Sharpton, Thurmond May Be Closer Than You’d Think

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Sharpton, Thurmond May Be Closer Than You’d Think

Chris Lawrence | Sunday, February 25, 2007

The Associated Press reports on Al Sharpton’s reaction to the news that one of his ancestors was a slave of late South Carolina senator Strom Thurmond’s first cousin, twice removed:

“It was probably the most shocking thing in my life,” Sharpton said at news conference Sunday, the same day the [New York Daily News] revealed the story.

The professional genealogists, who work for Ancestry.com, found that Sharpton’s great-grandfather, Coleman Sharpton, was a slave owned by Julia Thurmond, whose grandfather was Strom Thurmond’s great-great-grandfather. Coleman Sharpton was later freed.

“Based on the paper trail, it seems pretty evident that the connection is there,” said Mike Ward, a genealogist with Ancestry.com. Ward called the link “amazing.”

The revelations surfaced after Ancestry.com contacted a Daily News reporter who agreed to have his own family tree done. The intrigued reporter then turned around and asked Sharpton if he wanted to participate. Sharpton said he told the paper, “Go for it.”

Given the younger Thurmond’s known enthusiasm for miscegeny, and the widespread practice thereof under slavery, TigerHawk is probably right to wonder, “Are Al Sharpton and Strom Thurmond cousins?”

About the Author: Chris is an assistant professor of political science at Texas A&M International University in Laredo, Texas. He has a Ph.D. in American politics and political methodology from the University of Mississippi.