A combination memoir, genealogy, and history by Gayle Jessup White reads fast as fiction unless you take time to absorb the impact slavery and family secrets have on American families, black or white. And they were the only Blacks there. Join which chronicles her remarkable journey to understand and reclaim her heritage . Time. MARTIN: This was a long journey for you, and also a very long journey into public acceptance of these facts, right? Jefferson, ultimately learning that she was not only a descendant of Jefferson For generations, historians and the American public alike ignored the stories of descendants of the Founding Fathers enslaved families. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. That's why I'm at Monticello. MARTIN: Why do you think it is that you - there was a part of you that always believed it and just had faith in it. Gayle Jessup White began her career at The New York Times and was an award-winning TV reporter before becoming Monticello's first community engagement officer in 2016. Fairfield, Connecticut 06824 Well, this would have been taboo back in the 1960s and early '70s. I didn't know her. Every family has its secrets and family lore, and often the inheritors of those stories can't separate fact from fiction. Discover steps to bring you closer to Christ. A Washington, DC native, Gayle and her family moved to Richmond in 2006. Has the White House ever been renovated or changed? It is my right and the right of every descendant of enslaved people to claim their stake in America.. Gayles son, Charles, lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where he attended school. Feb 17, 2022 Gayle Jessup White, center, is a descendant of President Thomas Jefferson and she is also Sally Hemings' great-grandniece four times over. 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. Zillow, Inc. holds real estate brokerage licenses in multiple states. Her epic family legacy, interwoven with one of the nation's founding fathers, is an emotional trip back in time. Please check your information and try again or call us at 1-800-759-0700. What are some unusual animals that have lived in and around the White House? The authoritative record of NPRs programming is the audio record. Used under license. The man's famil. 90.3 Hickory 106.1 Laurinburg, PublishedNovember 10, 2021 at 9:00 AM EST. With tax cuts unresolved, his session wins included movement on workforce development and his losses included the 15-week abortion bill. How are we doing? John Marshall boys basketball reclaims No. Senate Minority Leader Norment, Majority Leader Saslaw, among more than a dozen legislators who will not run again. by Gayle Jessup White On Sale: 11/16/2021 Format: Price: $14.99 DESK & EXAM REQUESTS PURCHASE AT HC.com Book Overview Author Info About the Book A Black descendant of Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings' family explores America's racial reckoning through the prism of her ancestorsboth the enslaver and the enslaved. We have more in common than not. She's a native Charlottean. My dad was 6'2", had red hair and freckles. America has been undergoing a great reconciliation in which the sins of our past are being brought into the light. Error: There was an internal error submitting your form. As Gayle followed her own leads, DNA research confirmed the long-told rumor that Jefferson had children with an enslaved woman named Sally Hemings. 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 the person who told my sister this was a woman in the family called Aunt Peachie (ph). us in learning more about White House History right from your own home. 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. For four decades the acclaimed journalist and genealogy enthusiast researched her connection to Thomas Jefferson, to confirm its truth once and for all. GAYLE JESSUP WHITE: I heard it from my oldest sister, who's about 20 years older than I am. JESSUP WHITE: I had some facts before me. What are some unusual animals that have lived in and around the White House? as a Jefferson descendant. She and her husband, retired Time Magazine columnist Jack White Jr have a blended family of four sons, one daughter, and seven granddaughters. Quick Center for the Arts, Fairfield University, Tags: And so I don't work at reconciling who my white ancestors were and who my Black ancestors were. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. NPR's Michel Martin discussed the book with Jessup White, who describes herself as the five times great-granddaughter of Thomas Jefferson. They weren't even considered human beings. If anything, Reclamation demonstrates how illusory and yes, paradoxical American identity can be. Next For Gayle Jessup White, landing the job of Public Relations and Community Engagement Officer at Thomas Jefferson's historic home, Monticello, was more than . Danielle Thompson - 700 Club Producer. And my grandmother was from Charlottesville. Accuracy and availability may vary. Share your prayer requests, receive prayer and pray for others! If we are going to heal as a country then we have to be honest about our complicated history, and it is very complicated and it's very painful. For decades, she'd been a domestic for a wealthy white family, the McKnews, in Washington, D.C., until she suffered a crippling stroke. Find out how she changed paths. An insatiable desire to learn her familys story landed Gayle Jessup White at Monticello, a place she describes as the epicenter of the American paradox.. Her very personal chronicle of a decades-long search for her family's connection to Jefferson and Monticello began with a thread of a story from an elderly relative who . Because my story is their story, too.. Skip to main content. They were able to pass down character, dignity, strength, humanity, love, joy, pain, resilience, to their descendants. 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. Details. Her journalist husband, Jack White, was teaching at Hampton University, so they landed in Richmond to ease the commute. Two people were injured in a crash involving one of the most iconic vehicles in television history, Missouri officials say. MARTIN: How do you reconcile for yourself those contradictions which live in you? But what I am committed to doing is to raise the visibility of those people who didn't have a voice. So that I'm able to work at Monticello, that I'm able to accentuate because I'm a physical presence of who those people who were in prison there were, then it is the greatest privilege and honor of my life to be able to do so. Andrew M. Davenport, a 2008 graduate of Fairfield College Preparatory School is a writer, editor, and teacher. Active listings data currently unavailable. MARTIN: That is Gayle Jessup White. Booklist, "Jessup White tells a story that will be meaningful to many readers. 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. Did any presidents live elsewhere during their administrations? Gayle recounts, Well I was shocked. 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." [supadu_silverpop isbn="9780063028678" authorid="52063" referenceid="52063" authorname="Gayle Jessup White" id="5" title="Author tab Form"]. 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. [Her feats] required superhuman persistence. BookPage. A Black descendent of Thomas Jefferson and employee at Monticello, author Gayle Jessup White examined the legacies of her ancestors and the current racial. Doing so, will help contribute to a better Americaand, yes, a better world for all who live in it." And then, of course, these stories were reported back when Jefferson was president back in 1801. But after years of detective work, aided by advances in DNA technology, she was finally able to piece together her family's past. For four decades, she researched familial connections to How had she heard this? Its a contradiction that courses through Whites bloodstream and inhabits her DNA as a descendant of both Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings, the enslaved Black woman with whom he had at least six children. BISAC1 : BISAC2 : BISAC3 : DESK & EXAM A woman is diagnosed with cancer and its spreading quickly. A Washington, DC native, Gayle and her family moved to Richmond in 2006. And Sallie Hemmans Whites great-great-grandmother was the daughter of Peter Hemings, an older brother of Sally Hemings. For listings in Canada, the trademarks REALTOR, REALTORS, and the REALTOR logo are controlled by The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) and identify real estate professionals who are members of CREA. ALBEMARLE 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. She attended the citys private and public schools and attended Howard University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications. You can cancel at any time. White proves that her transformative research and discovery is well worth the journey. policy or email us at Gayle Jessup White is a communications consultant, writer, and realtor. Indeed, it is a homecoming for us all. 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