Ancestry.com ad: 'Born a slave, died a businessman'

[Enrique]

for those who haven't seen it, there's a black actor talking about how he was afraid, "being African-American", to look into his roots. But he went ahead and did it, and found out that his great great grandfather was born a slave ... pause ... but died a businessman! "And that made it all worthwhile." And they showed an old-timey picture of a black guy in a three-piece suit.

My question is, ok, maybe many African-americans would be upset if they found out that their ancestors were born slaves and died slaves, unlike the fortunate guy in the ad. But should they be upset if they found that out? And is being a businessman automatically a source of pride? Was he an honest businessman?

Maybe they should do an ad where a white guy is afraid to look into his roots because he is worried his ancestors might have been slaveowners.

[WolverineDG]

1. a lot of the "fear" comes from the fact that there are almost no records

many African-American family trees hit a dead-end in/around 1865. It's very difficult & expensive to search for any surviving records, because unlike those for any other race (not just whites), family records for African-Americans are found in property registries & wills, kept in courthouses, most of which the Yankees helpfully burned to the ground.

dg

[XanaDUer]

2. Remember, in American, "businessman" is akin

to Shaman, High Priest, etc.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

4. I would have thought "shopkeeper"

[XanaDUer]

13. No, too lower middle class

nt.

[bluedigger]

3. Ancestry is a moving target.

The person's great great great grandfather most likely was born and died a slave. At some point it was "born a free man, died a slave".

[d_r]

5. go back a generation before that

"My question is, ok, maybe many African-americans would be upset if they found out that their ancestors were born slaves and died slaves, unlike the fortunate guy in the ad. But should they be upset if they found that out?"

Don't get this wrong - but if you go back a generation before the guy who died a businessman, his parents or grandparents might have died slaves.

It's weird to, because every generation adds more "trails" to your ancesters - is your Grandmother's Grandmother's family tree less representative of your ancestry than you Grandfather's Grandfather's family tree? That sort of thing.

[dmallind]

6. Seemed a bit strange to me too

Not the businessman part - that and farmer or laborer were not far from the only options for 99%+ of those born slaves, and I doubt more than a tiny fraction of 1% of people have negative connotations concerning the word. However the reluctance to confront slavery. Isn't that pretty much a given for black Americans whose families have been here more than a very small number of generations. Sure we have plenty of more recent immigrants from Africa and the Caribbean nations (lots of slavery in the latter ancestry too) but how many who would have to look back more than one or two generations for their non-US born ancestor. Willing black immigration to the US is no more than a century or so old surely, and precious little even in the early half of that century. Maybe I am missing some more acceptable immigration wave in history but AFAIK right now the ancestors of any black Americans who arrived more than a few decades ago likely came as slaves.

I also wonder where any shame or embarrassment comes from that for their present day descendants, Yes the scions of slavers and slaveowners have some reason for that, but it's not like being a slave was a choice or indication of low moral character that should reflect poorly on their offspring. Not my ancestry though afaik (either slave or owner) so perhaps I am missing something too. If anyone wants to educate me feel free, My ancestry as far as we can track it - 1700 or so, were universally poor laborers and minor tradesmen btw. Not an inspirational or shameful story among them as far as status goes. No doubt some were noble people and others scum and thugs too as is true of all people, but no way to know which really.

[Enrique]

9. not too long ago, 'Roots' was very popular

Alex Haley thought the story, real or imagined, of his ancestors was worth telling, even if they were slaves. And a ton of people read it and watched it on TV. And as I recall, it inspired a lot of people to look into their own roots.

[dmallind]

18. True, which surely would make it less likely anyone should be surprised or ashamed. nt

[dkf]

7. Why wouldn't he assume the guy was an honest businessman?

Do you assume your great great grandfather ripped people off?

And a white guy rich enough to be worried about whether his ancestors might be slaveowners or not probably knows already.

[chimpymustgo]

8. "An ad where a white guy is afraid to look at his roots because he's worried his ancestors might

have been slaveowners."

GREAT take. I think that ad is SO racist and patronizing. HATE it.

[Sheepshank]

10. Interesting

...I'm finding that I actually agree with you on this matter.

Must trundle off and think about this turn of events.

I may even rec....wtf?

[Coyote_Bandit]

11. I don't like the ad

Racial concerns ought not be used for marketing. It displays a blatant lack of sensitivity.

[Lucinda]

12. I don't understand your question...maybe im just tired

but anyone searching their ancestors who might have been slaves, will find the generation where they weren't any longer (if the records can be found at all) and also ancestors that WERE. Why wouldn't they be upset to think of an ancestor in slavery? - And be happy when they found the individual who was the first to enjoy freedom?

Editing to add a link to HULU
http://www.hulu.com/who-do-you-think-you-are

Lisa Kudrow is producing a series that deal with genealogy. Spike Lee was in the first season, and Vanessa Williams is in the upcomming set. You can find the full episode of Spike Lee's efforts to trace family history there. The episode explores the difficulty in tracing African American slave ancestry. There are also clips of Vanessa Williams' episode tracing a gg grandfather who lived in the North.

[Enrique]

14. I guess that was the reason I posted it

you are asking, "why wouldn't they be upset", I'm asking "why would they be upset?"

[Lucinda]

17. Compassion. n/t

[Gormy Cuss]

15. A lot of people are afraid to find out the truth about their ancestors.

On the surface that's the target of the Ancestry ad, but I found that storyline to be a bit weird.

Ancestors as slave owners isn't the only thing to fear. I have a white friend who found out that one not-so-long-ago ancestor was an African-American and some of his family members were furious about that discovery. Heh.

[Liberal_in_LA]

16. I've seen the ad. Obviously they are responding to lack of black customers.

maybe their polling showed the black Americans assumed slavery in their ancestory and would, thus, be less than thrilled with the results of a search.