Blurred Racial Lines of Prominent Families

[iyah360]

http://www.multiracial.com/news/pr970214.html

February 14, 1997
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:
Jim Bracciale [jim_bracciale@wgbh.org]
Diane Hebert [diane_hebert@wgbh.org]
(617) 783-3500
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/secret/famous/

FRONTLINE ONLINE Reveals Blurred Racial Lines of Prominent Families

BOSTON -- February 14, 1997 (INB) -- What do the Queen of England, actor Peter Ustinov, the Medici family, the Vanderbilts, and Melrose Place vixen Heather Locklear have in common? All descend from black racial family lines.

In the midst of America's growing debate over racial classifications, the PBS documentary series FRONTLINE has mounted "Blurred Racial Lines," a Web-exclusive feature accessible at www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/secret/famous. This FRONTLINE ONLINE feature includes surprising revelations about the African ancestry of some powerful European dynasties and famous Americans.

Mario de Valdes y Cocom, an independent scholar in black history, spent years compiling much of the material published. Valdes, a Jesuit-educated Belizean of European, Mayan, and African ancestry, worked with genealogical records, archival material, and noted genealogical researchers to assemble scholarly, yet entertaining, profiles of:

* Heather Locklear. Locklear's surname means "hold fast" in the language of the Tuscarora tribes, and she seems to have descended from ancestry which is a mixture of European, Indian, and African.

* Queen Elizabeth II. The current monarch is the great-great-great-great-granddaughter of Queen Charlotte, wife of George III, descendent of a black branch of the Portuguese Royal House.

*Peter Ustinov. On his father's side, Ustinov is a member of the old Russian nobility. On his mother's side, he is a member of the Ethiopian Royal Family.

* The Medici family. This noble family of Italy included Allesandro de Medici, who was born to a black serving woman and seventeen-year-old Cardinal Giulio de Medici, who later became Pope Clement VII. The greater majority of the noble houses of Italy can today trace their ancestry back to Alessandro de Medici and so can a number of other princely families of Europe.

"Modern historical discussion has overlooked much of the African ancestry of prominent white families because of the negative image," says Valdes. "Nobody wants to hear about successful blacks as it spoils the historical image."

In addition, Valdes developed separately at this site "Secretum Sigillum," an iconographical study on the symbolism of the black image during the Middle Ages and, in particular, the positive symbol of the blackamoor in European coats of arms. "Secretum Sigillum" is threaded with pictures, illustrations, and descriptions covering a range of black images and their sources from St. Maurice, the black patron saint of the Holy Roman Empire, to a look at blackness as an allusion to God, wisdom, and the concept of justice, to the early 19th Century insignia designed by Pope Pius VII, called the Moretto or, in English, the "Little Moor."

"Blurred Racial Lines" is located at the companion Web site to FRONTLINE's November 1996 broadcast "Secret Daughter," producer June Cross's intimate story of her own experience as a black daughter coming to terms with her white mother's decision to give her away when she became "too dark to pass for white."

Also included on the "Secret Daughter" Web site:

* "Audio Stories." RealAudio interviews with Jerry Lewis and other entertainers talking about the hidden history of race and show business in the post-WWII period.

* "Discussion Board." Dozens of viewers e-mail postings telling their own stories of multiracial relations, race and showbiz, and lost family members.

* "How to Search You Own Family History." General information for researching a family tree, using the Internet's genealogical gateways, information on researching African-American family history, and information on those who are adopted and seeking parents.

* "Bi-Racial American Portraits." The exhibition developed from anthropologist Marion Kilson's "Claiming Place: Biracial American Portraits," interviews with young adult biracial Americans across the country with whom she explored memories and perceptions of race and racial identity. Texts accompanying each of Max Belcher's color portraits derive from those interviews.

* "Readings." A selection of readings on racial self-identity, racial classification, and black and white relations.

"FRONTLINE has seized an opportunity to expand its journalistic mission on the Web with this site," says FRONTLINE Senior Executive Producer David Fanning. "Mario Valdes has assembled, and continues to augment, a wealth of information on how history has hidden positive black imagery. "Blurred Racial Lines" is a unique archive of material that is of particular educational and scholarly value as we celebrate Black History Month."

Funding for FRONTLINE and FRONTLINE ONLINE is provided by the support of public television viewers.

The executive producer for FRONTLINE is Michael Sullivan. The senior executive producer for FRONTLINE is David Fanning.

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[iyah360]

Something I thought of when posting this.

Perhaps this is the reason that Britain and other Western powers came to the aid of Haile Selassie . . . family ties that go back to older times.

[douglarasta]

 ...so Iyah does this mean that we are finally ROYALTY?

[iyah360]

...so Iyah does this mean that we are finally ROYALTY?

i guess that depends on the definition of the word.

[Oshun_Auset]

Interesting...the only thing that bothers me about this information being praised so often(not that you are trying to do that iyah360, you are clearly just presenting the information) is that we Africans are always trying to prove ourselves by how we relate to European Capitalist standards of what or who is "important".

This may be a little off of the subject, but it is a similar issue. I notice a lot of my brothers and sisters get stuck in the "king and queen" sydrome. A lot of us also get stuck in KMT for similar reasons...because they are what is given value by the current political/economic shitstem we live under. The average "lowly" worker is just as valuable a human life and may be even more righteous a person... I am no royalty...Nor do I aspire to be...because royalty historically oppresses and exploits the masses to attain and maintain their power and wealth. We need to question WHY we want to identify with royalty, and what makes us feel like we should...especially if we are trying to live righteousely(this is directed to Douglarasta, but don't take it as an attack). The average working man/woman....which is, and has been the majority of us, needs to be the image of what we hold up as important and valuable(especially since that IS what we are in mass)...Although it is important to know history....We need to know the history of the masses, not just of the elite.

 But your point about Queen Elizabeth and Selassie is an interesting one to ponder... It always bothered me that he saught help from the North instead of the South unlike most of his African ancestors(not that the circumstances of that period gave him much of a choice). I guess royalty makes strange bedfellows...

On a spiritual level we should be trying to identify with the attributes of Gods and Godesses...not elitist oppressors and exploiters of the PEOPLE.

[iyah360]

It also depends on the literal idea of royalty or the more metaphorical idea of kingly and queenly character.

[Oshun_Auset]

That is true...Queen Elizabeth is no "Queen" to me as far as behavior goes...She is the enemy of the people...but I guess there must have been 'some' benevolent royalty in history...at least as benevolant as a "master" can be...But then again there are no benevolent masters...So...I can't really see King and Queenly characterintics as a possitive(even in the way you mean it...metaphorically), since their entire royal possition is derived from some form of exploitation or oppression or subjugation...I guess I don't think it is a good metaphor either...but I overstand what you mean.

[iyah360]

And I see exactly what you are saying.

I look at kingly and queenly as metaphorically representing characteristics of balance, high ethics, heart ruling with the mind, strong and stable.

Strong leaders and elders with high ethics and standards are crucial to the cohesion, survival and well-being of a people.

I am sure we could get into a discussion of the benefits and troubles of a hierarchical order. There is definitely lots of room for exploitation, as the saying goes -- power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely. We all have power relationships in our lives though, even on a small scale, and we are presented with choices of how to effectively utilize our positions of power in many decisions we make daily. In this way, we are all kings and queens in various situations in our lives and the benefit of righteous action and the metaphorical kingly and queenly characteristics which I spoke guide I and I to right accord with the scheme of things.

IMHO.

[Oshun_Auset]

That is a good point about us being kings and queens in certain situations in our daily lives...and our character either chooses to abuse our powers or not...