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

[psychmaj323]

A lot of you are so in denial.

[DarthDerisive]

*blink* about what? I mean care to elaborate?

[SilviaMaria]

I am reading this book "Slavery by another name" (The Re-enslavement of black americans from the Civil War to World War II) by Douglas A. Blackmon. There is a website www.slaverybyanothername.com

The book makes you feel powerless but it is real and it happened in spite of the fact that many people would like to forget slavery. On the other hand, there were people brave enough to fight for justice.

[glorialovelace]

You might be interested in reading Annette Gordon-Reed's wonderful "The Hemingses of Monticello" to learn more about the institution of slavery and the lives of slaves.

[robXdion]

I don't think romanticizing the sexual domination of black females in slavery is "wonderful" or cause for a Lifetime Channel moment.

[walktothelight]

You know whats funny...now this get's deep so stay with me now, while blacks were slaves to the white man, there are whites today - who are slaves to the white man....now that's sad!!

[DemNY]

So basically Michelle never tried to find out about her ancestors until her husband ran for president?

Is that what they are saying here?

[glorialovelace]

Finding out about one's ancestors is often a great deal of trouble and expense; it often means long hours spent in archives looking up records that may or may not be there. And many families simply aren't interested

[tr24]

So with all of her resources at her disposal, she has only now chosen to look this up?

[FaceYourFears]

I wish all AA's were afforded the opportunity to trace their roots!

[kellygrrrl]

Let the Healing Begin

[TheAlchemist]

Amen

[sclucie]

beautiful.

[Dupree]

I take issue with anyone who would dare tell me to forget my ancestry as they speak so eloquently about their heritage. I am a woman of African/Native American descent. The history of how MY family were treated on my African American maternal side and my Native American paternal will not be buried because someone is offended or can not handle the truth about America's birth defect. She is a beautiful work in the making but she indeed began with a hideous birth defect. She ripped from her womb her natural born children known as the Native Americans and assigned them to an ophanage called reservation. She rejected her "other" children of color because she refused to allow them to nurse at her breast. She highly favored her fair skinned children and used and abused her other natural born children by taking their land away from them and abused her "other" children by forcing them into building up this country brick by brick and allocating the fruits of their labors to her fair skinned favorite children. But one day, some of her children of all categories ...against all odds...demanding her to live up to her creed and force her to rise up and be the mother to all. America a brilliant work in progress...

[ricitizen]

Dupree - Well said! Excellent comment.

[tr24]

So what?

[dct1999]

Don't be mad because you are incapable of understanding the post. Go back to school.

[Rumplestiltskin]

People all over the world in past have migrated and fought with folks already there. Quit whining. BTW my great grandmother was "Native American".

[tr24]

Who really cares?

[Dupree]

The difference is that the Native Americans DID NOT migrate but was FOUND by Columbus (if there is such a thing as finding land that was not lost). AND African Americans DID NOT migrate but was stolen from their land. If you are not able to decipher and distinguish between the difference in "stolen and sent into forced labor" and someone who decides to COME here...then no amount of intelligent dialogue will correct your thinking and their is a fundamental block that is deliberately raised up as a defense mechanism. The story I told...WAS the correct and accurate state of history. But for some...you may prefer the rewritten and sanitized version.

[symmetricol]

Whining?...I'm afraid you're showing your true colors. Rumor has it, the truth hurts.

[DarthDerisive]

Well said! I applaud you for wording that so nicely! I'm so tired of people equating racial tensions with patriotism.

[walktothelight]

They know! The truth hurts that's why the subject eludes such negativity. Those who are powerless keep stupidity alive.

[kad282624]

im going to puke

[ricitizen]

Please keep your m0uth closed, this way your asphyxiation on your own puke can be assured.

[SamiSam]

S W A L L O W IT.

[tangelan]

S u c k. O n. I t. You're welcome for my eloquence.

[kas70]

A very uplifting story and incentive for me to give my own genealogy - which also includes slavery - another try. It's hard when the record keeping for poor, black, post-Reconstruction southern counties left a lot to be desired...

[glorialovelace]

In general, ALL Southern genealogy is made more difficult because during the Civil War, a lot of records were burned.

The genealogies of recent immigrants -- and especially the Jews -- are also very hard to trace.

The easiest to trace are the families that landed in New England during the 1600s and stayed for a while.

[priusdriver]

very cool story. buy why is this article categorized and showing up on the "style" section of this site?

what the f?

slave ancestry is def the reason for Michelle's chic style... ?

[TheGuide]

What an amazing time in our history. Yes, we are plagued by problems, the entire nation is feeling the effects of the last eight years. Yet drastic change is upon us and, ironically, drastic change is always painful. Still, we are hopeful that Barack can work us out of this pickle.

Everything about the Obamas’ story offers us another measure of pacification. Thank you for this heartfelt read.

