To the Point
Presidential Candidates' Tangled Roots on Slavery
Today's Baltimore Sun reports that ancestors of John McCain and John Edwards owned slaves—as did the family of Barack Obama . That's according to genealogical research and census records. Obama's father was from Kenya, his mother from Kansas. Two ancestors on his mother's side owned two slaves apiece more than 150 years ago.
By Warren Olney • • 1 min readToday's Baltimore Sun reports that ancestors of John McCain and John Edwards owned slaves—as did the family of Barack Obama. That's according to genealogical research and census records. Obama's father was from Kenya, his mother from Kansas. Two ancestors on his mother's side owned two slaves apiece more than 150 years ago. Obama's spokesman told the Sun his ancestors are "representative of America." Syndicated columnist Clarence Page, author of Showing My Color: Impolite Essays on Race and Identity, has more on the legacy of slavery and the presidential campaign.
