Updated

A group of black entrepreneurs, elected officials and constituents has launched its own Tea Party in Houston, convening Tuesday for the Black Tea Party's inaugural meeting while noting anyone is welcome to the group's events.

As it turned out, only about half of the 75 people who attended were African American, MyFoxHouston reports. But co-founder Anita Moncrief said part of the motivation to organize was to get rid of the notion that Tea Partiers are racist.

The event also attracted members of both national political parties. Marie Johnson, a black woman and longtime Democrat, said she attended because she is fed up with the direction of the country

Race "didn't make any difference to me as long as I had a tea party and we get together," Johnson told MyFoxHouston.

"It's not really about Republican or Democrat. It's about the black community. The minority vote has been misused and manipulated by people for so long," said Moncrief.

Click here to read more and watch the video from MyFoxHouston.