What secrets lie in the corners of your heritage?
Caribbean Life, NOVEMBER 19-25, 2021 39
By Terri Schlichenmeyer
Sometimes, you feel like a
tree.
Like a sentinel standing tall,
you bend with the wind but
never break. Small children
climb on you, and you receive
them with arms open; your
exterior is tough but what’s
inside is smooth and strong.
Sometimes, you feel like a tree:
as in the new book “Reclamation”
by Gayle Jessup White,
your roots spring from complicated
soil.
Born in the early years of the
Civil Rights Movement, Gayle
Jessup White was her parents’
youngest child by several years
and for that, she was indulged
by her siblings and especially
beloved by her father, with
whom she was closest. He was
a civil servant who provided all
for his family, and they enjoyed
a “well-off” lifestyle; before
White was born, they even had
the means to provide a home
for an elderly half-relative who
was said to have been illiterate
and simple, but who never lost
sight of a belief she held.
“Aunt Peachie” swore that
the Jessup children were
descendants of Thomas Jefferson.
White was small when she
learned of this possible heritage,
but details then were
maddeningly scarce. Still, she
never forgot the thought of
being related to our third President,
just as she never forgot
that summer when she learned
about racism and she discovered
that her parents’ marriage
was rocky.
White grew up, went to college
and landed a good job in a
field she enjoyed. She married,
became a mother, divorced,
and dabbled in a bit of a search
for the details of her heritage,
but with limited success.
First, her father died, then her
mother, and White met a man
she could spend the rest of
her life with. Throughout, she
Book cover of “Reclamation” by Gayle Jessup White.
dreamed of working at Monticello,
the mansion that Thomas
Jefferson built, the home
of most of his slaves but for
years, white descendants of
Jefferson had denied the very
existence of the man’s Black
offspring. Still, White told everyone
of her heritage when she
visited Monticello, until finally
someone listened.
Finally, she held the possibility
that Aunt Peachie was
right…
How many times a month
do you say, “I wish I’d listened
to” whatever elderly relative
had stories to share? That family
lore is precious stuff, and
“Reclamation” makes open
ears more urgent.
And yet, as author Gayle Jessup
White shows in her book,
finding the details-within-thedetails
won’t be an easy task.
White overcame many, many
roadblocks that were set in her
path toward understanding,
including a lack of technology
in the beginning and a general
disbelief from others; there’s
also a side-story of meeting
a very distant cousin and the
disappointment in this, which
may serve as a keenly different
kind of warning for readers
eager for warm, willing family
ties that might never arrive.
Still, none of that was a
deterrent for White, who sports
a definite perseverance in this
memoir that genealogists, family
historians, and storytellers
will find appealing. If you, too,
are searching through your
past for a hidden truth, “Reclamation”
may be a hard book
to leave.
“Reclamation: Sally
Hemings, Thomas Jefferson,
and a Descendant’s
Search for Her Family’s
Lasting Legacy” by Gayle
Jessup White
c.2021, Amistad
$27.99 / $34.99
Canada
288 pages
Reclamation author, Gayle Jessup White. Ryan M. Kelly
Tis’ de Season with Jelani
By Nelson A. King
Deck the halls with some
Caribbean flavor this holiday
season as Jelani Remy from
“Ain’t Too Proud: The Life
and Times of the Temptations”
pays tribute to his Caribbean
roots using classical
holiday songs.
The Lucille Lortel Theatre
in Manhattan said on Monday
that Remy will be part of
its new holiday performance
series, “Tinsel: A Global Holiday
Celebration.”
Running from Dec. 6-31,
live performances will be held
at the theatre, 121 Christopher
St., showcasing effervescent
live music, performance
and dance with leading artists
from around the globe.
“The Lucille Lortel Theatre
is excited to welcome
audiences into a space full
of joy and celebration, where
the lights are bright and the
tunes are spirited,” said the
theatre in a statement.
Throughout the month of
December, it said there will
be a variety of unique productions
featuring artists with
roots from the Caribbean,
Australia, Brazil, Mexico,
India and around the world.
“These phenomenal artists
will share with you their holiday
traditions and spotlight
the diverse ways people celebrate
around the world,” said
the Lucille Lortel Theatre.
It said a highlight this season
is the 12-show run of
Everett Bradley’s “Holidelic,”
the beloved holiday funk
revue headed by famed rock
percussionist Everett Bradley
(E Street Band, Bon Jovi).
The Lucille Lortel Theatre
said Bradley plays the role
of Papadelic, Funk’s Father
Christmas, an amalgamation
of George Clinton and Santa
Claus, featuring holidaythemed
funk songs written
by Bradley and brought to life
by an array of top shelf noise
makers.
Additional shows feature a
robust mix of performances
that celebrate the best of
the holiday season from all
cultures, the Lucille Lortel
Theatre said.
It said performers include
international drag superstar
Latrice Royale; notable
Broadway names Jelani
Remy (“Ain’t too Proud”);
Telly Leung (“Aladdin”);
Jared Grimes (“Funny
Girl”); Reed Luplau (“Moulin
Rouge!”); Jaime Lozano and
The Familia; Ronny Dutra;
Ilene Reid; and Brinda Guha,
plus Cumbé Dance and a
traditional Mexican pastorela
from Something from
Abroad.