( CNN ) -- Last week , in her opinion piece titled `` GOP 's slick Black History ads fall short , miss the point , '' Andra Gillespie praised the Republican National Committee 's recent Black History Month ads as a positive development , but she criticized us because those ads `` were not enough . '' She 's right . They 're not enough , and we never suggested they were . In fact , the ads , titled `` Honoring Our Past , Building the Future , '' are just part of our Black History Month tribute , which in turn is just part of our year-round , nonstop engagement efforts with black voters and communities across the country . Following the release of the RNC 's Growth and Opportunity Project report last spring , the RNC , under Chairman Reince Priebus ' leadership , set out to do things differently in the way it engages with minority voters . The need was especially urgent in my community , the black community . It 's there , in the black community , where we have the most ground to make up . In less than a year , the RNC has made strides to restart the conversation and build a presence in black communities across the country . As Priebus noted at our second annual Black Republican Trailblazer Awards , we 've hired black engagement state directors `` from Michigan to Louisiana , Virginia to Colorado and in between . '' The RNC is hiring people who are from the community to work in the community , so they can get to know people and build relationships . These efforts are critical because people , regardless of background , do n't always care what you know until they know that you care . Growing the party and recruiting the next generation of black Republicans require that we build relationships in places we have n't always been . Now , I 'll be the first to admit that even that is not enough . But it 's a big start in a short period of time and a major step in the right direction . The RNC recognizes that no matter how significant our efforts , we ca n't do it alone , but we do want to set an example for our fellow Republicans . In November , Priebus traveled to Detroit and hosted a round-table discussion with black business and community leaders at which he shared the party 's vision for reviving our urban centers . The response was phenomenal . Many Republicans have stepped up to take similar actions , including House Majority Leader Eric Cantor and Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan and Sens . Rand Paul , Rob Portman and Marco Rubio . They 've shown they 're serious about growing the party and addressing voters ' concerns through policy proposals , listening sessions and visits to communities across the county . We 're happy to see that these Republicans realize the importance of engagement efforts not only for the sake of our party but for the future of our country . Unfortunately , when our efforts get discussed , it seems like they are always viewed only through the lens of political tactics . But the very reason that Republicans seek to hold office is because we know that our principles , if properly applied , will improve lives by empowering people and communities . This includes offering parents a choice as to where their children go to school and fighting for adults who need jobs now . So while I appreciate Andra bringing attention to our efforts , I hope she 'll take the time to consider the breadth and depth of our engagement efforts in the black community . I hope she was n't ignoring them for the sake of diminishing our work to score political points . Regardless , the hard work continues , because no matter what , it 's never enough . As long as there are voters who we have n't heard from or that have n't heard from us , there 's work to do . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Orlando Watson .
Orlando Jones says Republicans stepping up outreach to the black community . The committee 's # ##herence is not enough , he says ; we 're doing much more . He says he is hiring black Republican state directors across the country .