Sunday, April 10, 2016

SLAVE CHILDREN OF THOMAS JEFFERSON - From The Book By Dr. Leroy Vaughn, MD, MBA, Historian



SLAVE CHILDREN OF THOMAS JEFFERSON


In the 1860 census in the South, there were 500,000 mulatto or mixed race slaves and 350,000 slave owners. Thus, every slave owner had on average produced more than one slave child. The slave children of former President Thomas Jefferson, and their direct descendants, are among the most carefully studied families in the history of America because of their outstanding achievements up to and including Chairman of the Board of DuPont Chemical Corporation.

Thomas Jefferson is considered the greatest and most brilliant statesman this country has ever produced. Moreover, among the founding fathers, he was the one who was the most vocal opponent of slavery and did the most to contribute to its abolition. He wrote the Declaration of Independence with a clause opposing slavery, which was taken out at the insistence of the other signers. He wrote the Northwest Ordinance in 1783, and included a clause that prohibited slavery in the new areas of OhioIndiana, and 
Illinois. Jefferson negotiated the Louisiana Purchase from France in 1803, and included a provision, which prohibited the introduction of slavery into these new areas. While president, Thomas Jefferson pushed through Congress a bill in 1808, which prohibited the importation of slaves and authorized the U.S. Navy to seize and confiscate ships containing slaves on the high seas. Thomas Jefferson was married to Martha Wayles, the daughter of John Wayles, for 10 years before she died in 1776. Upon the death of Martha Wayles and her father, Jefferson inherited 11,000 acres of land and 135 slaves. Sally Hemmings was one of the slaves inherited. She was also a daughter of John Wayles and an African slave, and thus his wife's half sister. Jefferson fell in love with this mulatto slave after she accompanied his daughter to France, where he was U.S. Ambassador in 1787. Their first son "Tom" was born in 1789. Sally Hemmings produced Beverly Hemmings in 1798, while Thomas Jefferson was Vice President, and three other children while Jefferson was President, including Harriet in 1801, Madison in 1805, and Eston in 1808.

Beverly and Harriet Hemmings were allowed to run away in 1822. Harriet married a White person and never acknowledged her parents. Beverly ended up in England where he also passed for White. His great-grandson, Edward Graham Jefferson, migrated back to the U.S. and became a naturalized American citizen. He subsequently became CEO of DuPont Chemical Corporation, retiring in 1986 and was a member of the Board at AT&T Corporation, Chemical Bank, and Seagram Corporation.

Sally Hemming's first son, Tom, eventually married Jemima, the slave daughter of a master named Drury Woodson, and changed his name to Tom Woodson. He became the distributor of an abolitionist newspaper and a leader in the Black community. Federal Judge Timothy Lewis in 1991, became the first prominent person to admit publicly that he was a descendant of Sally Hemmings and son, Tom Woodson. This was only after his Senate confirmation hearings. Most descendants were ashamed of their slave ancestry.


Frederick Madison Roberts, the grandson of Madison Hemmings, became the first Black man ever elected to the State Assembly of California. He also became a close friend of Earl Warren and helped found UCLA, that is, the  University  of California at Los Angeles. Sally Hemming's last born son, Eston, had a son named John Wayles Jefferson who founded the Continental Cotton Company, which was very successful.


Thomas Jefferson was the most vocal opponent against slavery and spent his entire life working for the abolition of slavery. He strongly believed that “all men are created equal” and that they could achieve equally if only given the opportunity. Jefferson would be proud to know that his slave children confirmed his theory about racial equality by their outstanding achievements.


by

Dr. Leroy Vaughn, MD, MBA, Historian

SLAVE CHILDREN OF THOMAS JEFFERSON 
BIBLIOGRAPHY

Adler, D. (1987) Thomas Jefferson: Father of Our Democracy. New York: Holiday House.
Bakhufu, A. (1993) The Six Black Presidents. Washington, D.C.: PIK2 Publications.
Bear, J. and Betts, E. (1987) Thomas Jefferson’s Farm Book, University Press of Virginia.
Bennett, L. (1988) Before the Mayflower. New York: Penguin Books.
Brodie, F. (1974) Thomas Jefferson, An Intimate History. New York: W.W. Norton and Co.
Erickson, E. (1974) Dimensions of a New Identity: Jefferson Lectures. New York: W.W. Norton and Co.
Jefferson, I. (1951) Memoirs of a Monticello Slave. University of Virginia
Kane, J. (1981) Facts About the Presidents: From Geo. Wash. to Ronald Reagan. NY: H. W. Wilson Co.
Malone, D. (1981) Jefferson and His Times: The Sage of Monticello.Boston: Little, Brown and Co.
Mapp, A. (1987) Thomas Jefferson: A Strange Case of Mistaken Identity: New York: Madison Books.
Reuter, E. (1969) The Mulatto in the United States. Haskell House.
Sloan, S. (1992) The Slave Children of Thomas Jefferson. Berkeley: The Orsden Press.
Sullivan, M. (1991) Presidential Passions: Love Affairs of Am’s Pres. - Wash. - John. NY: Shapolsky Pub.
Tinsell, C. (1964) The Secret Loves of the Founding Fathers. New York: Devin-Adair Co.

