I grew up as a Black American and proud of it. Gayle explains, I'm actually descended from her brother, Peter Hemings, who was a cook at Monticello. Her epic family legacy, interwoven with one of the nation's founding fathers, is an emotional trip back in time. She has written and spoken extensively about her work at Monticello and currently lives in Virginia. as a Jefferson descendant. Feeling my ancestors, hearing my ancestors, say to me: Gayle, write this story. And I went to my dad first, Daddy, how could we be descended from Thomas Jefferson? event will be live streamed on the White House Historical Association's 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. 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. She was thirteen when her sister shared a bit of family lore regarding the main author of the Declaration of Independencethey were related. Location: The Regina A. though others did not. The Spotsylvania County Sheriffs Office has decided to end its participation on a national television show, at least for now. White, Monticellos first public relations and 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." Gayle Jessup White has American history running through her veins. [supadu_silverpop isbn="9780063028678" authorid="52063" referenceid="52063" authorname="Gayle Jessup White" id="5" title="Author tab Form"]. Leslie Greene Bowman, president of the Thomas Jefferson Foundation, lauded White and Reclamation during a Nov. 16 book launch event at Monticello. Publishers, 195 Broadway, New York, NY So Jefferson represents the full complexity of this country and how it was founded. And so we had the DNA evidence. Trade PB. A woman is diagnosed with cancer and its spreading quickly. With tax cuts unresolved, his session wins included movement on workforce development and his losses included the 15-week abortion bill. From First Lady Dolley Madison's sister Lucy Payne Washington's wedding in 1812 to the nuptials of President Joseph Biden and First A State Dinner honoring a visiting head of government or reigning monarch is one of the grandest and most glamorous On January 20, 1969, Richard Nixon was inaugurated as the thirty-seventh president of the United States. She's a native Charlottean. 69-year-old suffers stroke in his N.C. home; Realtor showing house leaves him there. 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.". 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. This doesnt make sense to me. All Daddy said to me was, That's what they say. It was just enough information out there to keep me aware of the possibility. 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.' I didnt have an epiphany. . She has traced her ancestry to Jefferson and two families that were enslaved at his estate, Monticello. When I'm in that space where I feel the presence of my ancestors. 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. 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. There was a problem saving your notification. 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She also serves on the Poplar Forest African American Advisory Group. She is also a member of the Council of Historic Richmond, and the Albemarle Charlottesville Historical Society. They were possessions. And I've found my wholeness., A wholeness she hopes all Americans will soon share. We have more in common than not. Its important to look at each other and to work through those differences and see ourselves as Americans and recognize the kinship. They weren't even considered human beings. It was reported in the Richmond newspaper that Jefferson had relations with an enslaved woman, Dusky Sally, she was called. 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. 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. White is related to both families. Kirkus Reviews, "19 Books We Can't Wait to Curl Up with This Fall!" 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 . Everyone at the table at the party was discussing their lineage with great pride. Getting Word has significantly changed the interpretation of African-American life during enslavement under Thomas Jefferson. White House History Live. 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. Follow to get new release updates, special offers (including promotional offers) and improved recommendations. from See why she chooses life based on an impossible promise A troubled pregnancy tests the faith of one couple. If you have any questions, please review our privacy . MARTIN: That is Gayle Jessup White. 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. 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. 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. Share your prayer requests, receive prayer and pray for others! The other thing that's really become interesting to me is that it wasn't just Jefferson and Sally Hemings that had relations. For Gayle Jessup White, landing the job of Public Relations and Community Engagement Officer at Thomas Jeffersons historic home, Monticello, was more than a chance to share her passion for American history. God made it possible for you to know. Jefferson was 6'2", had red hair and freckles. For generations, historians and the American public alike ignored the stories of descendants of the Founding Fathers enslaved families. 01/10/2023. She is the author of the book, Reclamation: Sally Hemings, Thomas Jefferson, and a Descendants Search for Her Familys Lasting Legacy. 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 . Owning people is sinful. BISAC1 : BISAC2 : BISAC3 : DESK & EXAM Plus, two long lost cousins A woman prays to her Hindu gods for healing, but gets no response. 