*Quickie* Bush’s Dynasty Built on Backs of Slaves
Words: Jessica Jones • Feb 18th, 2008 • Category: SUBSTANCE.
(Photo Courtesy of The Root)
The information first came out last April, when historian Robert Hughes published his research in the Illinois Times, reports The Root. According to Hughes, census records in Maryland showed that five households of the Walker family, the president’s ancestors via his father’s mother, Dorothy Walker Bush, had been slaveholding farmers.
From The Root: A new book by Jacob Weisberg, “The Bush Tragedy”, mentions in passing that at one time some of the president’s family owned slaves. Weisberg doesn’t dwell on the links between the White House and the antebellum past except to say the Bush clan’s story is a long-held “family secret.” “The Bush Tragedy”, a revealing book about family dynamics in the Bush political dynasty, treats the slavery matter only briefly, focusing instead on the “spectacular, avoidable flame-out” of the receding administration. But the story that joins the 43rd president to predecessors who held title to dozens of people bears retelling in detail.
How’s that for President’s day?
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Jessica Jones is spending these days penning articles about black culture, music and fashion for magazines and newspapers like Black Enterprise, Vapors, Vibe.com and The Village Voice.
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not exactly about the Bush Family, but have you seen African American Lives on PBS?
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/aalives/?campaign=pbshomefeatures_4_africanamericanlives2_2008-02-18
Ya! I saw the one with Peter Gomes. Real interesting stuff.
as a recovering “deepie/i don’t want to kiss you if you eat pork/self righteous/anti all -isms”…I just want to say that I think information like this is useful….however, I am becoming more mindful of what I allow to upset me
Knowing that Bush’s ancestors owned slaves doesn’t and will not prevent me from creating beautiful music, nor will it stop Toni Morrison from writing admirable novels (i hope)…..although interesting, I am not sure how useful it is for me to continue dwelling on what white people have done to blacks in the past…
I am in no way trying to deny the injustices that have and continue to occur….I am just sick and tired of exerting my wonderful energy toward being mad…and at white folks at that!!…
I’ve been finding that it is my very own anger that continues to perpetuate the very prejudices fueling this ongoing thing called racism that we/i am doing my damndest to crawl out of…
Don’t get me wrong, information like this is interesting and for most of us serves a purpose in whatever struggles we are a part of….anger is part of the healing process…but what comes next?
I totally hear you Talia. Anger is not an emotion to dwell but can certainly propel people towards action. In most cases like this though, it’s just good to be aware. It’s not necessarily to incite rage but more to combat oblivion. The more we know the better. Period. But I definately feel you on the waste of precious energy… not a good look and something I have to keep working on cuz girl I can get WORKED up! lol
History if about information… not anger. Anger come from fear and many times feeling powerless. I always feel as sense of empowerment with the every bit of information I add to my memory bank.