It was just enough information out there to keep me aware of the possibility. [Her feats] required superhuman persistence. BookPage. My dad was 6'2", had red hair and freckles. The conversation focuses on Trumans unexpected ascension to the pr Has the White House ever been renovated or changed? It is my heartfelt wish that when people finish this story, they understand better the contribution of our ancestors, our enslaved ancestors and those that followed them their endurance, their strength, their character and their resilience. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. The Spotsylvania County Sheriffs Office has decided to end its participation on a national television show, at least for now. communications Shes written and spoken extensively about her work at Monticello. And that's the story I heard my sister share with my dad when I was a 13-year-old girl growing up in Washington, D.C. MICHEL MARTIN, BYLINE: So you had no knowledge of this until she brought it - how did she know about this? CBN is a global ministry committed to preparing the nations of the world for the coming of Jesus Christ through mass media. 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. It serves at a metaphor not just for my family, Gayle says, but for Black families in America to understand - and for all people to acknowledge - that our ancestors helped build this country. Send us comments about our Author Pages. Reclamation with Gayle Jessup White - White House Historical Association Explore the Initiative A Tour of the White House America's Most Famous House Music in the White House A Lyrical History of the American Presidency and People A Reflection of Culture, Values, and Achievements The White House Behind the Scenes Reclamation: Sally Hemings, Thomas Jefferson, and a Descendant's Search for Her Family's Lasting Legacy, 1996-2023, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. (l-r) Andrew M. Davenport and Gayle Jessup White. Erin Keever is Senior Producer of WFAE'sCharlotte Talks with Mike Collins. Her new book, Reclamation: Sally Hemings, Thomas Jefferson, And A Descendant's Search For Her Family's Lasting Legacy," is out now. It also traces back to Sally Hemings, Jefferson's slave who . 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.. policy. We are continuously working to improve the accessibility of our web experience for everyone, and we welcome feedback and accommodation requests. She is the author of the book, Reclamation: Sally Hemings, Thomas Jefferson, and a Descendant's Search for Her Family's Lasting Legacy. Trade PB. BISAC1 : BISAC2 : BISAC3 : DESK & EXAM Send a prayer request now, or call 18007007000. So the point here is to acknowledge that these families were entangled. We are reconsidering how we remember the institution of slavery, and that includes the historical figures from that period. If anything, Reclamation demonstrates how illusory and yes, paradoxical American identity can be. Visit Author Central to update your books, profile picture, and biography. I can't imagine being anyplace else. Gayle Jessup White, author of Reclamation: Sally Hemings, Thomas Jefferson, and a Descendant's Search for Her Family's Lasting Legacy. She is the public relations and community engagement officer at Monticello. But again, it took decades and decades for scholars and the public to accept the truth. 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.. Please subscribe to keep reading. Williams: 'My story is their story, too': Gayle Jessup White, a descendant of Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings, reclaims her heritage. And I've made those connections. That's my job. 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. communications at 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. Days. She is also a member the Albemarle Charlottesville Historical Society and serves on the Poplar Forest African American Advisory Group. Gayle would spend years following clues, tracing her family tree, and scouring historical records. 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. White, a Henrico County resident, and the public relations and community engagement officer at Monticello, describes her four-decade effort to reclaim her family heritage in her recently released book, Reclamation., Or as she wrote: It was always my goal to uncover my roots, to understand my familys place in American history, and to restore them to the nations narrative. EPUB They were treated as possessions. Kirkus Reviews, "19 Books We Can't Wait to Curl Up with This Fall!" 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. 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 . Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, 442-H New York Standard Operating Procedures. there. They were the guests of honor. And the whole room went into shock, she said. Zillow, Inc. holds real estate brokerage licenses in multiple states. Get daily or weekly highlights from The 700 Club delivered to your inbox. Follow to get new release updates, special offers (including promotional offers) and improved recommendations. Her curiosity about how her Black family could be related to Jefferson drove her to study her familys genealogy. Quick Center for the Arts, Fairfield University, Tags: Bakari Sellers, New York Times best-selling author ofMy Vanishing Country, In her quest to discover the truth behind her family's oral legend of its connection to Thomas Jefferson, Gayle Jessup White reveals the truth of our national history: that 'white' and 'black' are inextricably bound by blood and heritage. We are the sum total of our backgrounds of our ancestors, and I didn't know who mine were. If you have an immediate prayer need, please call our 24-hour prayer line at 800-700-7000. I don't apologize for my - the behavior of my ancestors. EPUB He was a flawed human being who made some horrible decisions,sinful decisions. Hardcover She is not only a direct Jefferson descendant, but is related to two well-documented families enslaved at Monticello - the Hemingses and the Hubbards. *This is a promotional service of HarperCollins Why Movieland says you have to be 17 to attend a movie after 7:30 p.m. 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 Making of Presidents' and First Ladies' Portraits. MARTIN: How do you reconcile for yourself those contradictions which live in you? JESSUP WHITE: I had some facts before me. I'm not, but you are. CBN's ministry is made possible by the support of our CBN Partners. 90.7 Charlotte 93.7 Southern Pines For four decades, she researched familial connections to "I couldn't put together in my 13-year-old mind how a little Black kid growing up in Washington, D.C. could be related to the third . You have permission to edit this article. Two people were injured in a crash involving one of the most iconic vehicles in television history, Missouri officials say. For decades, she'd been a domestic for a wealthy white family, the McKnews, in Washington, D.C., until she suffered a crippling stroke. A Black descendant of Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings family explores Americas racial reckoning through the prism of her ancestorsboth the enslaver and the enslaved.