RICHMOND, Texas — Fort Bend County is one of the most diverse in Texas. So, it should come as no surprise that residents just elected a Black sheriff.
What might be surprising is the fact he was elected was more than 150 years after the first Black sheriff, Walter Moses Burton, who was elected four years after the Civil War.
It might have been one of Eric Fagan’s best kept secrets on the campaign trail.
“It is a sense a pride, but I am ready to move on from it,” Sheriff Fagan said on Y’all-itics. “One thing a lot of people don’t know, they talk about it now since I was elected, but when I was running I never brought it up. No one ever really knew that Walter Moses Burton was the first African-American sheriff since reconstruction, 151 years ago.”
To hear the full conversation with Fagan, including his personal experience with racism and an awkward moment during protection detail, subscribe and listen to the latest episode of Y'all-itics wherever you get your podcasts: Apple Podcasts | Google Play | Spotify | Stitcher
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Fagan said he wanted voters to make their decision based on his qualifications versus the color of his skin.
His resume is vast.
He was named Officer of the Year three times while with Houston Police, the largest department in the state.
He’s trained in Forensic Psychology.
Fagan has also been certified by the Texas Department of Public Safety for dignitary protection and was on the protection detail for Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner.
But Fort Bend County has been known for its conservatism in the past.
It was home to former Congressman Tom DeLay after all. Troy Nehls, who was sheriff before Fagan, is now the Republican Congressman from the 22nd District.
Fagan said the county has slowly turned from red to purple to blue.
But Fagan said to him and his diverse command staff, it’s not about Democrat or Republican, it’s about the people.
And it all goes back to that word: qualification.
“Don’t look at our skin color. Look at our qualifications and the things that we do," said Fagan. "I’m the Sheriff of Fort Bend County. But I have to work hard enough that I won’t be the last person of color to hold this seat. It shouldn’t take another 151 years, so I’m doing it for the kids out there.”
First Black sheriff in the US
While Fagan is making history, he’s also following it.
Walter Moses Burton -- the first Black elected sheriff not only in Texas, but also the United States -- left some big shoes to fill.
According to historians, Burton was brought to Fort Bend County as a slave.
But after the Civil War, his former master sold him a bunch of land, making him one of the most influential and wealthy African Americans in the county.
In 1869, Burton was elected sheriff and tax collector.
Four years later, he won a seat in the Texas Senate, where he made educating African Americans one of his priorities.
One of Burton’s many accomplishments during this time was helping to establish the school that would become Prairie View A&M.
As for Fagan -- "no pressure," he said.
He said you shouldn’t feel it, if you’re doing the right thing.
“I’ve always said if I was elected, I’ll have more bosses than I’ve ever had before in my life, because I can only be fired by the voters of Fort Bend County. So, I have to do the right thing. It might not be the most popular thing," said Fagan.
After 2020, with its many high-profile police killings of Black Americans and the numerous protests and clashes that followed, there is a loud call for police reform.
Fagan said he’s started to make some changes, including:
- Banning choke holds by deputies, which he says he's done.
- Placing body cameras on every deputy, which Fagan says will require county funding, but doesn't expect a problem
- Implementing a “see something, say something” policy for deputies to speak up if they see a co-worker doing something wrong
One word Fagan doesn’t want to hear, though, is “defund.”
“I’m all for police reform, but one thing I’m not for: defunding the police. Look, everyone wants professional, well-trained law enforcement officers," he said. "To do that, we need funding for the training. We need funding for that.”
The Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Department has faced accusations of racial profiling in the past.
The sheriff admitted it on Y’all-itics, but added that sometimes legitimate questions were mistaken for profiling.
Still, Fagan said he created a citizen review board to help the department to see some mistakes it might have been previously blind to.
As for the Black Lives Matter movement, Sheriff Fagan said he fully supports everyone’s First Amendment Right to protest, just don’t do it violently.
But he’s also not shy about how he views law enforcement and race, based on more than three decades of experience.
“To say that we don’t have systemic racism is putting our heads in the sand. Being in law enforcement, we have to address things. We can’t hide the problem. We have to address them," he said.
