Write this story. . A Black descendent of Thomas Jefferson and employee at Monticello, author Gayle Jessup White examined the legacies of her ancestors and the current racial debates. Fairfield Universitys Open VISIONS Forum (OVF) will host a compelling and timely discussion on racism, politics, power, and slavery at the Quick Center on Wednesday, February 12, 2020 at 8 p.m. Zillow Group is committed to ensuring digital accessibility for individuals with disabilities. Join us in learning more about White House History right from your own home. What are the dimensions of the White House? MARTIN: That is Gayle Jessup White. Gayle Jessup White tells the fascinating story in her new book, "Reclamation: Sally Hemings, Thomas Jefferson, and a Descendant's Search for Her Family's Lasting Legacy.". Charlayne Hunter Gault, Armed with her newfound familial truth, the author . Please subscribe to keep reading. America has been undergoing a great reconciliation in which the sins of our past are being brought into the light. Those of us who are not black can never fully experience the impact of systemic racism. Gayle Jessup White is the author of the upcoming book, "Reclamation: Sally Hemings, Thomas Jefferson, and a Descendant's Search for Her Family's Lasting Legacy.". 10007, providing information about the products of HarperCollins and its affiliates. The Making of Presidents' and First Ladies' Portraits. Find out how she changed paths. But finding records of enslaved people from the 1700s wouldnt be so easy. submitting your email address, you understand that you will receive email Audrey Edwards, author of American Runaway: Black and Free in Paris in the Trump Years, "Thanks to Gayle Jessup White who sometimes feels 'battle scarred after another day spent fighting for equal recognitionof Black Historythat for many is an afterthought.' It was reported in the Richmond newspaper that Jefferson had relations with an enslaved woman, Dusky Sally, she was called. Copyright 2021 NPR. She's a native Charlottean. Did any presidents live elsewhere during their administrations? If anything, Reclamation demonstrates how illusory and yes, paradoxical American identity can be. (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). Time. She began at the Foundation in 2014 as a Robert H. Smith International Center for Jefferson Studies fellow, combing through old letters, documents, and records for clues to her familys past. JESSUP WHITE: Well, it really is representative of who we are as Americans and how we've at times mistreated each other. . When an ultrasound reveals no movement and barely a heartbeat, they fear for their babys life. "Their worship is a farce, for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God.". Visit Author Central to update your books, profile picture, and biography. Gayle Jessup White's multilayered autobiography, Reclamation: Sally Hemings, Thomas Jefferson, and a Descendant's Search for Her Family's Lasting Legacy, is divided into three parts.The first, most directly autobiographical part of Reclamation offers a fascinating look at Black life in a prosperous neighborhood in Washington, D.C., during the 1960s and '70sa neighborhood that has . But more important, as I began to understand the history, being descended from the people he enslaved and knowing who they were became a more important part of my identity.. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. It was in 2016 that Gayle came on-staff at Monticello, educating the public about the legacy the good and the bad of one of Americas Founding Fathers. She was thirteen when her sister shared a bit of family lore regarding the main author of the Declaration of Independencethey were related. And she announced that we're descended from Thomas Jefferson. As Gayle followed her own leads, DNA research confirmed the long-told rumor that Jefferson had children with an enslaved woman named Sally Hemings. Gayle Jessup White had long heard the stories passed down from her fathers family, that they were direct descendants of Thomas Jeffersonlore she firmly believed, though others did not. . Gayle Jessup White has American history running through her veins. Get more than a Sunday sermon. So you might find information about them on tax records, on wills, but you won't find them in the census record for the most part until 1870. She is the author of the book, Reclamation: Sally Hemings, Thomas Jefferson, and a Descendants Search for Her Familys Lasting Legacy. Trade PB, Format: Next Reclamation: Sally Hemings, Thomas Jefferson, and a Descendant's Search for Her Family's Lasting Legacy, 1996-2023, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. They were kin, with one family owning the other. See where she turns for help on todays 700 Club. policy. In the book, she describes their horror upon driving down Monument Avenue and seeing its Confederate statues. MARTIN: This was a long journey for you, and also a very long journey into public acceptance of these facts, right? What was the breakthrough in public acceptance of the fact that Thomas Jefferson - and now we're finding out that any number of Founding Fathers also had Black families. CBN's ministry is made possible by the support of our CBN Partners. Facebook gives people the. She says, For many years I assumed I was descended from Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings. During his time in the White For Teachers Back in 1998, there was a study called The Foster study which proved that the nephews of Jefferson whom the family had claimed had fathered children with Sally Hemings could not have been the father