RNC, Paris Dennard Open Black American Engagement Center in College Park

Building on what they call “positive gains made with Black voters,” the Republican National Committee is opening a Black American Engagement Center outside Atlanta in College Park, Ga. The RNC insists that it is serious about engaging in strategic and sustained Black voter engagement.

RNC National Spokesperson and Director of Black Media Affairs, Paris Dennard, said the re-opening of party offices branded as “community centers” is a sign of that commitment. “We use the summit centers as an opportunity for us to do specific sustained engagement,” he explained. “This Wednesday, we’ll be in College Park re-opening. And I use the term re-opening because while we are in different locations, this is not just the first time we’ve been present.” Dennard explained the party had a Black outreach center in Mableton and attends to open many more around the nation. The Republican party opened a similar center earlier this year in Cleveland. McClatchy previously reported the leases on the prior centers expired at the end of the 2020 election cycle. Dennard said the party’s engagement will run through the 2022 midterm cycle. He also noted that the party recently opened a center to engage Asian and Pacific Islander voters in Georgia. According to Dennard, these centers serve as a place for potential voters to gather, engage and connect with the party.

“We know that there are Black Republicans, and we are not a monolith when it comes to our vote bloc,” he said. “And so we use it as a place where people could come and get information.”… (Excerpts from the Atlanta Daily World)