Michelle Obama’s Roots Traced Back to South Carolina
Published: October 8, 2009
Melvinia was born in South Carolina around 1844. She was valued at $475 by the master of the estate, who willed the slave girl to relatives in Georgia. This the starting point of a New York Times article that traces the path from Melvinia, Michelle Obama’s great-great-great grandmother, to the White House.
With the aid of a genealogist, reporters Rachel Swarns and Jodi Kantor uncovered five generations of the First Lady’s maternal ancestors. As a teenager, Melvinia had a son, Dolphus T. Shields, born of a white father.
It’s not unlike the stories of many whose lives started in bondage in the U.S., but “for the first time fully connects the first African-American first lady to the history of slavery, tracing their five-generation journey from bondage to a front-row seat to the presidency,“ the authors said.
Read the full article here. And watch the geneologist who helped trace Mrs. Obama’s family tree, Megan Smolenyak, who spoke with co-anchor Harry Smih on The Early Show Thursday.
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Reader Reactions
I’m a bit confused…..we’re supposed to “hold our head up” because of
Michelle Obama’s slave ties to SC? Doesn’t that sort of contradict the whole slavery/confederate flag heritage issues that have been causing problems for years?
There is positive in it….the people back in the days of slavery in our state did not treat their slaves as bad as people have said or think. There were some very kind plantation owners. Slavery was very wrong but most of them in SC who owned them gave them a better living than what they would have had otherwise ....and look at that race now. They have flurished and grown and are a strong people. They bonded. Mechelle Obama can be proud her ancesters were from SC. Like Felix said, she can be a good role model for that race.
With all that has gone on in South Carolina in the past months Mark Stanford and Union.Do you think this gives South Carolina the opportuinty to hold up our heads. If we look hard enought we may find a positive in it. Makes me proud to be from South Carolina.
Well this is the way I fell about this….... Who gives a crap??????
We should never be proud of slavery, no matter whose ancestors were “owned” here. Too bad it could not have been something more positive. Michelle Obama is a very positive role model for black women in my opinion.
Must be a very slow news day.
Is this suppose to make SC look better? Should we be proud of this?
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