Posted on 02/25/2007 5:38:50 AM PST by lunarbicep
Genealogists have found that civil rights activist the Rev. Al Sharpton is a descendent of a slave owned by relatives of the late Sen. Strom Thurmond, a newspaper reported Sunday.
The Daily News said professional genealogists, working at the newspapers behest, recently uncovered the ancestral ties between one of the nations best known black leaders and a man who was once a prominent defender of segregation.
I have always wondered what was the background of my family, the newspaper quoted Sharpton as saying. But nothing nothing could prepare me for this.
Its chilling. Its amazing.
Some of Thurmonds relatives said the connection also came as a surprise to them. A niece, Ellen Senter, said she would speak with Sharpton if he were interested.
I doubt you can find many native South Carolinians today whose family, if you traced them back far enough, didnt own slaves, said Senter, 61, of Columbia, S.C. She added: And it is wonderful that (Sharpton) was able to become what he is in spite of what his forefather was.
According to the Daily News, the genealogists found documents establishing that Sharptons great-grandfather, Coleman Sharpton, was a slave owned by Julia Thurmond, whose grandfather was Strom Thurmonds great-great-grandfather. Coleman Sharpton was later freed.
(Excerpt) Read more at msnbc.msn.com ...
Yeah. He's become the exploiter rather than the exploited.
There goes my "descended from space aliens" theory.
Wrong, wrong, wrong. It wasn't Strom Thurmond, it was Thomas Jefferson (who by the way is Anna Nichol Smith's Baby Daddy too).
If it had a heartbeat...
He'd hit it.
Hope they kept the receipt, perhaps Strom can get a refund...
Julias relationship to Strom is 1st cousin twice removed.
And Big Al is still not related so what is the point of all of this...and how is this big news?
http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/500577p-422090c.html
Said Sharpton, ""You know for real that you are three generations away from slavery," Sharpton would later remark." "I had no idea about the interlocking past," his face flush with discovery. "I don't know if you know how crazy this is going to be when it gets out.
"It's going to be crazy."
Then he couldn't resist acknowledging the political irony of the two disparate men being joined at the genealogical hip.
"Maybe, I'm the revenge of Coleman," Sharpton joked.
"They [Thurmonds] are just recovering from his black child, now they are about to get the bomb dropped on them," he roared.
I was told that they'd have to turn him sideways in the casket to get the lid closed.
Slow news day. Non-story about a non-existent relationship between the parties mentioned.
I love that picture. A lot of folks were mad at Trent Lott for bringing those girls in to celebrate Strom's 99th birthday, thinking he might get so excited he'd have a heart attack.
Said Sharpton, ""You know for real that you are three generations away from slavery."Coleman Sharpton was later freed.
What freed Coleman three generations ago? Good will? Some form of ransom? The Civil War? Most likely it was the actions of a Republican president that freed Coleman Sharpton from the slavery, the same slavery the Democrat party fought to maintain.
Tell me again what party this ungrateful greatgrandson attacks.
ROFL!
Its chilling. Its amazing.
If someone told me I was related to Big Al I'd end the family line on the spot to stop the insanity.
And how long will it be before the "Reverend" Al goes after Strom Thurmond's family for reparations?
ROFL!!!!!
You are killing me Doc...
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