to hear it from someone white, rather than from me and the Caucus. Even upon hearing it from whites, they still did nothing.
I gave the leadership of the Republican Party ample time to facilitate a quiet reconciliation and resolution of this matter. In fact, I did everything except get down on my knees begging. But no one responded! There were those who made bets that I was bluffing, and wouldn’t file a lawsuit against the Party. Again this showed the kind of insensitivity that is within the Republican Party. Instead of sitting down with me, and trying to work this matter out, there were those who were making wagers on whether or not I had the courage to stand up and fight! I realized from this that clearly the Republican Party does not take African-Americans seriously. We to them, are no more than invisible ghosts who need only to show up at election time and vote Republican. However, until the next election, we are expected to pay our dues to become members of Republican organizations that may or may not offer us opportunities for full or equal participation, and help to build the war chest for candidates by writing the check or buying an over priced opportunity to sit at the annual Lincoln Day or Statesmen’s Dinner and other Republican functions!
They continued to ignore and silence me. They continued to mock me, and the boldness in which they flaunted their insults and mockery was blatant, brazen, mean spirited, and unbelievable. But what they failed to realize was that I was continuously fasting and praying, laying before God, seeking His direction, and waiting for Him to tell me when and what to do.
Each time I went before God in prayer, the answer was always the same.
“Wait. Bear the load, and endure the insults. It’s not time yet to tell your story or to publicly fight this battle. Don’t let anyone or anything push you to move prematurely. There are things that must take place first before you make your move. There are many mistakes they will make because of their bold arrogance and false sense of security. The foolishness of their own pride, and the intoxication from their own power will cause them to make moves and decisions without regards to the consequences. The full picture must be developed first before you move. Jean, sit back, keep praying, and just continue to write!”
With this in mind, I was assured that when and if I made any move, it would be a “God move” and a “God decision”, and it would not be prompted by my own reactions to the injustices I was being dealt or for personal reasons.
November 2002 came, and God was still saying wait before I moved with any form of action. His only instructions to me were to write. Even with the book, He admonished me not to get ahead of him, and publish prematurely. He showed me a vision of a clock that hung over America, with twenty-four events that had to take place before I could publish the three books I was writing. Then He said:
“I have something that will take place before January, and in the days that will follow, that when it all has taken place, that shall be my signal to you that it is time. I have to uncover the racism, one layer at a time, and bring it to light before you can come forth. Otherwise, they will not believe your story. It will seem too bizarre for anyone to believe, unless they see first it happening to others. The demons of racism within the Party have insulated themselves so well behind religion and hypocrisy, that it will take all of this to root them out, so that they can be removed from the Party, and it can return back to what I birthed it to be. Be patient Jean. In time you will understand and see it all come to pass. Then you will know when it is time to come forth with your story.”
Shortly after this, just as God said, the uncovering began. The Trent Lott embarrassment was the first to hit the news. But God said:
“Not yet! They still will not believe you, nor be softened from this blow. This is just the beginning. I have many other things that I shall set in motion before you can proceed. But in the meantime, keep writing, and do not become bitter. Overcome their hate with love. Keep quiet, and hidden for a while, until I tell you to come forth.”
I obeyed God and did whatever I could in the background to remain a good Republican, and encouraged those who followed me to pray and wait for God to go before us and clear out our paths. After the Trent Lott incident, many other incidents happened just as God had said, including the uncovering of racism at Erlanger Hospital.
As I watched each event unfold, and waited for the time for me to come forth, I tried hard to come up with legitimate reasons for the silence, and why we were not welcomed into the Party. We did not come in waving the red, green and black flag of the Motherland or with clinched fists, shouting “Black Power”, as in the days of the Civil Rights Movement. Neither did we come in with threats to the Party of a hostile black take over. All we wanted was to be responsible Republicans, and in being Republicans, also address those issues, which related to people of color. What could have been wrong with this? I hoped and prayed that within my lifetime we would see a change in the hearts and mindset of the Party that we were willing to pledge our allegiance.
The letter to RNC also was sent to the White House. But somewhere deep inside of me, I did not believe that the President had seen it, or was completely apprized of the situation. Neither did I believe he knew about all the other African-American Republicans across the country who were experiencing some of the same problems I was having. At least I prayed this was the case, and the reason for the silent White House.