[PansyRose]

I am surprised by the hateful blogs. Why is it wrong to want to know one's ancestors. Slavery was a fact, so why hide it? Many people enjoy genealogy and are interested in their own and other peoples as well. It seems there are a lot of mean spirited people with nothing to do but put a negative spin on every story. I find this one very positive and a tribute to those who had to struggle with adversity--no matter the color of their skin!

[MightyMeno]

I'll second that!

[Eyewideopen]

The hatefilled blogs by white posters seemed to get thru despite "moderation". I wonder why.

[robXdion]

Oh, those comments go right up. No prob.

[sclucie]

i wonder why too. they seem to be more valuable. so disppointing.

[anonimost]

We are all linked to some major event. That's why we are supposed to understand the human condition.

[Independentjunkie]

huffingtonpost headline Jan 20th:

"Upon taking his oath of office President Obama was requested to bailout the African Americans for the ill deeds of the great great grandfathers of white peeps...the very same peeps who voted for him. Congress is considering a trillion dollar repartition bailout."

doubt this post will make it on this site... humor is only a forte when we play it on the repubs and Clinton's on www.huffingtonpost.com

[ricitizen]

"great great grandfathers of white peeps...the very same peeps who voted for him"

Those peeps would be dead. The ones that voted for hm would be the great great grandchildren of the white peeps. It's nice to know that the ancestors of slaves who built the capital will be living there as leaders of the country. It's a start.

[bobbiejo]

Did you all know that in Barack Hussein Obama's past: HIS FAMILY OWNED SLAVES!!
ALSO: Obama IS NOT THE FIRST "BLACK" President--- there are 5 BEFORE HIM!!
ALSO: The remarks about the "open mic" issue and what was said about Napoliante-- should be felt and stated the same about Gov. Palin! Such BIAS!

[robXdion]

The comments about the AZ governor are said about men by other men all the time. The only sexism involved was in the minds of women eager to find something to be morally superior about.

[serindipity803]

Certainly there are not enough REAL issues to chat up like hunger, poverty, exploited children and women, inequality everywhere.

[BSERIUS]

so basically Baracks ancestors could have owned Michelle's ancestors.

[glorialovelace]

"Obama IS NOT THE FIRST "BLACK" President--- there are 5 BEFORE HIM!!"

I've read that Eisenhower had some black ancestry. Who were the other four?

[Ksisay]

Which other presidents hid their African ancestry? Presidents Thomas Jefferson, Andrew Jackson, Abraham Lincoln, Warren Harding and Calvin Coolidge all had Black ancestors they kept in their genealogical closets, according to historians. Full article on Diversity Inc.'s site

[Awakenedcitizen]

I think you are off base here. Governor Palin chose to stay home 78% of the time the Alaska legislature was in session; she had dinner with her family, went to the gym and was not distracted by the heavy workload of most governors--because she chose not to engage in many of the duties of her office, like putting together a budget. Members of the Alaska legislature had buttons made up "where's Sarah"--

On the other issue, because some Kenyans owned slaves does not mean that the President-elect's family did.

The bias seems to be yours.

[glorialovelace]

It was Ann Dunham Obama's ancestors who owned slaves. For detailed information on Barack Obama's ancestors, including some of his famous distant cousins (which include Sarah Palin) see:

http://www.wargs.com/political/obama.html

[DeniseD]

Other presidents might have had black ancestory, but they were able to "pass" as white. Barack Obama is the first president who is at least 1/2 African and has undeniable African features. This fact is what makes electing Barack Obama an historical event.

[JennieB]

That's an incredible story. It makes me so proud to know that the Obama's will be in the White House. Some day, Spielberg or some other great director should make a mini-series of Michelle's family history and her road to the White House. It's so American, and so incredibly inspirational.

[DemNY]

A miniseries on Michele Obama's family?

Okay.

[jelly450]

Just when you thought for a second we could move forward, someone feels the need to remind you that you are descendants of slaves.

[bluehand]

jelly450,

I don't understand what you mean. A slave is a human being who's either been abducted, or whose parents were abducted, and then subjected to all manner of life long abuse and degredation. Would you be the one who was ashamed if some one did that to you? And, why would any one be ashamed of an ancestor who had the will, endurance, and tenacity to survive the most wretched ordeal know to man? Where do you think Michelle got her great character and strength from?

[SamiSam]

Trust me we African-Americans don't need to be reminded that we are descended from slaves. All we have to do is look in the mirror every day.

[UnknownSoldier]

Ok let's stop using the word slave to describe African POW's

[sankofaman]

I don't know what your racial/ethnic background is but as an AA I am not the descendant of slaves. I am the descendant of enslaved Africans. Huge difference. Think on it.

[SamiSam]

Swallow it.

[SamiSam]

Posted under wrong comment.