Her curiosity about how her Black family could be related to Jefferson drove her to study her familys genealogy. Whites narrative is a metaphor for our nations contradictions and secrets some of her family members chose to pass as white. America has been undergoing a great reconciliation in which the sins of our past are being brought into the light. My dad was 6'2", had red hair and freckles. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Gayle Jessup White is the author of the upcoming book, "Reclamation: Sally Hemings, Thomas Jefferson, and a Descendant's Search for Her Family's Lasting Legacy.". A former award-winning television reporter and anchor, Jessup White started her career at the New York Times. She has traced her ancestry to Jefferson and two families that were enslaved at his estate, Monticello. Gayle Jessup White of Henrico County, a descendant of the Jefferson and Hemings families, and the PR and community engagement officer at Monticello, stands on Mulberry Row, the homes main plantation street. Discover steps to bring you closer to Christ. Well, this would have been taboo back in the 1960s and early '70s. Back in 1998, there was a study called The Foster study which proved that the nephews of Jefferson whom the family had claimed had fathered children with Sally Hemings could not have been the father of her children. 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. How do you think about that? 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. Discover God's peace now. Join EPUB Gayle Jessup White's multilayered autobiography, Reclamation: Sally Hemings, Thomas Jefferson, and a Descendant's Search for Her Family's Lasting Legacy, is divided into three parts.The first, most directly autobiographical part of Reclamation offers a fascinating look at Black life in a prosperous neighborhood in Washington, D.C., during the 1960s and '70sa neighborhood that has . Hemings, Sally Hemings brother. 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? 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. In so doing, she 'reclaims' our common humanity and gives new meaning to 'one nation, indivisible.'" 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.. (203) 254-4000. Join Facebook to connect with Gayle Jessup White and others you may know. Top Stories, 1073 North Benson Road I just felt the energy and the urgency from our ancestors to tell this story, White said during a recent interview as she headed to Washington for an appearance on CNN. And she announced that we're descended from Thomas Jefferson. Her American roots are in Virginia going back to the Jamestown settlement, and in Maryland. Unlike previous guides, this one took an interest in Gayles story, and connected her with Monticello historian, Cinder Stanton. Zillow (Canada), Inc. holds real estate brokerage licenses in multiple provinces. 442-H New York Standard Operating Procedures New York Fair Housing NoticeTREC: Information about brokerage services, Consumer protection noticeCalifornia DRE #1522444Contact Zillow, Inc. Owning people is sinful. I needed to know that to feel whole. MARTIN: I want to mention that you are now working at Monticello, which must be a kind of a head-snapping experience. And so we had the DNA evidence. Hardcover The Making of Presidents' and First Ladies' Portraits. They were the guests of honor. Monticello, once the home of Thomas Jefferson and 400 enslaved men, women and children, is a testament to America's legacy of freedom and slavery. JESSUP WHITE: Well the person who told my sister this was a woman in the family called Aunt Peachie (ph). Using television and the Internet, CBN is proclaiming the Good News in 149 countries and territories, with programs and content in 67 languages. She attended the citys private and public schools and attended Howard University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications. BISAC1 : BISAC2 : BISAC3 : DESK & EXAM Why do you think that was, that there's something about it that stuck with you? She has been with the show since joining the station in 2006. JESSUP WHITE: I had some facts before me. Gayle Jes. The other thing that's really become interesting to me is that it wasn't just Jefferson and Sally Hemings that had relations. Two years later, she joined the staff as Community Engagement Officer, becoming a principal spokesperson and the first descendant of Jefferson and the families he enslaved to work for the Foundation. . The trademarks MLS, Multiple Listing Service and the associated logos are owned by CREA and identify the quality of services provided by real estate professionals who are members of CREA. [a] timely, relevant, and important book." But Richmonds proximity to Monticello was fortuitous. This Zillow, Inc. holds real estate brokerage licenses in multiple states. And Richmond has evolved in the past decade or so. Erin Keever is Senior Producer of WFAE'sCharlotte Talks with Mike Collins. White, Monticellos first public relations and Gayle Jessup White, a five-times great-granddaughter of Jefferson and four-times great niece to Hemings, Jefferson's slave, will speak during a dinner sponsored by the Mecklenburg Chapter Sons of the American Revolution at the Hilton Charlotte Executive Park Hotel, 5624 Westpark Drive off I-77. Gayle recounts, Well I was shocked. Get daily or weekly highlights from The 700 Club delivered to your inbox. (l-r) Andrew M. Davenport and Gayle Jessup White. That history is deeply personal to Gayle Jessup White. Gayle Jessup White, descendant of Thomas Jefferson, searches for her family's legacy By Erin Keever Published November 10, 2021 at 9:00 AM EST Listen 49:25 Wednesday, Nov. 10, 2021 America. Man died Wednesday. Accuracy and availability may vary. Those of us who are not black can never fully experience the impact of systemic racism. They were tough. 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. It also traces back to Sally Hemings, Jefferson's slave who . And I've made those connections. JESSUP WHITE: Frankly, I think it was DNA evidence. Because my story is their story, too.. Aunt Peachie was given to old wives tales, but the one thing that my sister believed that she said repeatedly was that you're descended from Thomas Jefferson, she would say. This was happening all over in plantations in the South. A Black descendent of Thomas Jefferson and employee at Monticello, author Gayle Jessup White examined the legacies of her ancestors and the current racial. 