Michelle Obama’s Link to Anderson Cooper
Damn:
A genealogical study has found that silvern newsman Anderson Cooper’s great-great-grandfather, Cornelius Vanderbilt, once owned Michelle Obama’s great-great-grandfather, Jim Robinson, on Friendfield(!!!!!!!!!), a 3,000-acre plantation in Georgetown, South Carolina.
HatTip: Mollygood
Just.. wow. How does one even respond to this?
Yes, all of the black folks reading this are more than likely descendants of slaves (unless you’re 1st, 2nd or 3rd generation direct-from-Africa), but I couldn’t help but be sad when I read this. I believe that many of us don’t necessarily repress that ugly history that our country has involving us directly, but we don’t necessarily think about it on a regular basis.
We see the remnants of slavery every day: Prejudice, people in this day and age saying they don’t want to vote for the black guy cause he’s well.. black, the subtle shades or racism that many of us experience on a regular to semi-regular basis.
However, stories like this one remind us just how real it is.
How can anyone say “get over it!” when we’re only a decades away from this?
Now, I’m in no way supporting using ‘racism’ as an excuse for any and everything, which unfortunately is why that claim holds less and less weight, but when you have a popular TV news anchor connected so deeply to the wife of a presidential candidate in such a negative way, who out there doesn’t just step back and reflect?
What I’m curious about is… what do Anderson Cooper and Michelle Obama think about this? Probably nothing they’d like to share with the public, I’m sure.
In many ways, Michelle Obama’s family is responsible for Anderson Cooper’s family’s wealth, and in turn, Anderson Cooper’s family is responsible for Michelle’s family’s ‘working-class’ status.
Oh, life.
Posted in Black In America, Real Talk
October 14th, 2008 at 11:48 am
Hmm thats an interesting assesment ambs. But can we really say that Anderson coopers fmaily is repsponsible for that working class status? I wanna dig deeper into that one..
I dont agree or disagree with it, Im just wondering can you really peg 100% of that on the cooper ass coopers
October 14th, 2008 at 11:51 am
Well, actually Anderson’s family is the Vanderbilts.
Their wealth was built on the backs of slaves, and that is what I mean.
We all know that wealth is passed down from generation to generation, and more opportunities to sustain that wealth is available for those with wealth to begin with.
That is where I’m coming from.
October 14th, 2008 at 12:02 pm
Bet. I figured as much.
October 14th, 2008 at 12:17 pm
But, oh..the irony of it all. I would dare say the ancestors of Michelle-O are chanting and doing African dances in the heavans!!!
October 14th, 2008 at 12:20 pm
Who knows who we all could be “connected” to had better records been kept of slaves and their decendants. Hell, I could very well be related to some random white dude like…Tobey McGuire. ::shudders::
October 14th, 2008 at 12:22 pm
A few weeks ago, my hubby and I traced his family back to the plantation in NC. Haven’t gotten any further back, but we’re trying.
One thing I’ve discovered is that my family (on all sides) were always too poor to own slaves.
I was tellin Slaus the other day, we do have proof that my great great great grandfather and all his sons were murdered in Alabama for refusing to fight for the South.
October 14th, 2008 at 12:56 pm
Leslie,
Knowing you, why am I not surprised?
October 14th, 2008 at 1:01 pm
I did trace my maiden name to a plantation in Maryland but didnt take it any further. I would LOVE to find out exactly who the people were who owned my people.
October 14th, 2008 at 1:06 pm
Im a direct descendant of the original maroons from Jamaica and Arawak Indian.
October 14th, 2008 at 1:43 pm
Based on blood disorder that my mother has, and family records, we were able to determine our family comes from Algeria. I don’t know all of the particulars, but I’ll have to check our website and see.
October 14th, 2008 at 2:21 pm
Very interesting.
My husband’s mom called here a few weeks ago, all excited that she found out some new stuff about her side of the family. She’s been tracking that side for a while–turns out my husband’s great-great grammy was a White/Native American woman and his great-great grammy’s mother was Native American.
I HAVE been wondering for the longest time why I could see my kids’ veins in their chubby cheeks… heh. That splains it!
October 14th, 2008 at 2:22 pm
Oh yeah.. do you think either of the two (Anderson or Michelle) will speak on it publicly? I don’t know what they would say, but I’d like to hear it anyway. hehe
October 14th, 2008 at 2:37 pm
I have a great great great grand mother named Strokeahontas from the SLapaho tribe
October 14th, 2008 at 2:53 pm
Slaus…YOU IGNANT!!! IG. NANT!!
October 14th, 2008 at 3:24 pm
O rly? Slapaho tribe?
*slow claps*
October 14th, 2008 at 3:34 pm
: sigh : I just wanted to be involved to.
all i know is that I come from a long line of killers, pimps,and voodoo bytches.
I do know that my grandmothers old house was once owned by a higher up in the KLu KLu KLan. the deed on the hosue said that if it the house was ever owned by coloureds/negroes, it was to be burned down or resoild to the state of michigan
October 14th, 2008 at 3:37 pm
I do not want to research my family line annnny further than i have. seriously when i discovered a distant relative who murdered several police during prohibition, and ran numbers and whores in metro detroit, I kinda stopped looking annnnny further
October 14th, 2008 at 4:02 pm
My parents are from the caribbean, my mom traced her name all the way to Portugal!
