Speaker of the House John Boehner and Majority Leader Eric Cantor were both invited to speak at Wednesday’s “Let Freedom Ring” celebration commemorating the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King, Jr.‘s historic speech and march, but both Republican leaders declined to speak — or even attend. Republican former Presidents George H.W. Bush and his son, George W. Bush, were invited to speak as well, but both are recovering from health concerns. All living Democratic presidents, Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, and Barack Obama, all spoke at Wednesday’s historic event.
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According to the event’s organizers, all members of Congress were invited to attend, as CQ Roll Call reports:
“This was truly a bipartisan outreach effort,†said a spokesperson for the event in an email statement to CQ Roll Call. “All members of congress were invited to attend and the Republican leadership was invited to speak. Majority Leader Eric Cantor’s office was very helpful in trying to find someone to speak at the event. Making this commemoration bi-partisan was especially important to members of the King family, too.â€
So it’s particularly shocking that the Republican Party’s top leaders declined opportunities to speak directly to an audience they call “Demographic Partners.” In fact, the Republican National Committee’s much ballyhooed Growth Opportunity Plan — Reince Priebus‘ blueprint to return the GOP to a national party — mentions the importance of outreach to African Americans dozens of times:
“Establish a presence in African American communities and at black organizations such as the NAACP. We are never going to win over voters who are not asked for their support. Too many African American voters have gotten in the habit of supporting Democrats without hearing anyone in their community making a case to the contrary.”
“Unless the RNC gets serious about tackling this problem, we will lose future elections; the data demonstrates this. In both 2008 and 2012, President Obama won a combined 80 percent of the votes of all minority voters, including not only African Americans but also Hispanics, Asians, and others.”
“There should be a stronger grassroots program administered by the RNC to empower and support ethnic minorities in their communities.”
“The African American community has a lot in common with the Republican Party, and it is important to share this rich history. More importantly, the Republican Party must be committed to building a lasting relationship within the African American community year-round, based on mutual respect and with a spirit of caring.”
Apparently, attending the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s iconic “I Have A Dream” speech, and the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, just was not important.