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. [Her feats] required superhuman persistence. BookPage. She left the Times for Northwestern Universitys Medill School of Journalism, earning a Master of Science in Journalism. I didn't know her. Gayle would spend years following clues, tracing her family tree, and scouring historical records. If you have an immediate prayer need, please call our 24-hour prayer line at 800-700-7000. A former award-winning television reporter and anchor, Jessup White started her career at the New York Times. If anything, Reclamation demonstrates how illusory and yes, paradoxical American identity can be. Copyright 2023 HarperCollins Publishers. Please subscribe to keep reading. She is the author of the book, Reclamation: Sally Hemings, Thomas Jefferson, and a Descendants Search for Her Familys Lasting Legacy. JESSUP WHITE: Well, it really is representative of who we are as Americans and how we've at times mistreated each other. They were able to pass down character, dignity, strength, humanity, love, joy, pain, resilience, to their descendants. It was the result of a lifelong search for the truth about who she was, and Americas third president. In 1993, the Getting Word oral history project at Jeffersons Monticello plantation began identifying descendants and recording their oral histories. All rights reserved. We have the documentary evidence because every time Jefferson returned home from being in Washington during his administration as president, Sally Hemings would have a baby nine months later. 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. We have more in common than not. She says, I recognize Jefferson now as being a human being. Fairfield Universitys Open VISIONS Forum (OVF) will host a compelling and timely discussion on racism, politics, power, and slavery at the Quick Center on Wednesday, February 12, 2020 at 8 p.m. Her journalist husband, Jack White, was teaching at Hampton University, so they landed in Richmond to ease the commute. 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. There was a problem saving your notification. Thousands of Images covering the History of the White House, Official White House Ornaments, Books & More. . When I'm in that space where I feel the presence of my ancestors. Reclamationis about all of us who may not be descended from a President but who are descended from the same racial /racist history. 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 MARTIN: That is Gayle Jessup White. GAYLE JESSUP WHITE: I heard it from my oldest sister, who's about 20 years older than I am. Her 30-year career includes pubic relations, news reporting and anchoring, and public speaking. Details. And Sallie Hemmans Whites great-great-grandmother was the daughter of Peter Hemings, an older brother of Sally Hemings. 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. Tickets are $20 | Quick Members: $15. But again, it took decades and decades for scholars and the public to accept the truth. Its important to look at each other and to work through those differences and see ourselves as Americans and recognize the kinship. privacypolicy@harpercollins.com. Get more than a Sunday sermon. But more important, as I began to understand the history, being descended from the people he enslaved and knowing who they were became a more important part of my identity.. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. What was the breakthrough in public acceptance of the fact that Thomas Jefferson - and now we're finding out that any number of Founding Fathers also had Black families. God made it possible for you to know. White House History Live. Gayle Jessup White is a communications consultant, writer, and realtor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. She is also a member the Albemarle Charlottesville Historical Society and serves on the Poplar Forest African American Advisory Group. event will be live streamed on the White House Historical Association's See where she turns for help on todays 700 Club. Read full bio Most Popular Reclamation: Sally Hemings, Thomas Jefferson, and a Descendant's . How had she heard this? "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 . See why she chooses life based on an impossible promise A troubled pregnancy tests the faith of one couple. She is currently the Foundations public relations & community engagement officer. White is related to both families. She has written and spoken extensively about her work at Monticello and currently lives in Virginia. We are here to help and encourage you! We, like many Americans, are sometimes unaware of those blind spots, and like our nation, we need to face them and change., Bowman called the book an important one for Monticello and for our country as we work to tell a more honest and complicated history of our past.. Deputies in Davidson County rushed to help a 69-year-old man they'd found unresponsive in his house following a welfare check. That's sacred ground for me, says Gayle. One relative is a historical figure in her own right. Send us comments about our Author Pages. 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. Skip to main content. There are times when her honest accounting of her experience has taught us about our blind spots, she said of White. Gayle Jessup White is the first public relations and community engagement officer at the Thomas Jefferson Foundation, the nonprofit that owns and operates Monticello. Gayle "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. For years, Gayle would dream of one day finding out if what they said was true. She is a direct Jefferson descendant, and is also related to two well-documented families enslaved at Monticellothe Hemingses and the Hubbards. As Gayle followed her own leads, DNA research confirmed the long-told rumor that Jefferson had children with an enslaved woman named Sally Hemings. Active listings data currently unavailable. She lives in Virginia. Living the Christian life is a journey. 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