I continued to try to make sense of the silence on a local level as well. I had met with the District Attorney Bill Cox, and had he and his wife sit at my tables at the fundraiser for the Bethlehem Center. When I met with him, it was to introduce the Caucus, and to work with him to improve and change the perception within the black community that the District Attorney’s office was anti-black, when it came to the prosecution of cases. The meeting went well. I got a chance to see him, not as a prosecutor, but as a person. I was impressed with what he said. He shared with me that when he runs for election, he runs as a Republican. But as soon as that election is over, and he comes into his office, he was the District Attorney for all the people. I could appreciate his position. I saw in him a sense of fairness, which went beyond his party affiliation. He was very cordial to me, and expressed a willingness to work with the Caucus, and to cooperate in any way possible to dispel this myth and perception within the black community. Before I left, God said, “Do not leave without praying for him”. So I asked if I could have prayer with him. We prayed, and from that meeting, I was convinced that this was a man of integrity. When he did not respond, I figured it was because he felt a need to steer away from partisan politics for the same reasons he gave me that day in his office. I honestly tried hard to come up with excuses for all of them.
I had a few minutes to chat with Lamar Alexander when he spoke for the Pachyderms while he was on the campaign trail. When I reminded him that I served on his Tennessee Tomorrow Youth Advisory Board when he was Governor, and that he and his wife had come down to campaign for me, he remembered who I was. I wasn’t sure if at that time, I would be forced to bring action against the Party, so I felt it no more than right to let him know of that possibility, since I did not want anything I did to affect his chances of being elected. Briefly I said to him, “I am having some problems within the Party, and I just wanted you to know about them. I am doing everything I can to get them resolved, but if they are not resolved, they could affect your election and become an embarrassment to the Party and to the President. I really don’t want to see this happen. If you can do anything to help resolve this matter, I would appreciate it.”
I told him I had a package which contained the information. He asked me to get with one of his campaign staff, to give him the information. I did, and he assured me he would give it his attention. From the corner of my eye, I could see Robin Smith watching, and I knew that as soon as I finished with him, she was certain to follow it up, or have Congressman Wamp follow it up to defuse anything I might have to say. Despite this, as a Christian, I knew it was right to let Lamar Alexander know what was going on with the Caucus, and me even if he did not respond. He and his wife were kind and supportive enough to help me when I first came into the Party, and I could never forget anyone’s act of kindness. It was the right thing to do. I did not want him to be blindsided with this later. Perhaps his reason for not responding to me was that he had too much on his plate at that time with his election to get involved. So I figured once the elections were over I would hear from him. I am still waiting.
Judge Ron Durby was also a long time friend. Our friendship went back to our legal service days when we worked together. I had hung out for a few minutes with Judge Mike Carter, and Judge Durby at the Presidential Inauguration. Judge Carter seemed very warm and kind. Both of them were auctioneers at the Republican Women’s Annual Picnic. Judge Ron was always a kidder, and he and Judge Mike were the funniest pair of auctioneers you could imagine.
During our days at legal services, there were never any signs of Ron being anything other than fair in his treatment of black clients, and co-workers. When neither of them or the other judges responded, I thought perhaps their position as judges may have placed them in a position where if they did, they may have needed to protect their response from being used later in any legal proceeding where they might have been called as a potential witness. Although I would have never compromised their position as judges, this reason I could understand.
I applied the same judicial reasoning to Judge Brown, Judge Bailey, and the other Republican judges I knew who did not respond. I just hoped those who really knew me, like Judge Durby, and some of the other elected officials, and long term Republicans who knew me before they knew Congressman Wamp, Robin Smith, Marty Fairbanks, Wayne Crop, and Valerie Morrison, and the others would in some way, do something to ease my pain, and open the door for acceptance for blacks within the Party, even if it was behind the scenes. Maybe they did, but just didn’t tell me what they had done. I hoped that was the case.
All I could do was hope someone would do the right thing, as I sought their help in resolving this matter, quietly. I could not make anyone respond or do what was right. For those who did not respond, I could only hope and pray that it was not because they also were racists, who practiced and condoned racism in the Party.