Tuesday, March 29, 2016

BRAD PYE’S BOOK FOREWORD BY LEROY VAUGHN, MD, MBA, Historian

BRAD PYE’S BOOK FOREWORD 


        I was quite honored when Brad Pye Jr. asked me to write the foreword to his outstanding autobiographical book considering all the very distinguished people he could have chosen. Brad has uplifted the lives of thousands of people during his 60 plus years in Los Angeles and several of those deeds are outlined in this work. I am sure his toughest job was choosing which appreciation letters, tributes, and award documents to include in this outstanding compilation.

When I was recently asked who the real American heroes were, I answered that I most admired people who had dedicated their lives toward uplifting the lives of their fellow man and especially people less fortunate than themselves. In fact, I am in awe of people who have helped disenfranchised, bright, gifted, deserving, needy African Americans break through racial barriers and injustices. This esteemed group includes people like John Brown and Marcus Garvey. Brad Pye in my eyes has spent no less energy trying to help others.
John Brown dedicated his life toward the emancipation of all slaves. He actively campaigned to establish African American schools and helped Oberlin College to open its doors to “Negroes” in 1839. John Brown volunteered to personally teach Black farmers in New York how to clean up and plant farmland that he had convinced a wealthy New York landowner to donate. When slavery appeared to have no end, John Brown died trying to steal enough weapons to allow slaves to fight for their own freedom.
Marcus Garvey founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association in Harlem in 1918. His vision was to organize the Black race through race pride, education, self-reliance, and economic development. Garvey attempted to promote race pride by stressing the importance of the historical accomplishments of people of African descent. He said “we were once masters in art, science, and literature”, and “whatsoever a Black man has done a Black man can do.” Self-reliance and economic development was Garvey’s second major theme. His ultimate objective was to manufacture every marketable commodity and to establish factories that could employ and train thousands of Black workers. Although Marcus Garvey did not achieve all his goals, his spirit fortunately lives though the millions of people he has inspired and uplifted. I am convinced part of that spirit reached Brad Pye Jr.
Brad Pye Jr.’s humble beginning started in Plain Dealing, Louisiana. In 1943 at the age of 12, he convinced a person driving to Los Angeles to allow him to ride along for $5. His loving mother steered him toward friends and joined him six years later. Brad parlayed this non air-conditioned journey into a magnificent career as an award winning manager and sports editor of the Los Angeles Sentinel newspaper and as the sports director of multiple radio stations for many years including KGFJ, KJLH, KACE, and KDAY.
Brad’s outstanding sports journalism career provided him the opportunity to obtain a lofty civic stature and to befriend numerous sport owners and upper management personnel. He used those inroads to increase awareness of racial injustices and inequalities and to promote opportunities for qualified African Americans in numerous endeavors. For over 50 years Brad used his influence and “insider” leverage to help break racial barriers in every major sport including football, baseball, boxing, and track and field. Brad was there when Aaron Wade became the first African American to be named an American Football league (AFL) official and when Eldridge Dickey became the first Black American quarterback drafted into the NFL. As a good friend, recruiter, and “Administrative Assistant” to Oakland Raider owner Al Davis, Brad encouraged the first aggressive football recruiting from historically Black colleges. This foresight helped the Raiders win 3 Super bowl championships. It is also no coincidence that Al Davis hired Art Shell as the first Black American head football coach in the NFL.
In professional baseball, Brad also worked tirelessly to promote Black “firsts”. He and others wrote numerous letters and met personally with the late Dodger owner Walter O’Malley. Eventually, Emmet Ashford became the first African American umpire called up to the Major league. Brad and others like Wendell Smith of the Pittsburgh Courier newspaper also helped promote the acceptance of major league baseball stars like Sam Lacey and Jackie Robinson who became his very close friend.
Although Brad is well known for promoting prep athletes at major southern California universities like UCLA and USC, he is just as recognized for obtaining press box accommodations for Black journalists in Southern California. Black journalists are now a staple in the press boxes of the Dodgers, Lakers and all other major sporting events.
Brad Pye Jr.’s great career also touched the lives of numerous non athletes. Among those who thank him and sing his praises include the late Attorney Johnnie Cochran who thanked him for 30 years of friendship and promotion long before the national media “discovered” him. Personally, my story is not unlike Attorney Cochran. When I told Brad that I had difficulty establishing my private practice as the only Black Retinal specialist on the West Coast, he told me not to worry. He subsequently published my resume in the Los Angeles Sentinel newspaper and appointed me to the State Boxing Commission and the State Athletic Commission. To demonstrate his trust, he even sent his mother to me shortly thereafter when she developed a retinal detachment. I cherish our 30 year friendship.
I am confident that after reading this autobiographic collection of letters, tributes, and awards, the reader will be amazed at what one man can accomplish for his fellow man when intensely motivated. Perhaps this book can inspire the reader to also help others.

Dr. Vaughn's book BLACK PEOPLE AND THEIR PLACE IN WORLD HISTORY opens with a review by Brad Pye, Jr.