On Juneteenth

by Annette Gordon-Reed

Of great importance, as I have said in another context, the image of Texas has a gender and a race: “Texas is a White man.”

As an Okie, this has huge significance for me. My whole life, I've genuinely thought I hated Texans. Truth is, I've just disliked WHITE MALE Texans. In my brain, that centers whiteness, I had unquestioningly dismissed the claim that ALL Texans of color (especially Black Texans) had to claim their state. Truth is, I dislike many WHITE MALE Californians, too.

“the past is never dead. It’s not even past.”

Prince Harry refers to the exact same quotation in his memoir, Spare. I must say, as little as I enjoyed Spare, I love how this Faulkner quote has resonance with two such disparate groups

Empowered Black people made the intangible benefits derived from Whiteness less valuable.

This is the false bill of goods white folks have been sold.

when I hear people say “Six Flags,” my mind fills in “Over Texas” and I have to resist the temptation to explain why “Six Flags.” The six flags refer to the six flags of the countries that flew over Texas in history: Spain, France, Mexico, the Republic of Texas, the United States, and the Confederate States of America.

I never knew this

I get the distinct impression that the prominence of Parker’s husband and son shaped the presentation of how she ended up as part of the Comanche community in the first place. Parker’s life is judged by the men to whom she was attached: a powerful and important husband and a powerful and important son. That she was kidnapped is fine because she married well.

No matter what, her story became about her proximity to men, either white or Indigenous

What has it meant (what does it mean) for Blacks to claim Americanness while substantial numbers of their fellow Americans reject the idea that Blacks can be true Americans?