Beto O'Rourke Shares Essay Revealing He's Descended from Slave Owners

[DonViejo]

By Connor Mannion July 14th, 2019, 9:48 pm

2020 presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke posted an essay revealing he is descended from slave owners, saying “I benefit from a system that my ancestors built to favor themselves at the expense of others.”

The former Texas congressman posted the essay to his Medium account Sunday night. The essay is titled “Rose and Eliza” who O’Rourke says are the two people his great-great-great-grandfather owned as slaves.

“I was recently given documents showing that both Amy and I are descended from people who owned slaves,” he wrote.

“In the aggregate, slavery, its legacy and the ensuing forms of institutionalized racism have produced an America with stark differences in opportunities and outcomes, depending on race,” O’Rourke wrote. “I benefit from a system that my ancestors built to favor themselves at the expense of others. That only increases the urgency I feel to help change this country so that it works for those who have been locked-out of — or locked-up in — this system.”

O’Rourke ended the essay by outlining his policy proposals aimed at reducing racial inequality, writing “I will continue to support reparations, beginning with an important national conversation on slavery and racial injustice.”

###

https://www.mediaite.com/election-2020/beto-orourke-shares-essay-revealing-hes-descended-from-slave-owners/

[ucrdem]

1. kind of a strange twist

Hard to see where this takes him but at least he's honest and has good intentions so

[Indygram]

3. The Guardian went digging in his ancestry and found it and contacted him for comment

He didn't know until contacted, so that blog was an authentic immediate reaction to an attempted "gotcha" article.

Apparently one of his grandmothers' great grandfathers had slaves.

I love the way he handled it, though. Rather than get defensive he talked about it himself and reaffirmed his commitment to tackling systemic racism and racial injustice.

I'm curious which campaign sanctioned the digging. If they have to go back to the 1800's at least 3 generations to a person related to someone who married into his family that tells you something, lol.

[Blue_true]

15. It was once estimated that more than 70% of native African Americans have White blood.

When I say native, I mean descended from slaves. By that definition, President Obama would not be included since his father was from Africa. It has been stated that his Mom's side owned slaves.

Blacks that are generational southerners and who have White blood most likely descended from slave owners and slaves. That does not set aside what segregation and institutional racism did to them.

Focusing on who a person that should be part of the reprerations debate descended from misses the point, segregation and now institutionalized racism has and is doing major damage to our country. Our focus should be on how we repair that damage and move forward as one country.

[oasis]

2. Beto's presence provides a positive spark to our Democratic field.

Hopefully he'll remain in the mix long enough for a national audience to get a good look at him.

[Indygram]

4. He's not going anywhere, no matter how hard the media tries to dismiss him

They dismissed Trump too and look how that played out.

[JI7]

5. the media did not dismiss trump. they propped him up

and gave him all the attention .

[Indygram]

6. They were dismissive of his campaign

They treated his campaign like it was a joke, had no shot at winning, minimized the level of his support, etc. They covered his campaign to make fun of him, treat him like he was a laughing stock, etc.

[SouthernProgressive]

7. There are no similarities between the medias treatment of Trump and Beto. NT

[Indygram]

8. Yes there is

The coverage of Trump was condescending, not taking him seriously, being dismissive of his campaign and trying to discourage people from supporting or voting for him.

They are doing the same thing to Beto O'Rourke now. They are spreading varying levels of disinformation about Beto and any of his supporters who are paying attention have noticed. Some who don't support him have noticed, too. Now I don't feel I can trust the national media when they report something because I know they have been lying.

[SouthernProgressive]

9. No similarity.

If there is, then Beto is in great shape. They will prop him up while ripping into his opponents. Good for Beto then.

[JI7]

10. this is bs, and it does no favors to Beto to compare it to Trump

[cwydro]

11. I agree; that's a bizarre defense.

Eek.

[Indygram]

13. It's not a "defense," Jesus H. Christ

I am saying that the MEDIA is acting the same...THE MEDIA, not the candidates or supporters...f*cking ay.

[Indygram]

12. I'm not comparing Beto or his supporters to Trump or his supporters...

I am saying that the media is downplaying the level of support that Beto actually has in their coverage (similar to what THEY did in reporting about Trump) and in doing so they make it very difficult to trust/believe what they report.

During the 2016 campaign the media talked like Trump didn't stand a chance and would never win. THAT is what they are also doing with Beto...being dismissive. I'm in NO WAY saying Beto or his supporters are ANYTHING like Trump and his cult.

[JI7]

14. Trump was leading the polls . there was no downplaying his support

there were just excuses made for his supporters for supporting such a shitty thing.