Barack Obama would not be first black president

celeb_2006 · February 27th, 2007, 02:04 AM

Obama Wouldnt Be First Black President (wonder if any of this is true)

Were there other "black" presidents? Some historians have reason to believe people don't really understand the genealogy of past U.S. Presidents. Research shows at least five U.S. presidents had black ancestors and Thomas Jefferson, the nation's third president, was considered the first black president, according to historian Leroy Vaughn, author of Black People and Their Place in World History.

You've seen the headlines: "Are Americans Ready for a Black President?" "Is Obama Black Enough?" "Obama: America's First Black President?"

Ever since the nation first met Illinois Sen. Barack Obama in 2004, his race has been called into question more times than Michael Jackson's. Obama is clearly a black man, but is this really a breakthrough? Some blacks say Obama isn't "black enough," which seems ironic because for many blacks, former President Bill Clinton was "black enough." In 2001, Clinton was honored as the nation's "first black president" at the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) Annual Awards Dinner in Washington, D.C.

Vaughn's research shows Jefferson was not the only former black U.S. president. Who were the others? Andrew Jackson, Abraham Lincoln, Warren Harding and Calvin Coolidge. But why was this unknown? How were they elected president? All five of these presidents never acknowledged their black ancestry.

Jefferson, who served two terms between 1801 and 1809, was described as the "son of a half-breed Indian squaw and a Virginia mulatto father," as stated in Vaughn's findings. Jefferson also was said to have destroyed all documentation attached to his mother, even going to extremes to seize letters written by his mother to other people.

President Andrew Jackson, the nation's seventh president, was in office between 1829 and 1837. Vaughn cites an article written in The Virginia Magazine of History that Jackson was the son of an Irish woman who married a black man. The magazine also stated that Jackson's oldest brother had been sold as a slave.

Lincoln, the nation's 16th president, served between 1861 and 1865. Lincoln was said to have been the illegitimate son of an African man, according to Leroy's findings. Lincoln had very dark skin and coarse hair and his mother allegedly came from an Ethiopian tribe. His heritage fueled so much controversy that Lincoln was nicknamed "Abraham Africanus the First" by his opponents.

President Warren Harding, the 29th president, in office between 1921 and 1923, apparently never denied his ancestry. According to Vaughn, William Chancellor, a professor of economics and politics at Wooster College in Ohio, wrote a book on the Harding family genealogy. Evidently, Harding had black ancestors between both sets of parents. Chancellor also said that Harding attended Iberia College, a school founded to educate fugitive slaves.
Coolidge, the nation's 30th president, served between 1923 and 1929 and supposedly was proud of his heritage. He claimed his mother was dark because of mixed Indian ancestry. Coolidge's mother's maiden name was "Moor" and in Europe the name "Moor" was given to all blacks just as "Negro" was used in America. It later was concluded that Coolidge was part black.
The only difference between Obama and these former presidents is that none of their family histories were fully acknowledged by others. Even though Obama is half-white, he strongly resembles his Kenyan father. And not only is Obama open about his ancestry, most people acknowledge him as a black man, which is why people will identify Obama, if elected, as the first black president of the United States.

JuicyLucy · February 27th, 2007, 02:11 AM

Black, white, brown, I don't care just get George Bush out of there.

Gossiplicious · February 27th, 2007, 03:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JuicyLucy

Black, white, brown, I don't care just get George Bush out of there.

I agree with you. Lets get George Bush, out of that shitty greedy money White House. Along with his daughters drunk skank sluts Paris Hilton wannabe to bes, same with Laura Bush.

twitchy · February 27th, 2007, 08:25 AM

I read about this a while ago. DNA testing of Jefferson was done because of the Sally Hemmings issue. If he was black or part black it would have been mentioned. He wasn't. He was found to have a rare genetic signature that is found in Africa but also in European the Middle east. He probably had an ancestor from Africa about 40,000 years ago. Heck, everyone has an ancestor from Africa if you go back far enough.

