NewsRelease

Thomas Jefferson-Sally Hemings Descendants Speaking at UNCG Oct. 23

GREENSBORO — Two descendants of President Thomas Jefferson and the slave Sally Hemings will speak at The University of North Carolina at Greensboro Wednesday, Oct. 23, from 7-8:30 p.m. in Aycock Auditorium in a program titled “The Affairs of Race In America: A Conversation in Black and White.”

The event is part of Unity Week at UNCG, and is free and open to the public. Featured speakers will be Julia Jefferson Westerinen of New York and Shay Banks-Young of Columbus, Ohio. Banks-Young is black and Westerinen is white. Both women have appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show, BET Tonight with Tavis Smiley, Sally Jesse Raphael and have been interviewed by Time, U.S. News and World Report and People magazines. They are co-founders of the Sally Hemings Foundation.

At UNCG, they will trace their family bloodlines as cousins and talk about the need to preserve their cultural roots in a conversation of black and white America. Sponsors are the UNCG Office of Multicultural Affairs in partnership with the departments of Sociology and Educational Leadership and Cultural Foundations, the Neo-Black Society, and the African American Studies program. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m.

“There have been DNA findings that strongly suggest that Thomas Jefferson had children with Sally Hemings, one of his slaves,” said Audrey Daniels, director of multicultural affairs at UNCG. “This was very shocking news for many historians, who for many years, had denied the possibility that Jefferson was capable of such behavior.

“This revelation opened the door to many questions relating to race and race relations across the country and world. Some of those questions might be ‘Why is race and race relations such a sensitive topic?’ and ‘Why is it that race is not a simple topic to discuss?’”

Banks-Young is a sixth-generation descendant of Jefferson and Hemings and has served as her family historian as well as a genealogy/historic researcher and consultant. She also is an HIV/AIDs instructor for the American Red Cross. Cosmopolitan magazine has named her one of its 1999 “Fun, Fearless, Females” for her accomplishments.  She is the director and host of "Generational Harmony," a Columbus-based talk show. She is the author of “Butterflies and Me,” a book of poetic prose. Westerinen, who lives in New York, is a former educator turned businesswoman.  She currently is a national public speaker/lecturer.  She was an art educator as adjunct professor at Richmond College and holds a master’s degree from Rutgers University in creative arts education. She was a portrait painter for 20 years.

For more information, contact the UNCG Office of Multicultural Affairs at (336) 334-5090. Other scheduled Unity Week events include:

• Monday, Oct. 21 — “A Lesson Before Dying,” book discussion, Bryan School, 4:30-6:30 p.m., Room 110; 7-9 p.m., Room 104.
• Tuesday, Oct. 22 — “The Joy Luck Club,” movie presentation and discussion, location to be announced, 5-7 p.m.; and Cliché fashion show, Aycock Auditorium, 8 p.m.
• Wednesday, Oct. 23 — “Journey to a Hate-Free Millennium,” movie and discussion, Curry Building, Room 334, 7 p.m.
• Thursday, Oct. 24 — “The Makioka Sisters,” movie presentation and discussion, Weatherspoon Art Museum, 6:30 p.m.
• Friday, Oct. 25 — Friday Fest, featuring Colombia, South America, Phillips-Hawkins Residence Hall, 2 p.m.
• Saturday, Oct. 26 — Latinos Impacting Future Trends (LIFT) Conference, Bryan School, 8:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
• Sunday, Oct. 27 — Multicultural Extravaganza, Curry Auditorium, 6 p.m.

Back to the Latest News Releases
Return to the University News Service Home Page