Michelle Obama's Slave Ancestors Discovered

Seattle Times:

Tiny wooden cabins line the dirt road once known as Slave Street as it winds through Friendfield Plantation.

More than 200 slaves lived in the whitewashed shacks in the early 1800s, and some of their descendants remained for more than 100 years after the Civil War. The last tenants abandoned the hovels about 30 years ago, and even they would have struggled to imagine a distant daughter of the plantation one day calling the White House home.

But a historical line can be drawn from these Low Country cabins to Michelle Obama, charting an American family's improbable journey through slavery, segregation, the civil-rights movement and a historic presidential election.

Read the whole story: Seattle Times

Comments

[OregonGary]

Wow, Very cool. I am proud of the 66 million of us that voted to make this happen.

[ThoughtAboutIt]

Closer to 69 million.

http://www.uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/national.php?year=2008&off=0&elect=0&f=0

[MIVOTE]

Know your past history or you are doomed to repeat it! Everyone should investigate their family tree.

[kas70]

What a strange day when all this race resentment gets posted, and many of mine (and I'm sure others) are scrubbed..­.

[Eyewideopen]

Intriguing, isn't it??

[sclucie]

EyesWidwOpen: Especially in a a place where free speech and constitutional rights and grass roots voices are supposed to be welcomed. I kind of thought that was the point.

[Eyewideopen]

I'm experiencing the same thing. However, its seems easier for some whites to get their provocative comments posted.

[robXdion]

Wanna know what's really bad? Some of the mods are black females. But they're in CA where many don't have an understanding of rac.ism other than to avoid offend whites.

[FaceYourFears]

Same here...

[AmbivalentGuy]

Didn't know what you were talking about until I read down.
I don't understand either (and I am a white guy).

I read the whole story and found it historically fascinating,
and was amazed how much they were able to find out.

I just don't understand.
The OJ story really got some of 'em
searching for their robes too.

The Obamas are both accomplished individuals - period.
Oh, he's black? BFD - is he smart? competent?
Yes, and that is what is important to me.
I hope he lives up to his promise.

[kas70]

Ya, I don't think I'll be going to the OJ board...

[mirage2008]

What an amazing story. Descendent of slaves, now a first lady.

[FaceYourFears]

Awesome isn't it!

[TwinX]

I agree, generally about her story being amazing, but Michelle Obama is not a descendant of 'slaves'.

She is descended from people who were 'enslaved'.

No one wants to be a slave. It is not a 'normal' job or place in life description.

Not one person in the world would say 'I want to be a slave when I grow up'. Not one person would say, 'I'm a slave and proud of it'.

It is not something you *are*, but something that is put upon you, against your will. Enslavement. i sometimes wonder how this language of 'slavery' and being 'a slave'' is so accepted and taken or granted.

BTW mirage, none of my comments are directed at you. I hope you don't take this as an attack because it isn't. I understand and agree with your sentiment, it's just the language we all tend to use that bugs me.

The ancestors of African-Americans were not 'slaves'. They were 'enslaved'.

[MizFlagPin]

Thank you.

[xmw]

All Black American are descendents of slaves unfortunately but you're right...Mi­chelle really is a "First Lady"

[militarymomforobama]

All black Americans are not descendants of slaves--Barack Obama, himself, is not the descendant of slaves.

[Eyewideopen]

So are the white people going to tell Jews to "get over" the Holocaust? I just want to know so we can define what's ok to talk about vs. what's not ok to talk about so that the white people feel comfortable.

[TwinX]

For me, I have no problem owning wha foul and disgustingt my ancestors did. All the shame and horror in the world cannot hide or disguise it; the evidence is everywhere.

What helps me (a bit) is knowing I won't perpetuate it.

[kas70]

Hear, hear!

[DaisyDooks]

One love to you, TwinX.

[Aesthete]

Thank you for your insight.

[lisakaz2]

How is this relevent to the story?

[robXdion]

Many white (and black) posters are crying throughout these comments we shouldn't be "rehearsing the past". That's how.

[valkyrie607]

Check out the comments at the site where the story is posted. Stupid white people (not like me, a smart white person) are all bawling about "Why cant blacks just get over it" and "Slavery is so far in the past, just get over it already" etc.

[FaceYourFears]

After reading that OJSimpson thread, I've decided no matter how ticked I may get at PEBO over the next four yrs, I will reframe from all public criticism of him.

[tangelan]

You can't give the i n b r e e d s an inch. I will not be reading the OJ thread.

[FaceYourFears]

The supporters at Palin's rallies got nothing on it!

[walktothelight]

Why does this story irritate you so much...AA'­s have the right to visit and re-visit their roots, pass and ancestries as many times as the mind & time will allow. So much has been lost, during such a reprehensible and horrific time in history...­a deplorable act of violence doesn't just go away-it somehow lives on forever.

[Scarllatti]

Stop rehearsing history. This is not the time for it. If it tickles your fancy, I do not think it does for so many other people.

Talk to me how to solve the problems we have in front of us instead of whipping up sentiments.

[robXdion]

And who are you addressing Obi Wan? This is about AA history and culture. If that makes you uncomfortable or queasy, maybe this blog is not for you. Because at last notice the slaves were freed and you can't issue blanket orders to blacks anymore.