of her children. You could only hear the silver touching the china. [Her feats] required superhuman persistence. BookPage. He was a flawed human being who made some horrible decisions,sinful decisions. Digital Audiobook Unabridged helps rewrite the estate's well-known narrative to include the hundreds of enslaved people who worked for Jefferson. That's sacred ground for me, says Gayle. Read full bio Most Popular Reclamation: Sally Hemings, Thomas Jefferson, and a Descendant's . community engagement officer, will join us to discuss her book Reclamation, With Cinders help, Gayles four decades of research would soon culminate: Thomas Jefferson was her 5-times great grandfather, and Sally Hemings, her 4-times great aunt. In 1993, the Getting Word oral history project at Jeffersons Monticello plantation began identifying descendants and recording their oral histories. [supadu_silverpop isbn="9780063028678" authorid="52063" referenceid="52063" authorname="Gayle Jessup White" id="5" title="Author tab Form"]. About the Author Gayle Jessup White is a third generation Washingtonian whose lineage extends as far back as the indigenous people who inhabited the Chesapeake area before the . Along the way, she learned more about her connections to Jefferson and Hemings through research and DNA testing, with an assist from Lucia Cinder Stanton, the groundbreaking Monticello historian who has published several books on the history of slavery there. Publishers, 195 Broadway, New York, NY Everyone at the table at the party was discussing their lineage with great pride. Gayle Jessup White, thank you so much for joining us. But what I am committed to doing is to raise the visibility of those people who didn't have a voice. In Reclamation she chronicles her remarkable journey to definitively understand her heritage and reclaim it, and offers a compelling portrait of what it means to be a black woman in America, to pursue the American dream, to reconcile the legacy of racism, and to ensure the nation lives up to the ideals advocated by her legendary ancestor. Getting Word has significantly changed the interpretation of African-American life during enslavement under Thomas Jefferson. on his fathers side but also the great-great-great-granddaughter of Peter A graduate of Kenyon College in Ohio, he received a masters degree in American Studies from Fairfield University and is currently pursing his doctorate in U.S. history at Georgetown University. She held on to that. Our Facebook Live series, White House Biographer Jeffrey Frank discusses his new book on Harry Truman. Gayle recounts, Well I was shocked. Please switch to a supported browser or download one of our Mobile Apps. So the point here is to acknowledge that these families were entangled. A Guide to Reducing Your Health Care Costs, Breaking Barriers: Challenges and opportunities for Latino students, EQUALibrium: An exploration of race and equity in Charlotte, Falling short: Why Democrats keep losing most statewide races, EQUALibrium Live: Conversations on Race & Equity, WFAE 2023 TINDOL SUBARU CROSSTREK RAFFLE, NPR's Founding Mothers In Conversation With WFAE's Lisa Worf, Journalist Stephanie Foo's memoir 'What My Bones Know' shares story of healing from childhood trauma, What widespread legal sports betting would mean for North Carolina, Local News Roundup: NC House votes to end pistol permit requirements; Neighborhood Theatre building sold; Ella Scarborough honored; warm winter temps. Gayle Jessup White of Henrico County, a descendant of the Jefferson and Hemings families, and the PR and community engagement officer at Monticello, stands on Mulberry Row, the home's main. There was a problem saving your notification. She is currently the Foundations public relations & community engagement officer. The authoritative record of NPRs programming is the audio record. One relative is a historical figure in her own right. We are reconsidering how we remember the institution of slavery, and that includes the historical figures from that period. With tax cuts unresolved, his session wins included movement on workforce development and his losses included the 15-week abortion bill. They were able to pass down character, dignity, strength, humanity, love, joy, pain, resilience, to their descendants. EPUB For years, Gayle would dream of one day finding out if what they said was true. In a real-life version of Roots,GayleJessupWhites compelling exploration of her family ties to Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings family demonstrates that Americas complex racial history is written in our DNA. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. "Reclamationis a quintessential American story that should be required reading for anyone who doesn't understand the true contributions of African-Americans to this nation and how vital our presence was and remains to the core principles of democracy and freedom." Sponsor: Monticello TOPIC FREQUENCY It started when she was a young girl growing up in 1970s Washington D.C. At the time Jefferson was my favorite president because he'd written the Declaration, and I believed and still believe in the principles put forth in that document, says Gayle. She also serves on the Poplar Forest African American Advisory Group. The Spotsylvania County Sheriffs Office has decided to end its participation on a national television show, at least for now. Executive Mansion as well as the stories of the people who lived and worked us in learning more about White House History right from your own home. My dad was 6'2", had red hair and freckles. Man died Wednesday. Gayle spent