African Americans and Texas Politics

Did You Know?

• As of 2009, Texas was the only state to have 3 African Americans serving in statewide office—all Republicans: Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice Wallace Jefferson, Texas Supreme Court Justice Dale Wainwright, and Railroad Chairman Michael Williams.
• Since Republicans became the statewide majority in 1994, 8 minority Texans have held statewide office; yet in the 122 years that Democrats controlled the State (1872-1994), only 4 minority Texans held statewide office.
• The Texas Republican Party was formed on July 4, 1867, in Houston by 150 African Americans and 20 white Texans.
• 2 of the first 3 statewide leaders of the Republican Party of Texas were African American.
• The first 42 African Americans elected to the Texas Legislature were Republicans.
• When the Republicans became the majority in the Texas Legislature in 1869, they established a system of free public schools to educate all the children of the State—something Democrats had refused to do.
• The first faith-based program was proposed in the 1870s by African American Republican Senator Matthew Gaines.
• When Democrats recaptured Texas government in 1872, Democrat Governor Richard Coke’s election was described as “the restoration of white supremacy.”
• President George W. Bush was the first president to appoint an African American as Secretary of State (Colin Powell). He also appointed blacks as National Security Advisor (Condoleeza Rice), Secretary of Education (Rod Paige), and Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (Alphonso Jackson). In his second term, he appointed the second african american Secretary of State (Condoleeza Rice).
• With new programs established by President Bush, African American home ownership is at an all-time high.
• Of the 5 African Americans who have ever been U.S. Senators, 3 were Republicans.
• The 13th Amendment abolishing slavery passed Congress with the support of 100% of Republican members but with only 23% of the Democrat members.
• When the 14th and 15th Amendments extending civil rights and voting rights to African Americans passed, not even 1 Democrat in Congress voted for those amendments.

Equal opportunity is a right and privilege. Texans should be able to start a business, run for office or chase a dream without the threat that government will punish success. African American Republicans are successful leaders in their communities and in Texas politics. The Republican Party of Texas is the political party that can best help all citizens achieve their hopes and dreams.