You were just in the OJ blog "rehearsing" THAT history, so don't even come with this "shut it down because I feel scared" stuff. You can't talk about the future unless you address the past, genius. Slavery was the 1st domino that led to Jim Crow, lyn.chings­, race massacres in OK & FL, civil rights marches, voting rights, the need for affirmative action, drug wars, infant mortality, poor schools, black unemployment, and the prison industrial complex. ALL of this BEGAN with slavery. So just leave now if this is too heavy for you.

[kas70]

It's "rehashing". How to solve problems IS to talk about the past.

And this story merely gives a lineage that includes slavery, making her success generations later worthy of note. Just as stories of poor immigrants coming over with $1 in their pockets and their grandchildren making it is also worthy of note.

[lisakaz2]

As a historian, I thank you for that post.

[TwinX]

This may seem pedantic but Michelle Obama's ancestors were not 'slaves': they were 'enslaved'.

There is a difference.

[Scarllatti]

Tell that to Huffpo. They have run out of ideas.

[TwinX]

I'm guessing you and I are *not* the only people here who know how significant the difference is, Scarlletti. I hope so, at any rate.

Truly, I'm not a pedant for the sake of it, but the words we use, the terms we choose to describe things are very important.

[lisakaz2]

Sounds philosophical.

[AlligatorShuz]

They were slaves because they were sold like cattle and on the 1850,1860 census the enslaved Africans are listed along with the cattle...

[snruB]

Stop being a slave to the past

HA

[robXdion]

You mean like whites obsessed over the OJ trial, using blacks as political punching bags and unable to address their racism towards any blacks beside Obama (who they've learned to cope with because he's only "half black")? Like that, huh?

[DeniseD]

I think you might be off base here. There are white people on this board who have never used blacks as "political punching bags". We also voted for Obama because he was the most intelligent and best candidate for President. It had nothing to do with whether he was 1/2 black or 1/2 white. I think all people should be treated equally, no better and no worse than anyone else.

That is why I think it is a travesty that OJ got away with murder. I think the same thing about Robert Blake getting away with murder. These men are both rich and were able to hire fancy attorneys who knew how to get them a not guilty verdict. My opinion has nothing to do with the color of their skin.

[doublels]

Hey RobX...tha­t's harsh! Not to mention way overgeneralizing and I think a bit racist. Do you really think it was only whites that obsessed over OJ's trial. I imagine all color & creed were obsessed because the horrific crime and OJ's already famous profile. I actually was NOT obsessed with the trial. I do think he's guilty but it doesn't have one stinking thing to do with his being black.

I voted for Obama...no­t because he was black or "half black". I voted for him because he's intelligent, has great vision, can communicate that vision, had a brilliant campaign & the list goes on. I can't wait till he's the prez!!!

You should probably knock that chip off your shoulder.

[Eyewideopen]

Tell the white OJ haters that.

[lioness39]

The time for 'token' anyone of anything is over. Obama is going to help heal the wounds of the past. We voted for him in a landslide - all of us.

[Aesthete]

I think it's time for whites to stop being so sensitive about slavery and simply recognize it as part of history. No, it was not a pretty chapter in American history, but it IS history. Go far enough back into the history of any society on this planet and you will find something comparable (i.e., serfdom in Europe of the Middle Ages and all those people were white). The biggest reason that blacks were enslaved in America is because their dark skins made them easy to identify and set apart from the rest of society. I'm a black history buff, but I do not harbor any anger or bitterness about past history. It's rather fascinating, actually. Relax.

[Lahonda]

The law of the returning wave...

[Carolab]

Hardly a surprise, is it? Aren't most black Americans?

[kas70]

Are you saying it's not worthy of note?

[Carolab]

I'm saying it's not that unusual.

[TheAlchemist]

Michelle Obama has taken the first steps on a very long journey.

God keep this woman and her family safe.

[renatam]

I agree. This is the experience of my family as well. It has been a very long road, indeed. We honor those who paid serious dues for the opportunities we enjoy today. They gave all they had, with dignity.

[roshni]

Agree. It's a very impressive story.

[FaceYourFears]

I'm excited for her!

[doublels]

I can't wait till she's First Lady. I think she's going to be one of the greatest.

[sheikwil4]

I'm sure the very people that are complaining that she never looked up her ancestors, probably haven't looked up theirs either. I haven't looked up mine personally either, but some folks in my family has because it's a part of our Family Reunion celebrations. Some people don't have the time or money to research their family history, they only know that they are struggling in their life now and are trying to make it until tomorrow. Some people will complain if they write that Michelle Obama likes to eat swiss cheese, they will complain and say why doesn't she eat American cheese, just stupid stuff, by the way I don't know what kind of cheese the women eats, it's just a example of how stupid some people are.

[DeniseD]

People just like to complain. I admit I have complained plenty in my life too.

This story, however, is truly inspiring. I am glad that Michelle now knows a little more about her ancestry. She now knows she has quite a long history of hard working and intelligent people in her family tree. I am sure she is very proud of them. Besides, how cool is it to be able to trace your American family back to 1850? My European ancestors didn't come to America until the early 1900s.

[FaceYourFears]

Michelle's ancestors were slaves....­wow, who would have known!

[Scarllatti]

News for Huffpo. They have run out of things to write.

[kas70]

Huffpo didn't write it.

[DeniseD]

Actually, we already knew from Obama's speech.

[FaceYourFears]

My comment was in reference to the article, I sensed sarcasm!