Vienna250 Author Series: Gayle Jessup White

Vienna250 welcomes Reclamation author Gayle Jessup White in honor of Juneteenth and the U.S. semiquincentennial

Bards Alley is delighted to join the Vienna250 Committee in cohosting a special series of author talks to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence this year. The series concludes on Saturday, June 20 with a visit by Charlottesville author Gayle Jessup White.

White will be at the Vienna Community Center to discuss her memoir Reclamation: Sally Hemings, Thomas Jefferson, and a Descendant's Search for Her Family's Lasting Legacy. Centered on its author's quest to verify her ancestry, the book confronts slavery's role in the founding of the United States and the country's ongoing struggle to reconcile its history with its ideals.

Vienna bookstore Bards Alley will have copies of Reclamation available for purchase and a post-discussion signing. To reserve your copy for pick-up either at the store or at the event, call (571) 459-2653. Attendees can also enjoy light refreshments.

This event is free and does not require registration. For more information on the author series and other Vienna250 activities, visit historicviennainc.org/vienna250

ABOUT THE BOOK

Gayle Jessup White had long heard the stories passed down from her father’s family, that they were direct descendants of Thomas Jefferson—lore she firmly believed, though others did not. For four decades the acclaimed journalist and genealogy enthusiast researched her connection to Thomas Jefferson, to confirm its truth once and for all. 

After she was named a Jefferson Studies Fellow, Jessup White discovered her family lore was correct. Poring through photos and documents and pursuing DNA evidence, she learned that not only was she a descendant of Jefferson on his father’s side; she was also the great-great-great-granddaughter of Peter Hemings, Sally Hemings’s brother.

In Reclamation she chronicles her remarkable journey to definitively understand her heritage and reclaim it, and offers a compelling portrait of what it means to be a black woman in America, to pursue the American dream, to reconcile the legacy of racism, and to ensure the nation lives up to the ideals advocated by her legendary ancestor.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Gayle Jessup White is the Public Relations & Community Engagement Officer at Monticello, Thomas Jefferson’s legendary estate. A former award-winning television reporter and anchor, Jessup White started her career at the New York Times. She’s written and spoken extensively about her work at Monticello. She is a direct Jefferson descendant, and is also related to two well-documented families enslaved at Monticello—the Hemingses and the Hubbards. She lives in Virginia.