October 14th, 2008 at 4:51 pm
I wouldnt try to dig into this myself, first time some one says “my daddy owned your daddy for real” is going to be the last time.
Unless he was like Bill Gates or some thing, than i’d be like “heeeey whats up cuz!”.
October 14th, 2008 at 5:03 pm
Didn’t people have to “buy” slaves?
So did poor white people just go down the corner market, buy a slave or two, and instantly become rich?
I’m curious if slaves were a result of wealth or wealth was a result of slaves.
I think they went hand in hand.
I know as far back as I can trace, my poor ass family didn’t own anybody. As a matter of fact, my great-great-grandmother told me about her grandmother that worked on a plantation in Georgia.
I will never say “get over it” but I will say, “I don’t owe you shit”. Because like I said, my family never owned shit (including slaves) and most of my family is and always will be poor as hell.
I haven’t gotten my “just cause you white” bonus check yet. I’ll let you know when I do.
Oh, and if Serena’s fat booty gets bit by a shark, ya’ll got some apologizing ass apologizing for all the WFS jokes been made!
- I’m just sayin.
October 14th, 2008 at 5:17 pm
I’ve been using Family Tree Maker software to trace my roots on both sides, and it’s really amazing what you can find online - marriage licenses, draft cards and census records. I haven’t found any pimps and hoes so far, but I know someone must have been bootlegging and running numbers at one point. I just can’t get anyone to admit it.
October 14th, 2008 at 5:22 pm
@ fineazell- basically because i dont think they had a negro market or walmart discount slaves n ish.
i think that is a misconception alot of folks have.
P.s. you know you got that check, quit lying.
October 14th, 2008 at 5:22 pm
If I use Family Treemaker, it’s gonna be like: You sure you wanna know, dog? fo real? Sure you dont wanna just ctrl alt delete?
October 14th, 2008 at 5:56 pm
@fineazhell… didn’t nobody ask you for shit though.
& I ain’t neva heard or claimed that white folks got a ‘just because you white’ check either.
The fact of the matter is that black folks were enslaved because of their skin color. YEAH that’s true. And I know it doesn’t help the ‘hey.. hey.. me and my fam had it just as bad as black folk!!” argument but.. the truth will always prevail.
I understand your thought process but… real talk.. slave labor= free labor. So if you had slaves you pretty much got wealth-IER.
White folks love to scream that their family was poor as an excuse for not addressing the consistent disenfranchisement of equality for blacks.
Not saying you are.. i’m just sayin.
October 14th, 2008 at 5:57 pm
Uh… sourcing “Mollygood” doesn’t help in the legitimacy department.
The original article came from here: http://www.nydailynews.com/gossip/2008/10/14/2008-10-14_michelle_obama_is_invited_to_visit_the_g.html
The relation is closer tied to Whitney Towers Jr.
October 14th, 2008 at 6:01 pm
I dont want a check or 40 acres.
But I will take no taxes need be paid for the rest of my life.
October 14th, 2008 at 6:36 pm
mufuggas lucky im not white.. I’d tell black folks to get over it and E.A.D.
it would be wrong of me to do so, but so.
The Plight of black folks today is due to 3.3 parts slavery 3.3 parts racism and 3.3 parts lack of personal responsibility.
you can’t seriously expect white folks of TODAY to apologize for what their great great great uncle rufus did. Even what their parents did.
I wish I would apologize for something someone else did, regardless of what that act was or how it might have negatively affected you. Sorry. Not happening.
but understand this..
Blacks don’t really even want white people to apologize for slavery or even jim crow. We realllly don’t. All we really want is for white folks to admit shyt was fugged up. people who look like you DID the fugged up shit..there are still current issues cuz of the shit, now don’t do the shit anymore.
But that is the thing about current day race relations. No one wants to meet in the middle.
Whites aren’t interested in admitting the horror of slavery and how it affects shyt today, and Black folks aren’t trying to get over a damn thing OR not throw it in folk’s faces
then again …. maybe if white folks would quit doing NEW shit, we could get over OLD shit.
quite the vicious circle.
all I know is I wanna be able to fugg scarlett johanson without social repercussions.
p.s.
Ovary
October 14th, 2008 at 6:51 pm
Im really trying not to get too in to this..but goddammit u darkies are making it hard.
October 14th, 2008 at 7:39 pm
pretttttttttttty much Slaus.
*jedi hand wave* I didn’t just agree with you.
October 14th, 2008 at 7:58 pm
at the end of the day, everyone needs to get over themselves and their boolshyt.
YOU quit doing shyt.
YOU quit making excuses
WE can move forward.
that simple.
October 14th, 2008 at 8:23 pm
I like white people, they bring liquor to a party and actually leave it when the party is over whether they drank it or not.
October 14th, 2008 at 9:46 pm
Lol, you aint lying, black peole will leave out with an open or closed bottle believe that.
Ive built my bar off of other people’s parties.