I shut my eyes, and tried hard to block out the silence–especially from those who I had known all of my Republican life, and had counted as friends, and even brothers in Christ. But there was one truth, I had come to know about the Republican Party. There were those in the Party who preached loud, and lived nothing of what they preached. So I could not always count upon those who professed to be Christians or God fearing to do the right thing.
To make sure that I did not hurt the Republican Party was also my reasons for sharing the same concern with Senator Frist, when I met with his chief of staff, Emily Reynolds in Washington back in 2001. I found myself doing everything I possibly could not to allow the racism and mean spiritedness on the local level, which had spread to the State and national, from tarnishing the image of the Republican Party as a whole, and affecting the President.
In another attempt to reach the President and Senator Frist, I sent an e-mail to someone who was associated with a Republican conservative forum, and also personally knew Senator Frist’s chief of staff. I felt maybe a sister in Christ, perhaps could get the message through, since she had been so willing to get President Bush the prophetic word that had been given, during the September 11th tragedy. This also netted silence. Each day I received group e-mails from her, but not once did she even as much as acknowledge me as a sister in Christ, or even as a person and respond to my e-mail. I could not understand this because this was someone who was always out front and outspoken in championing moral causes. But again, the religious of them all, turned a deaf ear. Shortly after that, and with word of the book coming out, without me requesting it, I was removed from the subscribe list, and no longer received e-mails from her or the forum.
I had hoped since Senator Frist had replaced Senator Lott as Majority leader, and since he was aware of what was happening by way of his Chief of Staff, when I met with her, as well as through the letter I hand delivered to his Chattanooga office, that he would at least broach this subject with me and the Caucus. I thought he would have been the first person to want to see this matter resolved if not for our sake, at least for the sake of the Party and President to prevent it from later becoming an embarrassment to both. But again, my hope was in vain. I was more disappointed with Senator Frist’s failure to respond than any of the others for a different reason. Because when I went before God, He said:
“A man who knows and cares for the heart, ought to be sensitive enough to know when a heart is broken and battered. I sent him to Washington as one who would be able to identify with the hearts of all men, and to care for each heart, with the proper political care, as he has medically for his patients. It was My will to make him vice president, but now, I will not honor My will to exalt him, until he clears up this offense. For he knew, and failed to care for your heart, and those within the Caucus, whose hearts were broken by silence and rejection.”
This is perhaps what happens when a good man begins to associate with someone as rotten to the core as Zach Wamp. Yet some how I just felt Senator Frist should have known better. Maybe I had placed him too high on the pedestal. Who knows his reasons for not embracing us. Perhaps in time, he will speak for himself.
It appeared there was no one willing to do what was right, and break the silence in order to resolve the matter. I guess all of the African-American Republicans that had been and could have been recruited into the GOP was not important to them. Even with the presidential election coming up in 2004, no one felt it was important.
My mind went to a Monday, July 28, 2003, Chattanooga Times Free Press article. The article quoted Pamela Mantis, the RNC’s spokeswoman as saying the GOP wants to recruit more blacks. “We are out there talking about Republican Party policies and initiatives that benefit the African-American community.”
I wondered “who” was out there talking “where”, about “what”? I was curious about their desire to recruit “us”, that she spoke of. Because for many of us African-American Republicans, no one from RNC was out recruiting us even when we recruited ourselves, and certainly no one was out there talking to us, and especially about anything vaguely related to the best interest of the black community. With nothing but silence from the RNC for the past two and a half years, it was hard to believe they would make such a statement, claiming they were out talking to us! Unless of course the “us” were the few token blacks they have always talked to and felt were docilely safe. Because beyond this, all we saw were political “gatekeeper”, and all we heard from them was an unwelcoming silence.
Now I grieved even more inside over the silence, as much as the false pretense of recruiting African-Americans into the Party, along with the evil minded political maneuverings, unabated and orchestrated by Congressman Wamp and those within his circle. At this point, instead of becoming angry or discouraged, I knew I had to gather a greater strength from God, to do what I had to do to make sure that other black Republicans would not continue to be blocked from participation within the Party. I was even more determined that no one would have to endure what I had experienced. I was not alone in this crucifixion.
