Contemporary Politics and the Legacy of Slavery

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In 2004, Rev. Al Sharpton ran for President on a civil rights platform. In 1948, South Carolina's late Senator Strom Thurmond ran as a segregationist. Now it turns out that Sharpton is descended from slaves owned by Thurmond's ancestors.  After asking Sharpton's permission to research his ancestry the New York Daily News hired a group called Ancestry.com, which made the connection, one Sharpton calls "part of the shame and glory of America."  Ron Walters is Professor of Political Science at the University of Maryland.

Credits

Guest:

  • Ron Walters - Professor of Political Science, University of Maryland

Host:

Warren Olney