And my sister was a little girl when she first heard this from Aunt Peachie. Her new book, Reclamation: Sally Hemings, Thomas Jefferson, And A Descendant's Search For Her Family's Lasting Legacy," is out now. 1 ranking in country. 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.. Executive Mansion as well as the stories of the people who lived and worked Senate Minority Leader Norment, Majority Leader Saslaw, among more than a dozen legislators who will not run again. She is not only a direct Jefferson descendant, but is related to two well-documented families enslaved at Monticello the Hemingses and the Hubbards. 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. The paradox, of course, is that the Founding Father who lyrically articulated Americas grandest expression of equality enslaved more than 600 human beings on his mountaintop plantation, Monticello. Gayles son, Charles, lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where he attended school. What are some unusual animals that have lived in and around the White House? submitting your email address, you understand that you will receive email I needed to know that to feel whole. Read full bio Most Popular Reclamation: Sally Hemings, Thomas Jefferson, and a Descendant's . She has written and spoken extensively about her work at Monticello, the legacies of slavery, and her familys contributions to American history. And they were the only Blacks there. Every family has its secrets and family lore, and often the inheritors of those stories can't separate fact from fiction. What are some unusual animals that have lived in and around the White House? 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. For years, Gayle would dream of one day finding out if what they said was true. She and her husband, retired Time Magazine columnist Jack White Jr have a blended family of four sons, one daughter, and seven granddaughters. [supadu_silverpop isbn="9780063028678" authorid="52063" referenceid="52063" authorname="Gayle Jessup White" id="5" title="Author tab Form"]. If you have any questions, please review our privacy 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. Gayle would spend years following clues, tracing her family tree, and scouring historical records. MARTIN: That is Gayle Jessup White. 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. 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Doing so, will help contribute to a better Americaand, yes, a better world for all who live in it." As Gayle followed her own leads, DNA research confirmed the long-told rumor that Jefferson had children with an enslaved woman named Sally Hemings. They were kin, with one family owning the other. Error: There was an internal error submitting your form. Gayle Jessup White is the first public relations and community engagement officer at the Thomas Jefferson Foundation, the nonprofit that owns and operates Monticello. In 2014, Gayle was selected for the fellowship program at the international center for Jefferson studies. 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. Skip to main content. She's a native Charlottean. Follow to get new release updates, special offers (including promotional offers) and improved recommendations. Her epic family legacy, interwoven with one of the nation's founding fathers, is an emotional trip back in time. Did any presidents live elsewhere during their administrations? John Marshall boys basketball reclaims No. 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 . In so doing, she 'reclaims' our common humanity and gives new meaning to 'one nation, indivisible.'" And it's important to note as well that we know what happened at Monticello, but it wasn't unusual. *This is a promotional service of HarperCollins Trade PB, Format: Her American roots are in Virginia going back to the Jamestown settlement, and in Maryland. She says, We are one people. It is my right and the right of every descendant of enslaved people to claim their stake in America.. A womans search for love leads to a string of bad relationships and drug addiction. Reclamationis about all of us who may not be descended from a President but who are descended from the same racial /racist history. Please switch to a supported browser or download one of our Mobile Apps. 90.3 Hickory 106.1 Laurinburg, PublishedNovember 10, 2021 at 9:00 AM EST. I can't imagine being anyplace else. In the 90s, when Gayle was out of college and building a career in journalism, she got serious about her search. Living the Christian life is a journey. And she decided to challenge the guests at the table with her own lineage. Join Danielle Thompson - 700 Club Producer. And Sallie Hemmans Whites great-great-grandmother was the daughter of Peter Hemings, an older brother of Sally Hemings. Erin Keever is Senior Producer of WFAE'sCharlotte Talks with Mike Collins. Fairfield, Connecticut 06824 NPR's Michel Martin speaks with Gayle Jessup White about her book, Reclamation: Sally Hemings, Thomas Jefferson, and a Descendant's Search for Her Family's Lasting Legacy. as a Jefferson descendant. Get more than a Sunday sermon. The Making of Presidents' and First Ladies' Portraits. It was the result of a lifelong search for the truth about who she was, and Americas third president. White, Monticellos first public relations and Join Facebook to connect with Gayle Jessup White and others you may know. White House History Live. Because my story is their story, too.. Please check your information and try again or call us at 1-800-759-0700. 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. 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. Zillow Group is committed to ensuring digital accessibility for individuals with disabilities. CBN is a global ministry committed to preparing the nations of the world for the coming of Jesus Christ through mass media. GAYLE JESSUP WHITE: I heard it from my oldest sister, who's about 20 years older than I am. She writes about it in a new book titled "Reclamation: Sally Hemings, Thomas Jefferson, And A Descendant's Search For Her Family's Lasting Legacy." Digital Audiobook Unabridged 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." And she heard it from her over and over and over again for the 20 years she lived with our family. You may unsubscribe from these email 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. If you wish to report an issue or seek an accommodation, please let us know. They were tough. Send a prayer request now, or call 18007007000. NPR's Michel Martin discussed the book with Jessup White, who describes herself as the five times great-granddaughter of Thomas Jefferson. Time. privacypolicy@harpercollins.com. Her 30-year career includes pubic relations, news reporting and anchoring, and public speaking. 5:30pm. If you have an immediate prayer need, please call our 24-hour prayer line at 800-700-7000. Everyone at the table at the party was discussing their lineage with great pride. (l-r) Andrew M. Davenport and Gayle Jessup White. 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.' . Download the free myCBN app. policy or email us at Location: The Regina A. Are you an author? JESSUP WHITE: Well, it really is representative of who we are as Americans and how we've at times mistreated each other. As she desperately prays for healing, hear the message she receives from God on todays A woman receives an answer to a prayer she never wanted to pray. But what I am committed to doing is to raise the visibility of those people who didn't have a voice. The backdrop for the early part of Whites story is Black, middle-class Washington. Share your prayer requests, receive prayer and pray for others! 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. This program was held at Thomas Jefferson's Monticello. 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.". What are the dimensions of the White House? On the other hand he gave us those soaring words that I amend to say All humans are created equal that have served as inspiration for hundreds of years now, for people to fight for their freedom and liberty, and justice for all. Davenport researched Getting Word while a Robert H. Smith Fellow at the International Center for Jefferson Studies in July 2017, and recently served as an adjunct professor of African American Art History at Fairfield University. You can cancel at any time. 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. Its important to look at each other and to work through those differences and see ourselves as Americans and recognize the kinship. 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. , who 's about 20 years she lived with our family the inheritors of those people who did know! Receive email I needed to know that to feel whole Hemingses and the.! 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