Gordon McHenry Jr. Talks Prime Community Leadership on The Pop-Up!
The Black Media Matter studio was recently filled with an undeniable sense of reverence and warmth as guest host Sean Goode sat down with a regional icon: Gordon McHenry Jr. Over a decades-long career, McHenry has become synonymous with regional service, famously leading organizations like Rainier Scholars, Solid Ground, and most recently, the United Way of King County as its CEO.
But on this particular evening, McHenry appeared not as the figurehead of a major institution, but as a man stepping into his own agency, eager to speak with a level of candor that his previous professional roles rarely afforded him. What followed was a conversation on history, systemic critique, and an unyielding plea for relational leadership over transactional politics.
Rooted in History: From Texas to Beacon Hill
The conversation quickly grounded itself in McHenry's personal history, intertwined with the struggle for basic civil rights. Goode shared a striking photograph from the 1950s depicting McHenry’s mother standing outside the "colored entrance" of a train station in Terrell, Texas.
McHenry recounted a foundational memory from when he was just six years old, walking with his family in that same Texas town. When they abruptly stepped off the sidewalk into the street to yield to a white pedestrian, his mother explained the rule of the segregated South: "That's what we do when a white person is on the sidewalk.”
This early lesson in navigating oppressive structures heavily influenced how McHenry approached his upbringing on Seattle's Beacon Hill and his Sundays spent at Mount Zion Baptist Church.
"My mom would say, 'You can't go around with a chip on your shoulder... Be proud of who you are... be true to yourself and don't embarrass the family and don't embarrass your race,’” he said.
A Candid Assessment of Modern Leadership
Now unburdened by institutional constraints, McHenry did not hold back when asked to assess the current state of Seattle's political and civic landscape. He expressed deep frustration with the cyclical and performative nature of modern governance, labeling certain politicians as "non-serious officials" who leverage community trauma for political gain.”
"You can be harmful on the left and you can be harmful on the right... It's not just headlines. It's not just a campaign. It's not a broken promise. It's harm,” he said.
When Goode invited him to speak directly to Seattle’s mayor and council, McHenry delivered a directive rooted in urgency and long-term strategy.
"Be more intentional about understanding the living experiences of the people in this city who have the least amount of resources and the most amount of stress, trauma, and oppression,” McHenry said.
The Antidote: Shifting from Transactions to Relationships
The core thesis of McHenry’s work is the desperate need for society to pivot away from a transaction-based existence toward true, human relationships.
Recalling an epiphany he experienced during his time at Solid Ground, McHenry critiqued the non-profit and government sectors for celebrating annual touchpoints with clients rather than asking why individuals remain trapped in cycles of poverty.
"Really, it should have been about relationships,” he said. “What can we do to make sure that you don't have to see us, that you have more sovereignty, more autonomy over your own life?”
This philosophy extended to his reflections on public safety and the region's youth. McHenry urged the public to resist the urge to immediately "crucify" people in online comment sections, which he noted often merely reflect fear, ignorance, and harmful stereotypes. Instead, he advocated for a framework of deep empathy and proactive mentorship.
"Our young people need to be seen as young people. They need to be approached trying to understand what are the challenges in their life that results in violence being a solution or a behavior,” he said. “It's not about judgment, it's about understanding and it's about supporting them.”
A Lasting Legacy
For McHenry, the path forward remains simple, local, and active, whether it means casting a ballot, lobbying an elected official, or quite literally picking up trash on a neighborhood street.
"I want people to have sovereignty and autonomy over themselves, over their family, and their community," he said, offering a blueprint for civic health that outlives any single political administration.
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