Jefferson descendants reflect on Hemings exhibit

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — Hundreds of people count themselves as descendants of Thomas Jefferson.

Their numbers grew substantially after a DNA test in 1998 bolstered the case for Jefferson’s paternity of the children of Sally Hemings, his slave. That revelation spawned a feud between Hemings and Jefferson descendants over who would be allowed at sprawling Jefferson meetings. To this day, some white descendants of Jefferson deny that he had a sexual relationship with Hemings.

An exhibit on Hemings highlights how much Monticello has changed. Jefferson’s slaves, once ignored, now have the spotlight.

Many people who trace their roots to the enslaved community at Monticello were expected to attend the opening of the exhibit, along with some of the white descendants of Jefferson’s acknowledged family.

Three descendants share, in their own words, what the changes at Monticello mean to them. The following interviews have been edited and condensed for clarity.

Julius “Calvin” Jefferson is a retired archivist at the National Archives who grew up in Washington.

Mama’s last name was Jefferson. Twenty years ago, my mother’s friend called her up and said that people were looking for the descendants of the slave community at Monticello. At first, we were told we had no connection. But later it turned out that my third greatgrandfather Robert Hughes is the great-grandson of George and Ursula Granger, the first enslaved people that Thomas Jefferson bought when he married Martha. He was also the great-grandson of Elizabeth Hemings, Sally Hemings’ mother.

They were there at the beginning of the country. When you are of African descent, you are told that we had nothing to do with that. I’ve realized that members of my family had a lot to do with that. The contributions that the slave community did at this one plantation afforded Thomas Jefferson the leisure to be the genius that he became.

Brenda Yurkoski is a semiretired caregiver who grew up in Ohio.

I’ve always known the family story, my entire life. I don’t want to misquote my father, but he said something like, “This is something we know, but people will never believe you.” In history class, we were talking about Thomas Jeffer- son, and I said, “I’m related to him.” The reaction was laughter, and therefore embarrassment.

The first time I visited Monticello, I had this sense of excitement. There were these high ceilings, all the treasures he had displayed. Then someone asked, “Didn’t Thomas Jefferson have some children with slaves?” The guide said, “Absolutely not. It’s just rumor.” I thought, “Shame on you.” I wanted to turn around and leave.

Over the years, I did return. I went for the sleepover in the slave cabins. Anyone who participates in something like that wants this out-of-the-world experience, like your ancestors might whisper something to you. I wanted that, so badly. Maybe too much. I didn’t feel this great connection to my ancestors that I wanted to feel.

David Works is a software performance engineer who lives in Colorado.

Most of us on the white side started out in the Monticello Association, which still exists. Their purpose is to take care of the Jefferson family graveyard up on the mountaintop.

After the DNA test came out, my brother and I thought the Hemingses were trying to muscle their way into the graveyard. We felt like we were being railroaded. But once I started listening to them, I realized that most of them weren’t interested in the graveyard at all. They just wanted to be recognized as descendants.

Later, I came to realize that their story had a lot of merit.

Yurkoski

Works

Jefferson