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. And my sister, who's a very elegant woman, was at a dinner party with her husband. Can God change your life? Why Movieland says you have to be 17 to attend a movie after 7:30 p.m. Sponsor: Monticello TOPIC FREQUENCY And it's important to note as well that we know what happened at Monticello, but it wasn't unusual. [Her feats] required superhuman persistence. BookPage. Thousands of Images covering the History of the White House, Official White House Ornaments, Books & More. Gayle Jessup White is a communications consultant, writer, and realtor. And the whole room went into shock, she said. How do you think about that? Whites story is singular, yet somehow pervasive the most honest of American narratives. All rights reserved. Facebook gives people the. Senate Minority Leader Norment, Majority Leader Saslaw, among more than a dozen legislators who will not run again. White proves that her transformative research and discovery is well worth the journey. 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. Gayles son, Charles, lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where he attended school. And Sallie Hemmans Whites great-great-grandmother was the daughter of Peter Hemings, an older brother of Sally Hemings. (203) 254-4000. That's sacred ground for me, says Gayle. They were able to pass down character, dignity, strength, humanity, love, joy, pain, resilience, to their descendants. Time. There are times when her honest accounting of her experience has taught us about our blind spots, she said of White. Gayle Jessup White Author of "Reclamation: Sally Hemings, Thomas Jefferson, and a Descendant's Search for Her Family's Lasting Legacy," to be released by HarperCollins November 2021 . Booklist, "Jessup White tells a story that will be meaningful to many readers. 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. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. View the profiles of people named Gayle Jessup White. The conversation focuses on Trumans unexpected ascension to the pr Has the White House ever been renovated or changed? And then, of course, these stories were reported back when Jefferson was president back in 1801. In a real-life version of Roots,GayleJessupWhites compelling exploration of her family ties to Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings family demonstrates that Americas complex racial history is written in our DNA. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. "Reclamationis a quintessential American story that should be required reading for anyone who doesn't understand the true contributions of African-Americans to this nation and how vital our presence was and remains to the core principles of democracy and freedom." The McKnew family put her out and ours took her in. For Gayle Jessup White, landing the job of Public Relations and Community Engagement Officer at Thomas Jefferson's historic home, Monticello, was more than . any time. That's why I'm at Monticello. 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. 1 ranking in country. Send a prayer request now, or call 18007007000. So the point here is to acknowledge that these families were entangled. 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 is the Public Relations and Community Engagement Officer at Monticello, Thomas Jefferson's legendary estate. 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. 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. Join Essence, "One of November's Eagerly Anticipated Reads" Ms. magazine, Gayle Jessup Whites multilayered autobiography . 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. A womans search for love leads to a string of bad relationships and drug addiction. Oral history matters because for many Black people that's all we have, Gayle explains. GAYLE JESSUP WHITE: I heard it from my oldest sister, who's about 20 years older than I am. Danielle Thompson - 700 Club Producer. They survived. 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. 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. Well, this would have been taboo back in the 1960s and early '70s. 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.. That history is deeply personal to Gayle Jessup White. 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 . It behooves us all to know that history. They were strong. 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. Hardcover White, Monticellos first public relations and community engagement officer, joins us to discuss her book Reclamation, which chronicles her remarkable journey to understand and reclaim her heritage as a Jefferson descendant. Executive Mansion as well as the stories of the people who lived and worked This Open VISIONS Forum is generously sponsored by TV Eyes, the Artisan, Moffly Media, Delamar Southport, and Delamar Spa. 5:30pm. 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Classroom Resource Packet: Slavery, Freedom, and the White HouseJames Madison's Montpelier: Fate in the BalanceThe Enslaved Household of Dr. Kimberly Chrisman-Campbell, author of "Red, White and Blue on the Runway: The 1968 White House Fashion Show and the Politics Join historian and Pat Nixon biographer Heath Lee and former Nixon White House staffer Barbara Franklin as they discuss the Join us in learning more about White House History right from your own home. Gayle serves on Virginias Citizens Advisory Council on Furnishing and Interpreting the Executive Mansion, where she is founding chair of the Descendant Committee. Her discoveries there opened a window into who her ancestors were: overcomers who helped build America while being oppressed by slavery. How had she heard this? Skip to main content. Yet that wasn't good enough for Gayle Jessup White. Thousands of Images covering the History of the White House, Official White House Ornaments, Books & More, White House History Live: Reclamation with Gayle Jessup White. "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. And that's why I wrote this book. Gayle says, Im proud of my relatives who were enslaved because they were up against so much. 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 arrival of Europeans. 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. See where she turns for help on todays 700 Club. The Making of Presidents' and First Ladies' Portraits. For 20. 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