There were others out there just like me who felt the same way, and had endured this same kind of insults, mistreatment, and intentional snubs, as we sought just to be included. It was a pattern and practice, which was not only unique to the Caucus or me. It was something, which was happening to many of us across the country. We all have had to swallow one insult after another, and endure the silence, until finally we can’t swallow any more, nor remain quiet. However knowing when to break the silence is golden. Because the only way to stop what was happening was by speaking out. That is exactly what some African-American Republicans have begun to do. I am certainly not the first to break the silence.
In 1998 also being ignored, six politically powerful and courageous African-American women out of frustration and having grown weary of being snubbed and ignored by the Republican Party, were forced to take their complaints to the media.
“Ain’t I too a Woman?”, the question asked by Sojourner Truth, became the theme of these six women’s plight.
Although each woman was actively involved and brought to the Republican Party a wealth of talents, ability, experience, and influence within their prospective communities, and had proven themselves to be leaders, they were excluded from being invited to participate in the Republican Women’s leadership forum.
Among those women involved were Athena Eisenman, President of the Colorado Republican Forum, who also serves as Vice Chairwoman of our NRAAC National Republican African-American Caucus; Gwen Daye Richardson, Editor of Headway Magazine; Phyllis Berry Myers, President, BAMPAC’s National Center for Leadership Training and Recruitment; Teresa Jeter Chappell, President of the Republican Vanguard of Georgia; Faye M. Anderson, National Vice Chair, RNC New Majority Council; and Jacqueline Gordon, President of the National Congress of Black Conservatives
Athena Eisenman
President, Colorado Black Republican Forum
In an article written in the Houston Chronicle, Wednesday, April 29, 1998, by Los Angeles Times, Sam Fulwood III, it headlined: Black women lash out over GOP forum snub. Group accuses part of racial ‘stereotyping’. The article read:
Six black Republican women released an angry letter Tuesday chastising party leaders for failing to invite black conservatives to a two-day Republican Women Leaders Forum being held this week.
Linking their cause to the “Ain’t I a Woman?” refrain of Sojourner Truth, the 19th-century former slave and suffragist, and Republican President Abraham Lincoln’s freeing of slaves the black GOP activist complained that party leaders repeatedly excluded them from organizing activities.
“On the eve of the 21st century black republican women are still agitating for inclusion in mainstream activities in the party of Lincoln,” the letter said. “On behalf of the millions of black women who are voters, tax payers, wives, soccer moms, caregivers, entrepreneurs, community and civil leaders, we ask the organizers of the Republican Women Leaders Forum and GOP leaders, ‘Are we not women?’
The letter, to be published Wednesday as an ad in the Washington Times, is signed by Gwen Daye Richardson, editor of Headway Magazine Phyllis Berry Myers, founder and chair of Black America’s Political Action Committee; Teresa Jeter Chappell, president of the Republican vanguard of Georgia; Faye M. Anderson, president of the Douglass Policy Institute; Jacqueline Gordon, president of the National Congress of Black Conservatives; and Athena Eisenman, president of the Colorado Black Republican Forum.
Red-faced RNC officials reacted with dismay, saying there was no intent to snub black women.
“I’m really shocked and surprised about this,” said Patricia Harrison, co-chair of the RNC, one of the forum’s sponsors. “They were, have and are still invited to attend our meeting.”
After reporters called RNC officials to inquire about the letter, Harrison called some of the women and asked them to reconsider publishing their letter. She even offered to waive the registration fee for some of them to attend.
But Anderson said it was too late for the RNC to do that kind of damage control, and the black women do not plan to attend. “This wasn’t just about the forum,” she said of the public release of their letter. “Truth be told, the party’s failure to include Black Republicans in mainstream activities and affairs smacks of racial stereotyping totally at odds with the party’s commitment to colorblindness and individual merit.”
Anderson said in an interview that GOP leaders are quick to call black activists when they want to put a black face on policies dealing with school choice, affirmative action or other issues “they associate with African-American people. But when they are planning strategy, “they seem to overlook us and seem surprised we are offended.”
In the News Release dated April 29, 1998, the women stated that as in the case with most GOP events, few blacks were invited to attend the forum including leaders who have worked in the party for 10, 20 or even 30 years at the national, state, and local levels. None of the six high profile black African-American Women were among the 15,000 invitees. It was like history repeating itself over and over again. Just as the case with me, and the Caucus in attempting to resolve this matter amicably, the women said they had tried unsuccessfully to have their concerns addressed within the party structure, but no one would respond. Therefore, they publicly aired their discontent, with an open letter in many of the nations top newspapers, and a statement to the media.
