Massapequa woman gives voice to black history

From postcards and record albums to a blood-stained Klu Klux Klan robe and mask, Carol Gordon’s Massapequa home and two-car garage are filled with artifacts reflecting African American history.

Gordon’s collection — known throughout Long Island as “Unspoken History Treasures” — started when her uncle, Thomas Bramble, gave her a photo of 1920s performer Josephine Baker, a cookie jar and a string holder.

“He told me that anything I could find, I should start collecting, because in the future, these things would be scarce. Nobody cared about them,” Gordon said.

Her uncle’s words sparked a lifelong odyssey as Gordon, born in New York City, set out to breathe life into African American history. Gordon, 58, is a fixture in schools and at black history celebrations across Long Island every year, as she shares her collection with the public.

“What I do is give voice to the ancestors,” Gordon said. “They’re speaking through me.”

As elders and teens alike peruse worn Civil Rights photos and slave shackles, a range of emotions are evoked.

“They can visualize how it would feel to wear the shackles and try to pick cotton. One young girl had tears in her eyes and said it was amazing what African Americans had to endure, to get to where they are now,” Gordon said. “So much is not in the history books.”

Oral history, she added, is critical.

“This is the finest private collection of African American history artifacts I have seen,” said Danny Drain, CEO of the Slave Relic Museum in South Carolina, after he traveled to New York to view Gordon’s treasures. The Slave Relic Museum is dedicated to documenting, preserving, interpreting and celebrating the history and culture of African Americans.

With no money for the movies, Gordon, as a young mother, took her four kids to yard sales, where her children learned from the collectors.

“One of the best treasures in my collection is an old black rag doll my son found in the street,” Gordon said. “My kids were learning history indirectly and didn’t even know it.”

Knowing that she has imparted life lessons to her children and 10 grandchildren is fulfilling, Gordon said.

Others agree Gordon’s legacy is invaluable to keeping the African American legacy alive.

“Without people such as Carol, much important history would go down the drain,” said Lucius Ware, president of the Long Island chapter of the NAACP. “She has dedicated herself to making this history available for people. She is a valuable addition to life on Long Island.”

Her collection displays images of African Americans being degraded and demoralized, Gordon said.

“But I look at the positive side, that only the strong survive and came through it,” she said.

Gordon, a Democrat, had an unsuccessful run for Senate, but plans to throw her hat in the ring again next year. She has dedicated her life to helping others, working for a long list of volunteer organizations.

“I want to make a difference and give a voice to people that don’t speak up,” she said. “I want to let them know they’re not alone.”