Certain women leaders were not welcome at Abbott's East Texas Black Pastor's meeting in Tyler today. Hosted at New Days Community Church in Tyler, Texas and organized by former Dallas ISD Board member Ron Price, many attendees were neither pastors nor black. Pastor Reginald Garrett was quoted in event promotional materials saying:
"I'm honored to host this historic meeting for Governor Greg Abbott and the Honorable Ron Price as they send the message that we are all God's children, regardless of race or political party."
Rev. Garrett did not live up to his statement. Tyler community leader/educator and former US Army officer Dr. Shirley J. McKellar got her name on the list Tuesday to be in the audience. This morning she was notified that she would not be welcome at the meeting because "It was only for pastors and you are a politician." The problem must be that Dr. McKellar is not of the "right" political party. Dr. McKellar is the Democratic Nominee for US Congress challenging Freedom Caucus Louie Gohmert. Dr. McKellar is also a pastor's wife. She is African American. She is a native daughter of Tyler. She was not admitted to sit in the audience and hear what Governor Abbott discussed with what was advertised to be about 300 area pastors, school board members, business owners, and local elected officials. She showed up anyway. She noted many people who were not members of the clergy being seated in the audience but she was turned away and not admitted.
Why is Abbott having semi-private meetings with Black Pastors within three months of the election? That it IS within three months of the election is probably the answer.
Why would a gracious, highly respected, decorated retired military officer, an anchor in the community be prohibited from sitting in the audience at this meeting when numerous other educators and non pastors were admitted? There is no prohibition against Congressional Nominees attending meetings as members of the audience, that is unless it is Greg Abbott's and Ron Price's meeting and the nominee is not a Republican. There were plenty of politicians in the room. Shirley McKellar was kept outside. Democrats who are community leaders are not welcome in Greg Abbott's "Breaking the Glass Ceiling" meeting for Black Leaders. Smart, articulate, female Democratic Nominees for Congress especially are not welcome. The Governor, is, after all, a friend of Louie Gohmert and an ally and defender of Donald Trump.
Under George W. Bush, the Faith Based private public partnerships were launched. Under Bush, it was mainly the large mega churches (White and Black) congregations who received financial backing or state contracts. The initiative was designed to demonstrate how friendly the GOP was to the Christians mainstream congregations. Separation of Church and State was secondary to endearing folks in the pews to the man whose name would be on the top of the ballot for Governor. Perhaps Abbott is targeting Black Pastors just before the election because African Americans, especially Black Women, are the least likely to vote for him. Polling shows that the African Americana community is the most faithful Democratic voting bloc in the state. African American women are polling as being the most likely voters for Lupe Valdez. So perhaps that is what these regional black pastors meetings that Ron Price is organizing for the GOP -- oops that was a slip -- featuring GOP elected officials are truly about. They don't say they are for the GOP. However, when you look at the VIP speakers or moderators at these events, there is an absence of Black Democratic elected officials. A similar meeting was organized by Price recently and held in Mesquite. Dallas is a Democratic majority city, but the feature speaker at that meeting was the black Republican District Attorney. In Tyler, they featured Greg Abbott.
The Governor and Price seem to be really selective about which black women are admitted. Just being a pastor's wife (Dr. McKellar is a pastor's wife) or a leader in the Black Community, (Dr. McKellar is definitely a leader in the Black Community) is not sufficient to get you seated. Well, it probably would have been had she been a Republican Nominee or office holder. But she's a Democrat. Can't be trusted. She might let something slip about the Governor using the Faith Based Public Private Partnerships as campaign tools to peel off probable Democratic Voters in the General Election.
That's fine. She doesn't have to say it. I will. Governor Abbott went to East Texas on a campaign speaking tour. He closed the meeting and excluded citizens who had every right to be in the room. He is dangling potential state contracts and grants out to entice impressionable Black Men into leading their congregations into ignoring Abbott's deplorable record on Civil Rights, Criminal Justice, voting discrimination and racial profiling. Some of them will fall under his spell. The Governor has paid attention to them. Some (such as Ron Price) think hanging out with Abbott makes them important. So sad. The only person who is truly important to Greg Abbott is Greg Abbott himself.
This Tyler trip should be classified as a campaign junket. That is precisely why he went to Tyler. He wants to peel off African American voters from the Democratic Party. He knows that most Black Women are too smart to fall for his line. Black men, especially, Black Preachers, that just might be a different story. Pastor Garrett said that the meeting was non partisan yet they barred Dr. Shirley McKellar from entering their church today at the direction of the Governor's staff. They might as well put up a sign: "Smart black female community leaders not welcome."
To donate to Shirley McKellar’s Campaign for US Congress: secure.actblue.com/...
