In this letter, David Bergland, the National Libertarian Party Chair, sets forth his reasons for urging an African American Libertarian candidate, Earl Smith, not to run for Mayor of Los Angeles. The letter is addressed to Melinda Pillsbury Foster.

Bergland says he believes Smith is a good candidate and could likely do well in a race, but it would be unwise to run Smith against Tom Bradley, the “highly respected” mayoral incumbent who also happens to be African American.

After discussing the particulars of the election, Bergland also ruminates on how the Libertarian party is “lily-white” and how he believes members of the party must educate themselves on race in order to effectively convey their message.