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Yesterday, Reverend Al Sharpton was joined by the Reverend Jesse Jackson to encourage to african-Americans to trace their roots through family trees. Last week, the Daily News revealed that Ancestry.com genealogists had traced Sharpton's history and found that his great-grandfather was a slave that had been owned by an ancestor of Strom Thurmond's. Sharpton even appeared on the Daily Show (after a segment about the news, titled "Ebony and Irony") to discuss the news - see the video here.
Now the Daily News shows a list of items owned by a dead plantation owner that includes "One Negro Boy Coleman - $276." It seems to suggest that amongst the estimated values of trunks and sitting chairs, someone also listed Sharpton's great-grandfather. Sharpton told the Daily News, "It's like, you know, last week I was stabbed in the heart and now they twisted the knife. It's graphic. It's unthinkable people could think of other people like that."
Ancestry.com geneaologist Megan Smolenyak requested records from a South Carolina historical society that shows "The half of a Negro boy Coleman - $125.00" listed in another will. Sharpton said he only met his great-grandfather once, and said, "We have ignored the real scars of slavery. It can be a story to redeem America, or America can remain in denial."
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As a black person and the ancestors of slaves who admittedly thinks Al Sharpton is an embarrassing clown and an ass, I don't disagree (who would?) that slavery has "left scars" and carries the legacy of denial.
I do think that this sort of slavery-bemoaning ignores the fact that 100 years of Jim Crow has actually done more quantifiable "damage" to the U.S. black population. I would also argue that instead of addressing an institution that no longer exists, we would do better addressing the crises (e.g., poverty) that do still exist, and are decimating the black population.
What is Sharpton doing that is helping anyone but himself? I also find it amusing that even I have the name "Coleman" in my family -- how does he even know it's his family involved here? How many Colemans are there in this country?
As a black person and the descendant of slaves, I think that bemoaning a dead institution instead of addressing the current crises faced by black people is unproductive and, in this case, self-serving.
One hundred years of Jim Crow, I believe, has done more quantifiable and lasting damage to the black population than slavery, and I never hear anyone even mention it.
By the way, my grandfather was named Coleman (it's not exactly a rare surname) -- maybe he's the one named in these papers! I mean, who cares? What does this have to do with anything?
I meant that I'm the "descendant" of slaves, of course - sorry!
$276 in 1861 is equivalent to $5,977.80 in 2006.
Inflation Calculator:
www.westegg.com/inflation
Interesting that the story has already been twisted--Sharpton's ancestor was not owned by Thurmond's ancestor, as Gothamist reports. He was owned by a relative of Thurmond's ancestor. This is a big difference.
The fact that Sharpton is making a big deal about this is ridiculous. His ancestor had to have been owned by someone; and it is extremely likely that that someone would be related to one eminent southern personage or another. This is not news.
Interesting that the story has already been twisted--Sharpton's ancestor was not owned by Thurmond's ancestor, as Gothamist reports. He was owned by a relative of Thurmond's ancestor. This is a big difference.
The fact that Sharpton is making a big deal about this is ridiculous. His ancestor had to have been owned by someone; and it is extremely likely that that someone would be related to one eminent southern personage or another. This is not news.
Maybe there should be a media ban on Al Sharpton like the AP is currently doing with Paris Hilton. If a blowhard has a press conference and no one comes, does he make a sound?
This is not news. As matuko said, Sharpton is just a clown and he's not even funny.
awe, i think he's kinda funny. like borat.