( CNN ) -- I ca n't remember exactly when I began reading Ebony . I 've been flipping -- now scrolling -- its pages as long as I can remember . Like family , it 's just always been there and helped form my perspective . That 's why it was so troubling for me when a senior editor of the esteemed magazine , Jamilah Lemieux , recently went on a Twitter tirade against black Republicans , failing to uphold the standards that I 'd come to expect from Ebony . `` I care about NOTHING you have to say , '' she wrote while disparaging conservatives and Republicans in general . This was not the Ebony I 'd grown up with , I thought , the Ebony I 'd worked with , that encouraged political discourse and diversity of opinion . To my relief , the next day , Ebony issued an apology for its editor 's actions after receiving a letter from Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus . `` EBONY strongly believes in the marketplace of ideas , '' the editors wrote in their response . And we all should . Any good publication allows for diversity of thought . Any good journalist should be able to listen to all sides of an issue . She should not resort to the virtual equivalent of putting her fingers in her ears . As a conservative black woman , I understand I 'm in the minority of a minority . But I challenge all of those who disagree with me to listen to what my party has to say . Are your opinions based on hasty assumptions ? Or were they formed after reasoned debate ? We do n't have to agree on every issue . We should n't . But we ca n't claim to be informed citizens if we refuse even to hear another perspective . And it 's never been more important for us to be informed than at a time when our political clout as black Americans , especially black women , is growing . In last year 's gubernatorial race in Virginia , where I live , black women turned out to vote at a rate higher than other demographic groups , according to exit polls , just as we did in the past two presidential elections . It 's in our interest to understand the full spectrum of political ideas . Most black Americans only need to ask a parent or grandparent to hear stories of when the opinions , views and voices of blacks were silenced , not because of what they said but because of who we are . Some of us have experienced that bigotry firsthand . How can any one of us , then , be so quick to refuse to listen to others ? If you take the time to listen , you might be surprised at what you hear . Ask a Republican about education policy , and you might learn that she is fighting to ensure school choice is the right of parents to choose the school that 's right for their kids , regardless of their ZIP code . Yes , Republicans agree with the majority of black parents . If a black female entrepreneur asked a conservative about economic policy , she might learn that Republicans at every level of government are fighting to streamline regulations so that she can grow her business faster , hire more workers and keep more of what she earns . Yes , Republicans are fighting for her , too . If the young black millennial who 's looking for work asked a Republican congressman what he 'd done for him lately , he 'd hear about the 40 jobs bills that the Republican-led House of Representatives has passed but the Democrat-run Senate has refused to consider . Yes , you might be surprised . In the course of my career , I 've worked as a journalist and held editorial management positions at a number of media outlets . Objectivity and balanced coverage were demanded ; personal views could not and did not interfere with a reporter 's duty to tell the full story . That 's because journalism and political discourse must make room for a diversity of opinions . The `` marketplace of ideas '' can sort out what 's right , wrong , persuasive and not . And it wo n't be the same for every person . But for me and many others , conservative policy solutions offer more financial freedom , greater religious freedom and more economic opportunities . And if you ca n't understand why , well , that 's all the more reason why we need to engage in meaningful political discussion . Join us on Facebook.com/CNNOpinion .
Tara Wall feels that diversity of ideas is just as important as racial differences . She points to the recent uproar over Ebony magazine and one editor 's Twitter comments . Wall says Republicans have done much to support jobs and black families .