What triggered their action was what they described as a snub of black women by GOP leaders planning the Republican Women Leaders Forum. It was the same snub or white wall of silence I had encountered.
According to Phyllis Berry Myers, the “oversight …, [was] symptomatic of a broader lack of sensitivity to black voters in the Republican Party as a whole. The Party’s basic approach has been one of tokenism, where if they have one or two black people on the stage, they consider that to be enough.”
Gwen Daye Richardson pointed out that “Tokenism can no longer be the order of the day.”
The signers of the open letter sent a letter to the then Co-Chairman Pat Harrison, Jennifer Dunn, Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison and Mary Jo Arndt, the then president of the National Federation of Republican Women, calling for greater substantive involvement of black women. The women did not receive a direct response from the forum organizers, but were notified by an RNC spokesman that it was an “oversight” only after the article appeared in the newspaper.
“With over ten years of experience as a Republican activist at the national level, I am sick and tired of being sick and tired of being excluded due to an ‘oversight’,” was the response of Faye M. Anderson, president of the Douglas Policy
Institute and a national vice chair of the RNC’s New Majority Council.
What is interesting about all of this is that the group of women spearheading this effort did not hold themselves out to be radical insurgents. In fact, they may have been considered among some of the most politically conservatives of the African-Americans within the Party.
According to Teresa Jeter Chappell, president of Republican Vanguard of Georgia, despite years of combined efforts of the six women, at all levels, local, state and national, trying to work with the Party to expand its base, they had virtually seen no results. So far all they had gotten was lip service. Because of that the methods they had used in trying to work within the Party obviously had not worked, therefore they had to resort to some outside agitation.
The women stated with major issues being discussed in the 105th Congress, like the future of Social Security and changes to Medicare, the concern of America’s black families should not be ignored.
Vowing to stay in this effort for the long haul, the women said, “We want to leave our children the legacy of having a genuine choice in America’s two-party political system”.
This is the same sentiment that is expressed not only by Phyllis Berry Meyers, president of BAMPAC’s National Center for Leadership Training and Recruitment, but by most African-American Republicans.
The women concluded their media fight by saying, “Right now, most blacks are Democrats by default. It is very hard to be black and Republican because of the constant barrage of attacks one has to endure. Our children deserve to have full participation in our democracy.”
There are many other African-Americans across the country, who are loyal and devoted Republicans, and also have suffered political injuries within the Party. Most of them are waiting until it is safe to speak, before they tell their stories, because they know how mean, cruel and vindictive some within the leadership of the Republican Party can be.
In 1998, it was six courageous black women, who paid a tremendous price for speaking out. Now in 2003 it was my turn to stand as the seventh woman, and the lamb for the slaughter. But also, I was ordained to stand in the stead of minister and prophet to speak to the Republican Party and call it back to order.
I have been called first to prepare the way so that others, both black and white can safely come out of hiding, and speak out against the wrong, which has become an incurable cancer within the Republican Party. This is the story of my life. Going back to my childhood, I had been trained to fight giants. But I was okay with that because there comes a time when David, has to fight Goliath, simply because Goliath has forced his hand.
The same kind of color failures and Republican White Wall of Silence that existed in 1964 during the Goldwater Era, and caused the Republican Party its black support, now exists in 2004. It limits many African-American Republicans with the choice of staying in the Party, and being “black-balled” and destroyed because we seek change, and what is right, or bowing down to the Republican leadership, and becoming a slaves of color, who for a morsel of political bread, are expected to sell our political souls to the Republican slave masters in order to obtain clout, position, recognition, protection, and electability. It is the union of those who have become espoused to the masters of Republican enslavement, to perpetuate the appearance of being inclusive, while entering into an unholy union, to set one African-American Republican against the other, by elevating the ones who buy into the plan, while debasing the others who do not. Together within this union, the two give birth to a new generation of Republican African-American political clones, who will close their eyes to racial injustices, what is wrong, and the plight of the African-American community.
