I hear that the Thurmond family has acknowledged Mrs. Washington-Williams without the need for DNA testing. While I'm thrilled that they've done so, I just hope they go the Christian step further now. I'm probably hoping for too much, though... :(

Strom Thurmond had other Black Relatives
by Sean Yoes
Special to the NNPA from the Baltimore Afro

BALTIMORE (NNPA) - After decades of silence, 78-year-old Essie Mae Washington-Williams has proclaimed to the world that she is the daughter of the late segregationist politician, Strom Thurmond.

''I am Essie Mae Washington-Williams, and at last, I feel completely free,'' she said during a recent press conference in Columbia, S.C.

However, the Baltimore Afro-American newspapers reported in 1948, the same year South Carolina's then-Gov. James Strom Thurmond was the presidential nominee of the segregationist Dixiecrat Party, that he had several Black relatives, including an uncle and two cousins.

The AFRO initially reported in the edition dated Aug. 17, 1948, that a man named Robert Thurmond, from Morristown, N.J., was Strom Thurmond's first cousin.

''I certainly do know Strom, and he knows me, and he knows of our relationship because we were the only Thurmonds in Edgefield [South Carolina],'' stated Robert Thurmond.

Edgefield was the home of Strom Thurmond and his father, James E. ''Snip'' Thurmond, and, according to AFRO reporter Douglas Hall, Edgefield was the home to several other Thurmonds, many of whom were Black.

At the end of August in 1948, Hall traveled to Edgefield to find the rest of Strom Thurmond's Colored clan.

In the Aug. 24, 1948, edition of the AFRO, he reported the existence of the Rev. James R. Thurmond, a half-cousin of Strom Thurmond, Eva Thurmond Smith, another cousin, and Thomas Thurmond, Strom Thurmond's uncle.

''Why, I remember well when Gov. Thurmond's father used to visit my grandfather. I remember asking my grandfather, why did that White man always visit our home? My grandfather [Thomas Thurmond] told me that they were brothers,'' claimed Rev. Thurmond.

Douglas Hall reported further: ''It seems like everybody up there [Edgefield, S.C.] are Thurmonds. They are of all colors. Some are so White that you cannot tell them from the original Thurmonds. The only thing that surprises Colored Thurmonds is, why is it so important that they are related to the White Thurmonds? It is an old story and 'everybody in these parts knows it.'''

In 1948, Essie Mae Washington was 23 years old and she allegedly had known about her father for seven years. The question is, did she know about her father's other Colored kin?

God forgive me, but I completely lost it when I saw the nickname "Snip" during this topic!!

Sen. Thurmond's daughter comes 'home' for award
http://www.timesanddemocrat.com/arti...news/news1.txt

The retired California educator who came forward last year as the biracial daughter of the late U.S. Sen. Strom Thurmond received an honorary doctor of education degree Friday.

????
 

Ummmm....did Hall actually refer to some of the Thurmond clan as "colored Thurmonds?!?" :eek: :confused: :o

Essie Mae Washington's book to be released 1.27.2005

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmp..._daughter_book

Hmmmmmm....@ the reasoning behind penning this book. :confused:

Maybe for the same reasons that other people trace, then publish their genealogies? I know that I'll be looking forward to reading it - just as I'm anxious for ALL of the descendants of Thomas Jefferson to get equal treatment!

i just think it's money...books can be quite lucrative...;)

Essie Mae Washington Interview on Fresh Air
 

I just heard a very insightful interview on Essie Mae Washington-Williams on NPR's show Fresh Air. I think a you will get a lot out of it.

You can listen to the whole interview at this link here:

Essie Mae Interview on Fresh Air

(click on the "listen" icon under the "Dear Senator..." heading).

I have some very strong feelings about this situation. Because she is a soror, I don't want to publish my feelings publicly. But, .....:(

I really want to read this book. Couldn't find it at Costco or the local HUGE bookstore in Canada. Time to check amazon...

Jill, try half.com: It's there!

Hey stop reading my mind Ms. Thang! ;) I have the window opened to it right now!

My line sister and I got a chance to meet Soror Washington and her daughter last week when she visited SC. She was at one of the bookstores signing her book. They both seemed very friendly and there was a nice turnout for her.

As a lifelong resident of SC, the fact that Sen. Thurmond had a daughter was "one of the worst kept secrets" in our state. Everybody knew she excisted but no one would confirm it until she came out and said so. I met one of his family members a few years ago when I wrote for a newspaper and he said he thought he Thurmond had a black daughter. It may me wonder if they had already known.

Just my .13 cents!