Anita: Interesting that you should mention this.  My cousin Leonard Tabor has an ancestor who served  as an aide to the future president Monroe when he was a young man.  He was free and is a part of the Harris-Blackburn family in North Wilkesboro,NC.  My mom's big brother married into the family in the very early 1930s and this is how I and my brothers are related to them.  they are all very fair and some of them also have freckles.  They have a large family reunion each year in late August-early September.  Jane.

-----Original Message-----
>From: Anita Wills <[log in to unmask]>
>Sent: Jul 4, 2007 7:09 PM
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: [VA-HIST] This forum-Now All in the Family
>
>Linda,
>I know of what you speak. My Uncle had blue eyes, and so did my maternal 
>grandmother. Several of my aunts have red hair & Freckles. My daughter has 
>auburn hair and Freckles (and was always trying to wash her freckles away). 
>'There is a rainbow of people just in my family. I know that there are 
>people on the list who belive that any history that is not kind is negative. 
>As I mentioned previously, I cannot judge anyone, all I can do is give my 
>opinion.  God is the ultimate Judge (or Buddha or Allah, whoever you believe 
>in), not me. Someone on the list tried to make a negative remark when I 
>mentioned that my lines interesect with Geroge Washingtons. My ancestor, 
>Mary Bowden was the granddaugther of William Monroe, President Monroes' 
>Grandfather. She was born to the Mulatto daughter of William Monroe, who 
>lived in his house, and carried the Monroe name. My understanding is that 
>talking about race mixing and Virginia History is a no-no. It is the 
>elephant in the room that no one wants to acknowlege.
>
>Anita
>
>
>>From: Linda Threadgill <[log in to unmask]>
>>Reply-To: Discussion of research and writing about Virginia history         
>>      <[log in to unmask]>
>>To: [log in to unmask]
>>Subject: Re: This forum-Now All in the Family
>>Date: Wed, 4 Jul 2007 13:20:19 -0700
>>
>>Anita,
>>As I have stated to one of the list members, when I look in the mirror I 
>>wonder which ancestor(s) I resemble. Who am I most like personality wise, 
>>etc. With mixed ancestry a person should find it difficult to choose a 
>>favorite or to be angry with one because of circumstances you do not 
>>understand or have incomplete information about.
>>
>>After doing DNA testing and finally being able to connect to a tribe in 
>>Africa,  I realized that my ancestors participated in slave trading and 
>>continue today with enslaving their young women for religious purposes. 
>>These are some of the reasons I have not participated in some of the 
>>discussions about slavery. How can I condemn one and defend the other based 
>>on race?
>>
>>Linda
>
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Lillian Jane Steele