It also produces white Republican siblings who dare not speak out against wrong, because of the fear of breaking the institutionally and politically condoned Goldwater racial conservative white wall of silence.
It is political segregation at its finest! It is the practice of the same separate but not equal doctrine, which sparked the Civil Rights Movement.
It is both the time and the season for the Republican Jim Crows, and the Lester Maddox’s racist gatekeepers within the Party, to change or find themselves another party. Because as African-American Republicans we too have a dream that one day, we again will become active participants with full political access within the Republican Party. Therefore, we are encouraged, and strengthened to take a stand and continue to fight.
I fasted, prayed and cried out to God to unseal the lips of those Republicans who are not racists, and to move them to the forefront of the Party. As I come to what I believe is the end of this journey, there are many good white Republicans who now stand with me, who will not disperse when the heat is on. They may not be within the mainstream political loop of the Republican leadership, but their presence is felt at election time.
I grieved and stayed in prayer so much during this time that God gave me remedy through a deeper spiritual understanding. It was at this point that God lifted me up into a higher realm of spirit, in order that I might be renewed by what I could see in another realm of time. I had a vision in which I saw dark cloud filled with ashes.
“Jean don’t you recognize what this is?” Asked the Spirit of God.
I admitted, “No Lord, I do not know.”
Then the Spirit said, “Yes you do! Go up a little higher in the Spirit Realm, and you will see and understand it because it is a spirit which you have encountered and has vexed you sorely!”
Before I could respond, I was transported into another realm of time. I sat quietly high on a hill looking down on the city of Jerusalem. It was not the Jerusalem of today. The carved streets were nothing but dusty roads.
The Spirit said, “Go down and listen. You cannot hear anything from here.”
I walked the streets of Jerusalem pretty much unnoticed, except by those God wanted to see me. There seemed to be quite a rumpus going on. Several men ran passed me, and into a secret passageway. I don’t know why I did it, but I followed them. They talked of the Messiah’s trial. Among each other they debated if they should stand with the Messiah and offer testimony on his behalf or keep silent.
One of the six said, “What good will it do to get involved? It will only hurt us.”
They all seemed to have agreed until another spoke up and said, “But he is not just Messiah, he is our friend, and no one has known him better than we have. Thus no man can better tell of his innocence.”
With this they also all agreed.
Then one man stood up and said, “Those who we stand against are in power, and just as they are crucifying him, they also will crucify us. I cannot take that chance.”
Just as easily persuaded, the group sided with him. Then by general consensus, they all agreed that they would keep silent, until they knew the outcome of the trial.
At this point the Spirit asked, “Do these men sound familiar?”
I answered, “No.”
Then the Spirit lifted me up and took me down into a deep hole that looked like the eye of a needle, but once through it, it expanded and became a wide pit. Inside of it were spirits chained to each other. I had never seen this before!
The Spirit said, “These are the spirits of silence.”
I jumped back in astonishment. The faces on these spirits were the faces of people I knew.
Then the Spirit began to explain.
“There is an egregious sin of mankind which God shall judge. It is the spirit of silence. It is the same spirit, which stood by, said and did nothing when Jesus was crucified, but allowed the crowd to demand his death with shouts of crucify him! It also is the same spirit, which stood back when American Indians were mutilated, burned and killed. The same spirit did nothing when blacks were castrated, lynched, beaten and unjustly denied their freedom.”
Now I was beginning to understand that the first place I had been taken was among the disciples.
“I take no delight in the wickedness of silence, and I count silence as sin, when those who could have spoken out, do not!” The Spirit continued. “There are many on this side who will suffer the same fate as those who did the wrong, all because they did not condemn the wrong and the wrongdoer.”
When the Spirit said this, I saw a long line of people coming up along side of me. One by one they began to identify themselves and speak. This one woman pushed her way to the front.
“My name is Mammie, and my husband owned 128 slaves. I saw the beatings and I even witnessed many deaths at the hands of my husband and the overseer. I was a good Christian woman, but I stood back and said nothing. Now I find myself on this side, not knowing what to do. If only I could go back, I would have stopped Tom, and turned the slaves we owned free.”
The next person spoke. He still had blood on his hands. You could smell it, as if it was still fresh.
