( CNN ) -- On January 1 , the nation will commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation , which legally freed slaves in the secessionist Southern states . Meanwhile , thousands of theaters will still be presenting the film `` Lincoln , '' portraying the soon-to-be-martyred president 's efforts in January 1865 to persuade the House of Representatives to pass the 13th Amendment , outlawing slavery throughout the nation . Coming at a time when many Republicans are seeking to rebrand their party , these commemorations of the first Republican president raise this question : Why not refashion the Grand Old Party in the image of the Great Emancipator ? Steven Spielberg 's historical drama , as well as the biography upon which it is based , Doris Kearns Goodwin 's `` Team of Rivals : The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln , '' both remind today 's Americans that Lincoln was not only a moral leader but also a practical politician . The political identity that Lincoln forged for the fledgling Republican Party -- uniting the nation while defending individual rights -- was a winning formula for half a century , with the GOP winning 11 of 13 presidential elections from 1860 through 1908 . Moreover , support for civil rights persisted in the party throughout the last century . Among the Republican presidents of the 20th century , Theodore Roosevelt famously hosted Booker T. Washington at the White House . Dwight Eisenhower ordered federal troops to Little Rock , Arkansas , to enforce school desegregation . Richard Nixon expanded affirmative action . And George H. W. Bush signed the Americans with Disabilities Act into law . Brazile : A turning point for freedom in America , 150 years later . In the U.S. Senate , such prominent Republicans as Edward Brooke of Massachusetts ( the first African-American senator since Reconstruction ) , Jacob Javits of New York and Everett Dirksen of Illinois were strong supporters of civil rights , as were governors such as Nelson Rockefeller in New York , George Romney in Massachusetts and William Scranton in Pennsylvania . Former California Gov . Earl Warren served as chief justice when the Supreme Court issued its decision in Brown v. Board of Education , ordering the desegregation of the nation 's schools . As recently as 1996 , the Republican national ticket consisted of two strong civil rights advocates , former Kansas Sen. Bob Dole and former New York Rep. Jack Kemp . Unfortunately , by 2012 , the Republican Party had veered far from its heritage as the party of Lincoln . Prominent Republicans supported statewide voter suppression laws that hit hardest at vulnerable minorities or called for the `` self-deportation '' of immigrants and their families . While some Republican senatorial nominees needlessly offended women , leading moderates such as Maine Sen. Olympia Snowe and Ohio Rep. Steven LaTourette opted for retirement . In what I hope was rock bottom , 38 Senate Republicans rebuffed their former presidential nominee Bob Dole -- a wheelchair-bound war hero -- to block an international civil and human rights treaty for people with disabilities . 150 years later , myths persist about the Emancipation Proclamation . Not surprisingly , the GOP in the presidential race lost the black vote by 87 points , the Asian-American vote by 47 points , the Latino vote by 44 points and the women 's vote by 11 points , according to CNN exit polls . As Republicans reflect on their path forward with minority voters and persuadable whites , there are opportunities to advance civil rights . While the GOP has increasingly promoted diverse candidates , it has not yet begun to reflect the values of our diverse nation . Fiscally conservative officeholders can fight for civil and human rights . Just a few years ago , Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions championed a reduction in the sentencing disparity between people charged with possession of crack and powder cocaine . These are two forms of the same drug , but crack cocaine is used more by minorities and carried much harsher punishments for possession . Working with Sessions , civil rights advocates pushed to reduce this disparity significantly -- among the greatest advances in criminal justice reform in decades . Looking forward to the 113th Congress , there are several civil rights initiatives that would fit conservative values . They need congressional champions . Conservative lobbyist Grover Norquist and conservative strategist Richard Viguerie have called for criminal justice reforms that would reduce the number of prisoners in U.S. prisons . The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has joined the civil rights coalition 's call for federal initiatives to narrow the educational achievement gap between minority and white students . And more Republicans are joining Jeb Bush 's support for comprehensive immigration reform that provides a pathway to citizenship for long-term , law-abiding residents . Most importantly , the GOP must embrace one of Lincoln 's most enduring legacies , the 15th Amendment , which guaranteed the right to vote regardless of race . The GOP must stop trying to suppress voters and begin to champion electoral reform that shortens lines and helps more people to vote . Opinion : What Obama can learn from Lincoln . I do n't expect another Abraham Lincoln or Frederick Douglass from the modern Republican Party -- I 'll settle for a few more Jeff Sessions . When Republicans consider the consequences for their party 's narrow appeal , they 'll try to return to their roots . I 'm happy to help . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Wade Henderson .
Wade Henderson : January 1 is 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation . He says GOP should look to Lincoln , a canny politician who led moral battles on civil rights . He says GOP has history of civil rights support that it has largely abandoned in recent years . Henderson : In 2012 , with minority voters unimpressed ; GOP should return to Lincoln .