Al Sharpton

Al Sharpton

Once again I was going to write about Ida Wells. But. who could not stop and chuckle upon hearing that good old Dixiecrat,Strom Thurmond's ancestors may have or did enslave some of the ancestors of Al Sharpton. What does it mean, asked Black Professor website?

Well the fact that here it is 2007, and folks keep saying slavery happened soooo long ago. And that there is no way African-Americans today can trace their ancestors to any particular living raced white person in 2007! Yet, Sharpton is living and Thurmond recently died. So it is possible. And in that possibility is the possibilities for reparation. Randall Robinson writes about this debt that is owed to descendant of slave owners, not America but those slave owners who enslaved African-Americans and treated them as property.

Many raced whites when they hear about slavery are quick to discount reparation stating their ancestors did not enslave African-Americans. Well if that's the case, that their ancestors did not enslave African-Americans, no one is asking for your contribution. The conversation is about those who did.

So Sharpton highlighting slavery is not a thing of the past its legacy still lives and Sharpton has become it's mere poster child.

But, even more telling is the surprise of discovery of Sharpton connection to Thurmond rather than highlighting the fact that Thurmond has an African-American daughter. And Thurmond daughter Essie Washington is an African-American. Washington silence contrast to the vocal Sharpton, has inheritance right to the property of Thurmond but little is mentioned about his daughter.

What does it mean when it is more exciting to learn about owning African-Americans rather than being a family member who is an African-American? My question would be was Thurmond really raced white? Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr stated it best, one day he dreamt that his daughter would be judged by her character rather than her skin color. That day is not here, race does matter.