REPLAY: Expanding Our Origin Story

Cauline Yates was at a family reunion the first time she heard she was a descendant of Thomas Jefferson. She later helped develop the Memorial to Enslaved Laborers at the University of Virginia. And: Clint Smith is the author of the award-winning book, How the Word is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America. He traveled to 9 historic sites to understand how slavery is remembered and taught. Later in the Show: Gayle Jessup White was on a tour at Monticello when she raised her hand and told the guide she was related to Sally Hemings. She says that moment changed her life forever. Her memoir, Reclamation: Sally Hemings, Thomas Jefferson and a Descendant’s Search for Her Family’s Lasting Legacy, chronicles uncovering her family’s roots at Thomas Jefferson’s home. Plus: Descendants recently gained structural parity at James Madison’s plantation home, Montpelier. When this interview was originally recorded, James French represented the descendant community on Montpelier’s board.