Meet Eric Coleman (D-TN)

First time I spoke with Eric Coleman, I didn't really get to know him and I don't think I conveyed much about who he is (since I didn't really know). That first post included an introduction I inserted about how some crazy Republicans in the Tennessee state legislature were trying to criminalize gay marriage. I didn't realize until today that Eric has close relationship in the LGBT community himself! For mr it was just about progressive politics in a deep red state where progressive politics-- let alone support for the LGBT community-- is not appreciated.

A mutual friend called me and told me I missed the mark and that DWT readers would have the most superficial understanding about why it is important to support Eric next month when he goes up against some Republican nut-case for an open state Senate seat just north and northeast of Memphis in Tipton and Shelby counties. I spent more time on the phone with Eric and I soon realized how right our friend was. I hadn't even understood that Eric is a Berniecrat and didn't know about the struggle he has been going through since he was injured on a destroyer in the Navy. Watch that video at the bottom on the page and remember that Tennessee's state Senate can have a new member-- election is March 12-- who knows how to fight hard and knows how to never give up. Anyway, Blue America doesn't endorse many state legislators-- just the ones we think can help build a strong bench or who we think are exceptional. Right now there are just three on our state legislature page. Eric is one. Please consider tapping on our ActBlue Legislatures thermometer on the right and contributing what you can to Eric's campaign. Perhaps you want to read his guest post first:





Progressive Nominee In Tennessee’s Senate District 32
by Eric Coleman

I am guilty. I have been, at one point in my life, a Democrat in name only-- a dyed-in-the-wool fiscal conservative premium coffee drinking moderate. I grew up in a time when having dark skin equated Democrat as they were the party that passed the Civil Rights and Voting Rights Acts and were therefore entitled to carte blanche votes in the Negro community in perpetuity. As I grew older and gained a better understanding of community politics and earned a sensitivity to the socioeconomic struggles surrounding me, my independence from the party of Dr. King’s dream became more pronounced.

“You’re nothing but a damn Reformist!” is one of the bizarre names others seemed to cough out when openly discussing my politics with friends in public venues. For a while, it stuck, and I enjoyed being the “Reformist” in my circle of friends and colleagues. The idea of retaining our institutions as they were but making sweeping improvements to them as warranted was damn sure something I could stand up for and get behind. After all, even with mass incarceration, rampant racism, anti-LGBT rhetoric and violence, and economic disparities galore, this is still America.

“Damn the torpedoes!” What the fuck happened? I joined the United States Navy. After wandering the streets of Newark, New Jersey and getting into all kinds of trouble being a wannabe activist, I did the one thing us “brothers” aren’t supposed to do-- go work for the same government that was oppressing us. I needed something more than Newark, or New Jersey had to offer, and certainly more money than a 9 to 5 (or 10 to 6) could provide. I wanted a career with a retirement pension. The change in scenery, people, and influences was long overdue.

My first two roommates were two African American guys who I am lifelong friends with as we all belong to the fraternity of U.S. Navy Chief Petty Officers (requires a much longer discussion). After week three of Basic Enlisted Submarine School (BESS), we had a shuffle in roommates, and a young Caucasian guy from Texas moved in. So, we ended up with an older (26-year-old) gent from New Jersey, an even- tempered young Californian Black man with an affinity for small race street race cars, and a 19-year-old Texan with a chip on his shoulder. We had some great conversations about every facet of life especially politics. It was always fun to engage the Texan with his youthful clinging to archaic thought processes he had no understanding of but readily espoused.

Throughout all the experiences in the Navy, I always kept my eyes open and ears tuned in. Experiencing the different global cultures and being trapped on ships with others and their opinions acted as fine-grit sandpaper smoothing my once very pro-Black Nationalism to an open-minded Liberal-leaning Reformist. I started to embrace the term because it set me apart from others and identified me (to those in the know) as the “guy with all of the detailed answers.” Rhetoric-spitting Republicans steered clear of any extended conversations about the body politic or the history that led us to where we were and the critical historical figures associated.

I became the “long-speech” guy, which is a name and distinction that still lingers. With age and the experience that comes with almost two decades of war, multiple deployments, and years of senior enlisted leadership my politics began to shift sharply toward more progressive ideals. I saw the damage that irresponsible and ill-informed leadership did during the Bush43 era and watched it (albeit imperfectly) pull strongly in the other direction with the Obama administration.

Some of the issues I cared deeply about were addressed while others appeared to fall on rather large deaf ears. There were flashes of brilliance with the passage of Dodd-Frank which pushed back against the Wall Street machine and offered more consumer protections against predatory practices but fell short of tamping down on those most responsible for wrecking the economy in the first place. It was and still is my position that as these institutions make a mess, they’re the responsible party for cleaning up the mess-- no executive bonuses for ANY corporation or other entity that is bankrupt and under other government assistance.

I give credit where it’s due, and the Obama administration certainly helped elevate our LGBTQ family and friends to almost complete parity in marriage and the associated benefits like healthcare coverage and insurance, but most fundamentally made it ok to love who you love openly. The repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell (DADT) did wonders for those serving with a secret for so many years. To see the relief on our service members’ faces as they were allowed to kiss their spouses and families goodbye or be welcomed home by the ceremonial first kiss was emotional for those of us who care. I have many LGBTQ family members and friends (I partied in NYC in the 90s...whoa, the stories) and love them all. There’s nothing more meaningful to me than to be able to see my proud nephew find happiness instead of hiding. I do side with Senator Sanders on reintroducing the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) and updating its provisions to reflect the changes in society and include what work still needs to be done.

It’s my firm belief and observation that many Americans are ready to see the extremely wealthy 1% start carrying a bit more of a proportionate share of the tax burden. With the corporate tax cuts and tax breaks for the wealthiest among us, we saw the wealth vacuum become a black hole. Families who are trying to survive off of $7.25 per hour are left behind while others purchase a new private jet. “The racial wealth gap has been measured and studied for decades. One fact has remained the same: White families build and accumulate more wealth more quickly than black and brown families do” (Florido, 2017).

“The wealth of white households was 13 times the median wealth of black families in 2013, compared with eight times the wealth in 2010, according to a new Pew Research Center analysis of data from the Federal Reserve’s Survey of Consumer Finances. Likewise, the wealth of white households is now more than ten times the wealth of Hispanic families, compared with nine times the wealth in 2010. The current gap between blacks and whites had reached its highest point since 1989 when whites had 17 times the wealth of black households. The current white-to-Hispanic wealth ratio has reached a level not seen since 2001. (Asians and other racial groups are not separately identified in the public-use versions of the Fed’s survey) (Kochhar & Fry, 2014).