An Open Letter to Dr. Armstrong

June 9, 2006

Dr. Robin Armstrong

Vice Chairman

Republican Party of Texas

Dear Robin,

Well, a week has passed since your historic election as our party’s Vice Chairman.  When I spoke on your behalf in the SD 13 Caucus Meeting on Saturday morning, I reminded the delegates that while experience is important, commitment and compassion and integrity are immeasurable.  We lost the vote but we won some hearts as many people came up later to say they switched their vote and voted for you.

Now we are faced with the task of demonstrating to non-traditional Republican voters that our party is open and welcoming and we in the Texas Federation of Black Republicans are to carry this message.

I am often asked why our organization exists.  I answer by reminding people of the visionaries in our party who did not wait for others to get something done that they felt they could do themselves.

Early abolitionists did not wait for the US Government to change its policy on slavery.  They formed the Republican Party and declared their intent to abolish it.   

Women leaders in our party who wanted to see more of their own elected to office did not wait for the party to recruit women, they formed the Texas Federation of Republican Women some fifty years ago and accepted the responsibility of recruiting and training women for public service.

And so it is with TFBR.  We see outreach to black voters has our responsibility and it is one we do not take lightly.  We know the issues, we understand the sensibilities, and we know the reasons for skepticism on their part.   We are uniquely qualified to do this work and we do it in the spirit of democracy by caucusing within our party just like those early women did.

On behalf of the board of directors of TFBR, our members, and all of our supporters, we offer congratulations on your historic election.  We offer congratulations also to our Chairman, Tina Benkiser for her historic re-election and thanks to our retiring Vice-Chairman, David Barton, for all the work he has done towards racial reconciliation.  We also thank our friend Bobby Eberle for the gracious way in which he handled himself both during the campaign and after your victory.  I am proud to be a Republican.

Finally, I want you to know that we at TFBR stand ready to assist you and Tina as we take on the Democrats for their most loyal voting constituency, black voters.  God is on our side.

May He Bless and Keep You.

Bill Calhoun

Chairman