With our state besieged by riots and local tyranny this year, Texans are finding themselves more concerned than ever about our state’s future. For citizens wanting to learn and be empowered to make a difference, True Texas Project offers the chance to join a movement advancing liberty.
If you haven’t heard of True Texas Project, you may be more familiar with its prior name: Northeast Tarrant Tea Party—the premier tea party in Texas, which was once targeted by the Obama administration.
Which is understandable, since President Obama’s policies triggered NETTP’s birth as well as the activism of its future leaders.
“In 2009, our group formed, along with other tea party groups across the state and nation, in response to Rick Santelli’s outburst regarding President Obama’s economic policies,” TTP CEO Julie McCarty told Texas Scorecard. “He was calling for another tea party … and boom … tea parties formed overnight because his complaints resonated with so many Americans.”
“Like so many other grassroots conservatives, I started paying attention to what was happening at the national level after President Obama took office,” TTP President Fran Rhodes shared. “I truly think my generation—I’m one of those ancient baby boomers—is responsible for the political mess we found ourselves in at that time. We had been asleep at the wheel for 50 years, thinking that voting was enough. Voting is NOT enough!”
“Because the tea party was action-oriented, not just a social club or gripe session, people saw value in it and stuck around,” Julie added.
Stick around they did, and—allied with other Texans statewide—they began to make a difference.
“We won lots of conservative victories in the 2012 election,” Rhodes recalled about the Tea Party movement in Texas. “There were some major conservative victories in the legislature in 2013 and 2015.”
We became known as the fire-breathing dragon of northeast Tarrant County!
But Obama left office in 2017, and we now have President Donald Trump. Surely NETTP’s purpose is complete, right? Isn’t Texas in a far better position today than it was in 2009?
“From a conservative political standpoint, I feel like Texas took several steps forward in 2010, 2012, and 2014, and then started sliding backward,” Rhodes said. “As time went by, however, many of our conservative champions were turned to the dark side, and became more and more moderate, establishment types who would no longer fight for the values on which we elected them. It’s been very disappointing.”
“[Texas] is still in desperate need of education on the Constitution and what it means, where it came from, how it was built,” Julie said. “It is still necessary for folks to get involved, to pay attention, to hold elected officials accountable.”
“The only way to turn things around is citizen involvement,” Rhodes said.
It’s for that reason TTP has been doubling down, not fading away, with last year’s name change being the first step.
“Eventually, the media tarnished the name ‘tea party’ by convincing even those who align with us that being conservative was too extreme, and frankly, the name had become dated anyway,” Julie explained. “Additionally, having ‘NE Tarrant’ in our name implied we only covered one small part of Texas, when really our influence had become statewide.”
So now they are called True Texas Project, with a mission to activate and grow a grassroots army in Texas.
“The whole concept of being a ‘True Texan’ resonated with all of us,” Julie said. “Texas has a reputation that comes from its very founding, and we wanted to draw on that.”
“True Texas Project is all about educating and motivating people to engage in politics,” Rhodes explained. “We have citizen advocates who write letters, send emails, make phone calls, attend hearings and meetings, testify, and hold electeds accountable.” She added that TTP has liaisons who represent them to every public office.
If you felt alone, you probably don’t now. But before you let the fire to take action die within you, thinking all is taken care of, Julie begs you to join the fight.
We can always use more help!
“People all over the state can get involved with TTP—not just DFW,” Rhodes said, extending an invitation to other Texans. “We will soon have satellite groups in multiple locations, but anyone from any location can be involved by signing up for email messages, following us on Facebook, signing up for Citizen Advocates, attending training workshops and seminars.”
“Texas needs a grassroots army, and TTP is just one small part of that,” she added. “And if joining us isn’t possible, find another group that you can join.”
If you’re ready to sign up for this movement and make a difference, TTP’s website has more information.
TTP meetings by county can be found below. Rhodes said locations will vary because of coronavirus restrictions, but the website will always have the current information.
Tarrant County – Second Mondays, 6:30-8:00 p.m.
Denton County – Tuesdays following the second Monday, 6:30-8:00 p.m.
Dallas County – Thursdays following the second Monday, 6:30-8:00 p.m.
