Executive Director for The American Constitutional Rights Union, retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel, and former member of the Northwood University Board of Trustee.
Lieutenant Colonel (US Army, Ret) Allen West is the Executive Director of the American Constitutional Conservative Rights Union and the ACRU Action Fund. He is a constitutional conservative, combat veteran, and former member of the US Congress.
Lt. Col. West is the third of four generations of military servicemen in his family. During his 22-year career in the U.S. Army, Lt. Col. West served in several combat zones and received many honors, including a Bronze Star, three Meritorious Service Medals, three Army Commendation Medals, one with valor device, and a Valorous Unit Award. In 1993, he was named the US Army ROTC Instructor of the Year. He is also a former commissioned officer in the Texas State Guard.
In November 2010, West was elected to the United States Congress representing Florida’s 22d District. As a member of the 112th Congress, West sat on the Small Business and Armed Services Committees.
West is the former Executive Director of the National Center for Policy Analysis in Dallas, Texas, and a former Director of the Booker T. Washington Initiative (BTWI) for the Texas Public Policy Foundation. In July of 2020, Col. West was elected Chairman of the Republican Party of Texas by an overwhelming majority of State delegates.
Lt. Col. West is an avid distance runner, a Master SCUBA diver, and in his spare time, he enjoys cheering on his alma mater, the University of Tennessee Volunteers. He is a legacy life member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, a life member of the American Legion, a life member of the Association of the United States Army, the Society of the First Infantry Division, the 4th Infantry Division, and the 101st Airborne Division. He is a Patriot Life Member (Benefactor) of the National Rifle Association, and former Board Member and Life Member (Benefactor) of the Texas Rifle Association. West is an inductee into the University of Tennessee Army ROTC Hall of Fame.
Lt. Col. West is the author of three books” Guardian of the Republic: An American Ronin’s Journey to Family, Faith, and Freedom; Hold Texas, Hold the Nation: Victory or Death; and We Can Overcome: An American Black Conservative Manifesto.
He is married to Dr. Angela Graham-West (Ph.D), a financial advisor, and they have two daughters, Aubrey, a Board-certified Physician Assistant, and Austen, a nursing assistant. He is also the proud Grandfather (PaPop) of his Grandson, Jaxton Bernard.
Remembering the past; celebrating the present The Emancipation Proclamation was signed Sept. 22, 1862, and documents officially ending the U.S. Civil War were signed on April 9, 1865. Still, racism and prejudice persisted for over 100 years with separate restaurants, restrooms, drinking fountains and schools for Blacks. Tragic events marred history, including the Tulsa race...
By Lt. Col. Allen West (US Army, Ret), Dr. Kent MacDonald, Dr. Timothy Nash