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. [a] timely, relevant, and important book." Leslie Greene Bowman, president of the Thomas Jefferson Foundation, lauded White and Reclamation during a Nov. 16 book launch event at Monticello. View and manage who you follow on Amazon. 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. 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. She says, I always felt that if I could determine my ties to Jefferson, I could find out more about my family. White House History Live. Gayle Jessup White is the first public relations and community engagement officer at the Thomas Jefferson Foundation, the nonprofit that owns and operates Monticello. Fairfield, Connecticut 06824 Get to know others seeking Gods guidance and wisdom for life. In a 2018 article for Smithsonian magazine, Davenport wrote, The research that has come out of the 25 years of Getting Words existence has in many ways been the invisible hand behind the visitor experience at Monticello where about 400 enslaved laborers worked at one point in their lives.. Reclamationis about all of us who may not be descended from a President but who are descended from the same racial /racist history. Facebook and YouTube pages starting at 5:30 pm ET on January 10. White and Davenports illustrated presentation will deepen our understanding of U.S. history, and will serve as a model for all those curious and courageous enough to examine their own personal histories. MARTIN: That is Gayle Jessup White. Publishers, 195 Broadway, New York, NY Sponsor: Monticello TOPIC FREQUENCY Using television and the Internet, CBN is proclaiming the Good News in 149 countries and territories, with programs and content in 67 languages. Owning people is sinful. Facebook gives people the. Its important to look at each other and to work through those differences and see ourselves as Americans and recognize the kinship. Well, this would have been taboo back in the 1960s and early '70s. The findings: Jeffersons great-great-grandson, Moncure Robinson Taylor, was Whites great-grandfather through a relationship with his familys domestic servant, Whites great-grandmother Rachel Robinson. And so it's not as if people didn't know, they did back then. And Sallie Hemmans Whites great-great-grandmother was the daughter of Peter Hemings, an older brother of Sally Hemings. 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.". Through her account, the author fleshes out many of the genealogical questions concerning Jefferson that have emerged in recent decades." Her American roots are in Virginia going back to the Jamestown settlement, and in Maryland. A former award-winning television reporter and anchor, Jessup White started her career at the New York Times. 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. Little pieces were coming together, but not enough for me to understand how we could have been descended. Jessup White had long heard the stories passed down from her fathers family, America has been undergoing a great reconciliation in which the sins of our past are being brought into the light. Her American roots are in Virginia going back to the Jamestown settlement, and in Maryland. And it's important to note as well that we know what happened at Monticello, but it wasn't unusual. And my grandmother was from Charlottesville. As a young woman in her native Washington gaining an increased awareness of race, being descended from Jefferson became a part of my identity. She has traced her ancestry to Jefferson and two families that were enslaved at his estate, Monticello. Her international lineage is principally Nigerian and British. She also serves on the Poplar Forest African American Advisory Group. So were really happy to be here., Having finished this book, she feels whole, gratified and moved by what she called a remarkable journey., The most amazing part for me has been getting the story told. Jefferson, ultimately learning that she was not only a descendant of Jefferson See her moment of surrender, and the miracle of life. helps rewrite the estate's well-known narrative to include the hundreds of enslaved people who worked for Jefferson. It behooves us all to know that history. 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. "Shes a totally charming and frank memoirist, and I loved her candid, sometimes difficult to read story,"--Rumaan Alam, author of Leave the World Behind on the Best December 2021 Books Today Show. 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. Its a story of people who in ways big and small resisted their circumstances, laid a foundation for their families, and contributed to their nation, she said. If you wish to report an issue or seek an accommodation, please let us know. This was happening all over in plantations in the South. Journalist Gayle Jessup White and historian Andrew M. Davenport MA17, cousins and descendants of families enslaved by Founding Father and third U.S. President Thomas Jefferson, will present A Report from Monticello: Restoring African American Narratives to Thomas Jeffersons Plantation," in a discussion to be moderated by Professor Philip Eliasoph, PhD, OVF founder and director. which chronicles her remarkable journey to understand and reclaim her heritage 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. Her epic family legacy, interwoven with one of the nation's founding fathers, is an emotional trip back in time. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Getting Word has significantly changed the interpretation of African-American life during enslavement under Thomas Jefferson. . 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. Thousands of Images covering the History of the White House, Official White House Ornaments, Books & More. Are you an author? Discover steps to bring you closer to Christ. That history is deeply personal to Gayle Jessup White. 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. Its not the same place it was when we moved down here. White discovered she is the great-great-great-granddaughter of Peter Hemings, Sally Hemings brother. The McKnew family put her out and ours took her in. 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As she walks the grounds of Monticello, Gayle Jessup White tells the story of those who once lived there - the enslaver, Thomas Jefferson, who enslaved more than 600 people, and the enslaved families he forced to work there. They were possessions. as a Jefferson descendant. Every family has its secrets and family lore, and often the inheritors of those stories can't separate fact from fiction. The man's famil. She is the author of the book, Reclamation: Sally Hemings, Thomas Jefferson, and a Descendants Search for Her Familys Lasting Legacy. She's written and spoken extensively about her work at Monticello. 01/10/2023. I work at giving attention to those who never had it. If you have any questions, please review our privacy Pastors Rooftop Mission to Save Chicagos Southside, Reclamation: Sally Hemings, Thomas Jefferson, and a Descendant's Search for Her Family's Lasting Legacy, Former NBC Exec on Overcoming Overwhelming Tragedy. 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