The Alabama Republican Party today announced the formation of a minority outreach team to try to increase the number of Black people who are active in the party and run for office.
The state GOP holds every statewide elected office in Alabama and three-fourths of the seats in the Legislature. But none of the statewide officeholders is African American, and there is only one Black lawmaker among 104 Republicans in the Legislature.
That lone Black GOP lawmaker, Rep. Kenneth Paschal of Shelby County, was elected to fill a vacant seat in a special election in July. Paschal was one of five members named to the minority outreach team, which was announced at a press conference today at the state Republican Party headquarters in Hoover.
“The voters in House District 73 have all but shown evidence that Dr. King, his dream is alive in Shelby County and in Alabama,” Paschal said. “Their votes were not based on the color of my skin. They cast their votes because they saw a God-fearing man with integrity, who protects and defends the Constitution, who served his country and is proud to salute the flag, recite our pledge, and sing the national anthem in a voice that is loud and firm, and even sometimes off key.”
Paschal is retired after a 21-year career in the Army. Paschal will serve as director of the outreach team and be responsible for the Birmingham metro area. Paschal was born in Tuskegee and grew up in Eclectic.
The other members of the team, with biographical information provided by the state GOP:
Newton City Councilwoman Belinda Thomas. A Birmingham native, Thomas got her start as a conservative activist by organizing a coalition of African American farmers. Thomas later won election to the Newton City Council and is the first Black woman to chair the city’s water board. Thomas is a member of Dale County Republicans and Houston County Republican Women. She is co-chair of the outreach team and will be responsible for east-central Alabama.
George Williams of Bay Minette. Williams is a former Marine who served in Vietnam and a retired Drug Enforcement Agency Special Agent. He served on the Republican National Committee’s African American Advisory Council. He has served in numerous roles for the state Republican Party over the last decade, including six years as senior vice chairman, the party’s second highest leadership position. Williams will be responsible for south Alabama.
William Green of Montgomery. A former Marine and an Alabama State University graduate, Green has 22 years of experience in accounting, stocks and investment banking, and computer programming and consulting. Green is a former Montgomery City Council member, is chairman of the Montgomery Chapter of the Alabama Minority GOP, and is an executive committee member of the Montgomery County GOP. He is on the Board of Accountancy at Alabama State University, and serves as an ordained minister at Fresh Anointing House of Worship.
Christian Horn of Huntsville. Horn is a small business owner, a member of the Madison County Republican Executive Committee and chairman of the Tennessee Valley Republican Committee. A fifth generation Alabamian, Chris is the grandson of a pastor and a coal miner, with deep family roots in Selma, Jefferson County and Mobile’s famed Clotilda community. Born in Huntsville, he spent elementary school years on the U.S. Army base in Zweibrucken, Germany. He was an all-state football player at J.O. Johnson High School and went on to play fullback for the University of Michigan.
“There are thousands of conservative people in minority groups across this state, and they deserve to be recognized,” Alabama Republican Party Chairman John Wahl said.
The outreach team held a three-hour planning session today, according the press release.
The state Republican Party has tried minority outreach efforts before, including an initiative launched in 2013.
