Vanessa Willaims Who do you think you are? Jim Crow and today (Must watch show)

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Crow_laws

One side of her ancestry (Tennessee) had a black (probably born into slavery) who was the first in state congress but it all changed as the Jim Crow laws, poll taxes, and literacy test were put in place to NOT allow voting by blacks and poor.

It is just fascinating to see history through real people's life

The civil war made things better before they got worse by similar people as today making sure CERTAIN people could not vote or be in power. These same people and mindset is in action today.

Her other side of the family from New York the great grandfather was born as a FREE man and had never been a slave and joined the Colored Regiment in fighting in the Civil War

The similarities of the times of then and now are what blare out at me in seeing this same ignorance and hate.

[UTUSN]

1. O.K., I'll K&R this #1 n/t

[DailyGrind51]

2. Williams once related an experience in a restaurant where she was at a buffet

holding her plate and a white lady, assuming Vanessa was a waitress passing them out, took the plate from her.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

3. Not only was her NY born great great grandfather never a slave, his wife was white!

It was a fascibating show. :)

[2Design]

6. loved the revelations that come from these and very glad show is back

I like the facts about two very different sides of her family and she had the opportunity to grow up on Long Island with a family grave plots - Last season the one black guy found out there weren't any grave markers for his ancestors and they were in a field

So much depended on where in the country their ancestors came from

The south really went so far backward and took so much with it in fighting the emancipation - the same things are happening now.

For a Free man in his time period in the North cross racial probably wasn't frown on like it became when the southern states put in a law to not allow cross racial marriages,

I just never realized it had not all been that way all the way back

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

13. First I must correct one thing! Vanessa Williams grew up in Chappaqua, and still lives there. That's

in my county, Westchester. Chappaqua is an upscale town and I'm not surprised that she was the first and only black girl to have gone through that school district at the time. Chappaqua is also where the Clinton's live.

And it was fascinating seeing that the two sides mentioned of her Dad's family had such different stories. One apparently born as a slave and rising not only to being a member (for too short of a time) in the Tennessee legislature, but to have also been a school teacher and justice of the peace. It was sad that after that great show of having some black legislators in their state house that Tennessee would then become totally backward and repressive. I didn't realize that the KKK started in Tennessee.

Her great great grandfather from Oyster Bay, NY worked in the boating industry there (I love Oyster Bay btw)and if I remember, his wife had what sounded like a foreign name. It's very possible that she was an immigrant to this country. That info would be on that 1870 census sheet that they showed. I would love to have heard her story too.

After the last season of this show I did a good bit of research on my own family (using mostly Ancestors.com - those Mormon's love having the lowdown on ancestry) and unfortunately couldn't pursue it any further back than their entries into the US. But the information I received and the solving of some old family puzzles was exhilarating. I was able to obtain, birth, draft records, boat manifests, marriage and death records through them at very nominal costs. :)

[2Design]

14. thanks for update - I grew up in Westchester for my informative years

Not that rich area, closer to Yonkers and it was many years ago so it is before it was super rich.

I love this show

I could not find anything but did not join ancestors

It was nice to see someone who is Black American who did not completely come from Slaves and who had a more privelege life and able to research so far back

Last season, Spike Lee had a very different journey.
The other guy who went back to Africa where slaves were loaded on the boats and his great ..... grandfather who was heartless (white) and his recognizing he is not that way .... it is nice the positive spin they put on the courage of the people who faced these adversities

I was looking online and saw part of Lisa story and it replays sunday night at 8pm, I am looking for to that

I like the people they are doing this season - I wish they would do more. This is a great way to see History in Real Life and not just people in a book

Sarah Jessica last year was fascinating and her total emotional attachment to her 'peoples" was interesting

[BOHICA12]

4. Couldn't believe she didn't know about Jim Crow ...

... but it wouldn't be a part of a Long Island upbringing. No southern parents to relay the stories of their experience.

[Buzz Clik]

5. I feel like I walked into a meeting ten minutes late.

What the hell are you talking about?

[2Design]

7. TV show on NBC about ancestry where celebs are shown finding their roots

it is back and on Friday nights

[MikeE]

8. I normally don't watch it

but did tonight. Of course Vanessa is a gay icon and after appearing on RuPaul's drag race, well...

One of the things I found interesting was that one of her relatives who fought in the Civil War for the Union, married a white woman in the 1800's. Imagine how difficult interracial marraige was then.

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9. the laws against interracial marriage I believe came later push by

the southerners and the Jim Crow laws crowd

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10. It may be re-broadcast Sunday at 7 PM Eastern

At least it will be on the local NBC affiliate here. Following will be another episode with Lisa Kudrow which is apparently from last year.

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11. I never got to see Lisa Kudrow from last year - isn't that during the football game

[csziggy]

12. What football game? There is a game on Sunday?

The only reason I learn about football games is so I can avoid them.