several years as a TV news reporter and anchor before becoming a public television producer and show host at her undergraduate alma mater, Howard. Due to a planned power outage on Friday, 1/14, between 8am-1pm PST, some services may be impacted. Although she lives in Richmond, Virginia, she still considers herself a DC girl. A former award-winning TV reporter and anchor, Gayle began her career in journalism at The New York Times, where she interned in the Washington Bureau. Facebook Live series, White House History Live, delves into the history of the MARTIN: How do you reconcile for yourself those contradictions which live in you? Our Facebook Live series, White House History Live, delves into the history of the Executive Mansion as well as the stories of the people who lived and worked there. A Black descendent of Thomas Jefferson and employee at Monticello, author Gayle Jessup White examined the legacies of her ancestors and the current racial. Her journalist husband, Jack White, was teaching at Hampton University, so they landed in Richmond to ease the commute. She attended the citys private and public schools and attended Howard University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications. (203) 254-4000. It ended up being a good fit for us. And so I don't work at reconciling who my white ancestors were and who my Black ancestors were. So there was no way that I could have pieces to the puzzle such as I did not and pursue it, not to want to put it together. If you have an immediate prayer need, please call our 24-hour prayer line at 800-700-7000. As a young woman in her native Washington gaining an increased awareness of race, being descended from Jefferson became a part of my identity. I just felt the energy and the urgency from our ancestors to tell this story, White said during a recent interview as she headed to Washington for an appearance on CNN. Gayle Jessup White talks with Karen about her book, "Reclamation: Sally Hemings, Thomas Jefferson, and a Descendant's Search for Her Family's Lasting Legacy.. In so doing, she 'reclaims' our common humanity and gives new meaning to 'one nation, indivisible.'" She also hopes that people see themselves and their families in mine. Because my story is their story, too.. She has been with the show since joining the station in 2006. After a 25-year career in communications, Gayle seized the opportunity to pursue her passion, history, beginning as an educator at Richmonds Valentine Museum, and ultimately landing a position at the Thomas Jefferson Foundation, the non-profit organization that owns and operates Monticello, her ancestral home. . She is a direct Jefferson descendant, and is also related to two well-documented families enslaved at Monticellothe Hemingses and the Hubbards. Her 30-year career includes pubic relations, news reporting and anchoring, and public speaking. White's memoir not only proves her ancestral connection to Thomas Jefferson but is a more graphic and sweeping look at how the politics of race and class play out at the highest and the lowest levels of American life." In her book, Reclamation, Gayle chronicles her journey to find her heritage, and more. She has traced her ancestry to Jefferson and two families that were enslaved at his estate, Monticello. This doesnt make sense to me. All Daddy said to me was, That's what they say. Top Stories, 1073 North Benson Road They were treated as possessions. Andrew M. Davenport, a 2008 graduate of Fairfield College Preparatory School is a writer, editor, and teacher. I don't apologize for my - the behavior of my ancestors. After she was named a Jefferson Studies Fellow, Jessup White discovered her family lore was correct. Zillow, Inc. holds real estate brokerage licenses in multiple states. Monticello, once the home of Thomas Jefferson and 400 enslaved men, women and children, is a testament to America's legacy of freedom and slavery. I'm very comfortable with who I am and take complete ownership of my place in society and as a descendant of enslaved people. A former award-winning television reporter and anchor, Jessup White started her career at the New York Times. Quick Center for the Arts, Fairfield University, Tags: JESSUP WHITE: Oh, thank you so much, Michel. Erin Keever is Senior Producer of WFAE'sCharlotte Talks with Mike Collins. She is not only a direct Jefferson descendant, but is related to two well-documented families enslaved at Monticello the Hemingses and the Hubbards. Through her account, the author fleshes out many of the genealogical questions concerning Jefferson that have emerged in recent decades." Join Gayle would spend years following clues, tracing her family tree, and scouring historical records. Little pieces were coming together, but not enough for me to understand how we could have been descended. Whites relentless pursuit of her family lore led her to a fellowship at the International Center for Jefferson Studies and, ultimately, as Monticellos first community engagement officer. The backdrop for the early part of Whites story is Black, middle-class Washington. Its not the same place it was when we moved down here. In her book, The Other Side of Yet, Michelle Hord details the excruciating loss of her beloved seven-year-old daughter, Gabrielle, at the hands of Doctors advise a young mother to abort after they determine her pregnancy is not viable. Gayle Jessup White spent four decades of her life exploring her connection to Thomas Jefferson, a passion born out of her family's oral history that they were his direct descendants. The man's famil. 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