Today is Veterans Day, which has a special meaning in my family.

My grandfather, Clifton Weaks, was the visionary of our family. He proudly served our country, fighting against fascism overseas during World War II. But after the war was over, my grandfather returned to life as a second-class citizen in the segregated south. 

He knew that there was a better life for him and his family outside of Natchez, Mississippi, so he joined the Great Migration, moving west, and settling here in San Francisco. He found employment as a laborer, working on roads and bridges, including our Golden Gate Bridge.

With a laborer’s wages, he was able to save up enough to buy a home–something that simply isn’t possible in today’s San Francisco. 

My grandfather and my mother’s love and hard work enabled me to become the first person in our family to graduate from college, to get a master’s degree, and to find meaningful work that has made a difference for others on some of San Francisco’s most challenging issues. 

Today, while we honor all of America’s veterans, I want to offer a personal recognition to Americans like my grandfather, those who fought for America’s highest ideals of freedom—even at a time when that same freedom had not yet been afforded to them. 

May we, as San Franciscans, Californians, and Americans, continue to strive toward these highest ideals that those before us so bravely fought for.

Theo Ellington