Blacks at one time were not considered human. What better way to slander a political opponent than to make insinuations about their parentage? Political mudslinging hasn't changed much. I don't know that any of these claims can be taken at all seriously without independent confirmation. It's possible but I wouldn't believe it without proof of some kind. Possible? Yes. Likely? No. Proven? Definitely not.

Every article that claims that there have been five or six black presidents cites the self-published book by Leroy Vaugn, no one else. I don't trust his research. I can't find a review of his book anywhere although I keep hearing about it as "proof". He reminds me of J. A. Rogers and his claims that Cleopatra was black.

I don't understand the need to invent famous black people when there are real black people who have actually achieved wonderful things that could be celebrated.

Editing to add: Just found that J. A. Rogers did indeed first propose this idea of five black presidents. I knew the style seemed familiar! Makes me distrust it's reliability even more.

crumpet · February 27th, 2007, 09:34 AM

Well he'd be the first known black president, and that's what would make it significant. I still don't get all the hoopla about Clinton being a black president, though.

**Mr. Authority** · February 27th, 2007, 10:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by crumpet

Well he'd be the first known black president, and that's what would make it significant. I still don't get all the hoopla about Clinton being a black president, though.

Alot of minorites (not just African Amercians) supported Clinton during his years in office, plus he played the Saxophone on Arsenio Hall and admitted to smoking weed so that could contribute to him being a "black president".

But he was also a good and cool president, something that can't be said for Bush.

Besides I don't care about a person's race, as long as they have the creditentals and experience then they'll get my vote. Obama has what it takes which is what's scaring the racist GOP right now.

greysfang · February 27th, 2007, 10:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JuicyLucy

Black, white, brown, I don't care just get George Bush out of there.

Amen.

AliceInWonderland · March 1st, 2007, 06:39 PM

Wasn't Lincoln extremely tall? I find it hard to believe that he had Ethiopian genes in him then b/c they are a small people.

but its true; we're all fucking mixed and theres no way around that if your family ancestry has been in this country since the 1800s its reasonable to assume that you have white and/or black blood in you. None of my family has been here that long but you never know - Im part Puerto rican and southern Italian also and both countries have an African heritage in thier ppl.

twitchy · March 1st, 2007, 07:25 PM

Ethiopians are small? Not any that I've ever met. Are you maybe thinking of something else?

greysfang · March 2nd, 2007, 11:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AliceInWonderland

Wasn't Lincoln extremely tall? I find it hard to believe that he had Ethiopian genes in him then b/c they are a small people.

but its true; we're all fucking mixed and theres no way around that if your family ancestry has been in this country since the 1800s its reasonable to assume that you have white and/or black blood in you. None of my family has been here that long but you never know - Im part Puerto rican and southern Italian also and both countries have an African heritage in thier ppl.

WTH?! Ethiopians are very tall and slender.

louiswinthorpe111 · March 2nd, 2007, 12:41 PM

I believe Lincoln was between 6'5" & 6'8". I've only known one Ethiopian, and he was a small guy.

Anyway, all those other presidents listed were married to white women, which maybe helped to legitimize them? Barack is married to a black woman. Hell, I don't know if those past Presidents were part black or not. You never know what goes on behind closed doors, even 150 years ago.

AliceInWonderland · March 2nd, 2007, 01:36 PM

yeah i guess i was generalizing again from the friends or ppl i've known of ethiopian descent; they were all around 4'11' - 5'5'' ish sorry to get off topic like that BUT ANY-FREAKIN'-WAY!

xoxo · March 2nd, 2007, 02:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr. Authority

Alot of minorites (not just African Amercians) supported Clinton during his years in office, plus he played the Saxophone on Arsenio Hall and admitted to smoking weed so that could contribute to him being a "black president".

But he was also a good and cool president, something that can't be said for Bush.

exactly mr. authority...