Photo: Phillip Gordon (l) and Lipan Apache Chief Richard Gonzalez
As a great-grandson of an enslaved man, a grandson of the first born free in 1877, and a son who lived from 1930 to 2012, my family’s history is deeply intertwined with the painful and triumphant narrative of America. Recently, a conversation with someone who knows my background left me questioning how America thinks today.
The conversation began with, “Democrats are taking down our Confederate statues and...” Before he could finish, I interrupted him. How is it that this topic is framed solely as a Democrat versus Republican issue? Why not ask the descendants of the enslaved? These statues were erected during the civil rights movement to suppress and intimidate Black voices. His response? “I’m correct, but he’s voting Republican because he’s white.”
This encounter highlights why I do not believe in political party memberships. The reduction of complex historical and social issues to partisan talking points ignores the lived experiences of millions of Americans. Maybe I’m the one who doesn’t get it right. There is no such thing as “white.” You are American. White is a system.
This brings me to a serious question: If all of you voting for Trump want this white nationalist country, where is my place? A USMC veteran thrown away, great-grandson of an enslaved man not good enough for reparations, a man who raised children to adulthood with no legal issues, no felonies, a Freemason. So again, for those of you who support a convicted felon, draft dodger, white supremacist, and adulterer former president: where is my place?
Obviously, I won’t survive the first year in a country that openly rejects people like me. Where is my place when you vote? Where do the voices of my ancestors and I fit into your vision of America? As a descendant of those who were enslaved, a veteran who served this country, and a citizen who strives for justice and equality, I deserve an answer.
Phillip Gordon is a candidate for Kinney County Commissioner, Texas, Precinct 1, and a proud great-grandson of a man born into slavery.
PhillipGordon ∴ 32º
