商品簡介
In The Other Madisons, Bettye Kearse―a descendant of a slave named Coreen and, according to oral tradition, President James Madison―finally shares her family story, exploring legacy, race, and the powerful consequences of telling the whole truth.For thousands of years, West African griots (men) and griottes (women) have recited the stories of their people. Without this tradition Bettye Kearse would not have known that she is a descendant of President James Madison and his slave Coreen. In 1990, Bettye became the eighth-generation griotte for her family. Their credo―“Always remember―you’re a Madison. You come from African slaves and a president”―was intended as a source of pride, but for her, it echoed with abuses of slavery and rape.Bettye embarked on a journey of discovery―of her ancestors, the nation, and herself. She learned that wherever African slaves walked, recorded history silenc