“At my hands I beat one nigger slave with one hundred and fifty lashes. When I got tired, I rested fifteen minutes, then I got back up and commenced to beat him to death.” Holding out his hands, he said. “This is his blood on my hands.”
He took his bloody hands and covered his face.
Another man spoke. He had pictures in his hands. “You see these?” He moved closer to me so that I could see the photos that were in his hands. “These are pictures I took after they burned nigger Jim to death. They strung him up, and took these pictures.”
The pictures were of a black man so badly burned that you could not make out who he was.
They just kept coming, and they just kept telling me their stories, and presenting to me the evidence of their guilt, or their failure to stop the wrong. There were those who told of how they sat back at trials and would not testify against a murderer, just because they were white.
One sheriff, bore his heart, as he told me one story after another of lynching, rapes, and beatings he witnessed, and then used the power of his badge to protect those who were guilty.
There was even a man and a woman who told me they were there when Emmett Till was killed. Their account of what happened was different from the story that had been told. They had the chance to make sure he was returned home beaten, but alive. But they didn’t do it. Together they begged me to tell his mother how sorry they were for not speaking up to save his life.
Then this doctor came forth. He said he wasn’t a real doctor, but a veterinarian who tended to animals and white folks. “I let a many nigger babies die because I would not lift a hand to help get them here, because I wasn’t about to touch no picca ninny, tar baby. Not even a sick one.”
There was one thing that all of those who came had in common. It was their silence and their guilt. Some were sorry for what they did, and others for what they didn’t do. But they all came to offer me comfort for the heavy burden I felt.
Then the Spirit of the Living God spoke, saying:
“Silence to sin and wrong is a deaf and blinding spirit of darkness, which closes its heart to inhumanity and injustices, as well as its eyes and ears. For it sees and hears the wrong, but hardens its heart, and refuses to act. This is the spirit, which hangs over America, and has been there since her birth. Now it hangs heavily over the Republican Party. But in just a little while, I AM going to move among those whites in America who have remained silent, and I AM going to loose their tongues to speak that which is right, just and holy. For I have many in reserve, who will speak out against wrong, because they shall see the wrong for what it is. Sin! And they will understand that the wages of sin is death to My presence. But for those who will continue to remain silent, just as they have sealed their lips, and turned a deaf ear, so shall I also withdraw my voice of mercy, and turn a deaf ear to their cries, when they come before me in prayer, and when they plea for mercy when they are judged for every deed they have done in the flesh.”
As a final comfort to me, the woman who first spoke who said her name was Mammie placed a soft, delicately weaved powder blue blanket on my shoulders and said:
“May you leave here with the comfort of knowing that there are many of us here now, who saw the wrong that was done, and who did nothing to stop it, who are truly sorry. We only wish we had the chance to go back, and make things right, and to change the course of history. Please tell our descendants we made a mistake. All of God’s children are one, and are from one family-the family of God. Tell them this.”
They all stood there watching me as the Spirit of God took me away. I began to feel a little better. Her final words, and the comfort of the blanket reminded me of blue skies, filled with sunshine. Perhaps it was intended to give me the hope of a brighter day. But in my heart, I doubted if sharing this would make any difference.
To that the Spirit said, “It is not up to you to judge. Let every man and woman hear what you have seen, and let them be their own judge. But regardless, you have to share what you have seen.”
After this, I never questioned the silence of those who said or did nothing. But as I close this chapter, and make the decision within my heart not to bear any grudges, but to continue the fight for parity within the Republican Party, God said these final words.
“The day will come. Surely it will because I lift My hand in an oath to you, and swear by My own name that every wrong and every offense that have been done against you shall be judged and repaid. For I have seen, and I have heard, and unlike mankind, I AM not a silent God. Although I did not speak or act at first, did not mean that I failed to judge every deed done and every word spoken against you. Soon you will see My Hand move against those who dared to touch the “apple of my eye”. I shall show no mercy to them, just as they showed no mercy to you. And for those who hid behind my name, as they dug ditches and pitfalls for you, and came against you when you did nothing to hurt or harm them, I have become their enemy! I shall tear them from behind my name, and shall openly display them for all to see that they are nothing more than hypocrites, who have dared to fool others, not realizing that I AM a God who sees and knows all! Now I will reveal them, for all the world to see, and I shall snatch back the covers and reveal who they really are. Then I will send them tumbling down from the high places they think they have secured through their hypocrisy and evil doings. For I AM a God of righteous judgment, and no one can stop My Hand of wrath and judgment. I am angry for what they have done to you, and even more angry for how they have used Me as their cloak. Just wait and you will see my anger upon them. I also will no longer favor a party which uses Me to hide behind to conceal their wrong!”
