Tea Party Activists Denounce Accusations of Racism

Members of Georgia’s Tea Party movement are denouncing the NAACP’s accusations of racism within the organization. Tea Party activists held a news conference on Friday moing in Suwanee to discuss those accusations.

The Tea Party Patriots of Georgia and FreedomWorks Georgia were among the groups represented at Friday’s news conference, which was held at the Suwanee Town Center Pavilion. The groups formally responded to the NAACP’s accusations.

Tea Party Patroits of Georgia state coordinator Julianne Thompson said the NAACP is on ”the losing side of this political argument, so they resort to attempted character assassination by pulling the race card.

This week, the NAACP passed a resolution saying the Tea Party movement is attracting people and groups hostile to minorities. The Tea Party has rejected the accusations of racism.

The NAACP has called on the Tea Party to ”repudiate racist rhetoric.

Fueling that fire are some signs that the organization says have been seen at Tea Party rallies, and a billboard in Iowa, which was funded by a Tea Party organization. The billboard compared President Barack Obama to Adolf Hitler and communist leader Vladimir Lenin.

Tea Party members say the NAACP resolution lacks any proof to back up its charges of racism.

At Friday’s news conference, those who spoke acknowledged there were small instances of racism within their group early on in the movement, but they were addressed and will not be tolerated.

A Tea Party event was planned for Friday night at Jim Miller Park in Marietta. Several political candidates were invited and some were expected to appear.