Little is known about Jim Robinson’s life at the Friendfield Plantation, beyond that he worked in the riverfront rice fields after the Civil War. Local historians don’t know how or when he came to Friendfield, but census records indicate both his parents were born in South Carolina. The coastal Carolina city often is referred to as the African-American Ellis Island because of the many slave ships that docked along its shores.

 

 

According to the Chicago Tribune, “Obama aides refused to discuss the report or allow Michelle Obama to be interviewed about her ancestry.” I can think of possible reasons for wanting to downplay Michelle’s slave ancestry (if that’s even possible) during the campaign, but now I hope more information from the report will be shared.

Henry Louis Gates, Jr. has an amazing (often tear-jerking) series on PBS where he helps celebrities and a few regular folk track their ancestry back to slavery. It would be great to see him chronicle full story of Michelle O’s people too. I know my mom would buy the DVD of that joint and leave it wrapped in the plastic for posterity, just like her collector’s edition Roots.