Then in January 2004, God said:
“Soon it will be time for the book to be released. I will no longer tolerate their hypocrisy and evil deeds. I also have given everyone time to make it right with you. Now those who have not done so, will be counted with those who are guilty, until they take the courage to come forth and separate themselves from wrong doing.”
There is one thing that is certain. The Republican Party is now faced with a dilemma, which is not about to go away. Christian African-Americans, and affluent blacks are becoming more philosophically aligned with the Party’s ideology, which is forcing it to take a second look at its racial policies. The Republican Party stands at the crossroads, and must make a decision to either maintain its present position on race, or return to its birthed identity and embrace those of whom inspired its existence.
I close this chapter with one final word from God to the Republican Party.
“I birth you from my womb, as a political party, so that you would bear fruit as a special remnant of your time, and I purposed and ordained you to stand as My orators of truth, at a time when men and women of the south refused to know the truth of my love for all mankind, and especially those who were in bondage. I drew you out of many waters, to embrace many races, so that you would become a garden mixed and filled with fresh, and beautiful human flowers of every sort. I gave you a fragrance of hickory and oak, because you were to stand as men and women, like trees firmly planted in justice and equality for all mankind. Out of pure and sincere hearts, I birthed you, and ordained your purpose.
But when I birthed you, Satan also birthed his own seed of wickedness, and while you nodded for a moment, he sowed it among you. It grew unseen, beneath the political and social soils of America for a short while. Then it began to sprout as tiny blades of grass among you. Because you were not as watchful and diligent as you should have been, you did not see this wicked seed as it grew, and did not weed it out from among you. Therefore, it took its root, and spread even more densely within your ranks, within the hearts of man. As time went on, it grew boldly into men and women of great arrogance, pride, and hypocrisy.
Now when I look at you, I see that a false sense of humility, as well as pride, hate, and arrogance, has replaced your compassionate, just and godly reverenced spirit. I see those who have used My name in vain, and have used me as a cloak to hide their sins of greed, hate and racial prejudice. Among you now is a spirit I detest! It is the spirit of hypocrisy and silence to the cries of the poor, needy and oppressed. You speak of spiritual devotion to Me, but you remain silent, with lips tightly sealed when injustices are done. You even cause many of those injustices through your own hands. I watch you encourage love for Me, family and country. I watch you proudly wave your flags, and spew out words of patriotism, as you invoke My blessings upon America. All of this sickens Me! Because I know that it comes from many of those among you who do not know the meaning of love, compassion, and justice! These are those who were planted among you by Satan himself. But now I call you unto repentance for your silence and your lack of diligence in weeding out those who have defiled your purpose, and have changed your course from that which I gave you at birth. I also call you to return to your first love, which is Me, and to forsake the ways of assimilation.”
Because I AM all knowing, and see all things, I also know that there are many among you who still hold to your birthright, and have not become contaminated. But because you have remained in the background, and have not moved to the forefront, and to the head of the Party, the nation does not see or know your true character. Therefore, I call you to move up front, and to take back the positions of leadership, and power within the Party, which you once held. I also call you to hold every man responsible and accountable for what he says and stands for. Remember the days of old. I call forth the generations of today, who are the descendants of those of yesterday, who led this party with bowels of compassion, integrity and justice. Stand with what is right in the eyes of your God! Be a voice to champion the cause of those who cannot speak for themselves, nor have the strength to stand! Arise and defend the poor, helpless, needy, and oppressed! For if you will do all of these things, I will have no need to debase you, and take away your strength and power.”
It is my heart felt desire and prayer that my party will take heed, and restore itself back within God’s favor, so that it can continue to fulfill the divine purpose for which it was created.
As to those who wronged me, I pray they will find one day a place in their hearts to correct their own individual color failures, and see each person as God has created them to be.
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