Following the news that he is half white and has a Confederate ancestor, LeVar Burton admits he is “conflicted” about the information.
Burton made an appearance on the PBS show. Find your roots earlier this week. The show’s host, Henry Louis Gates Jr., revealed that the reading the rainbow The star’s family tree dates back to the 19th century and a white man is part of the tree.
Gates Jr. noted that a woman on LeVar Burton’s mother’s side, Mary Sills, originally mentioned that his father was a black man named Louis Sills. However, DNA testing shows that is not true. In reality, her father was a white southern farmer named James Henry Dixon.
Gates Jr. said Dixon was not only a white Southerner, but also served in the Confederate Army during the Civil War. He died in 1906 and was the father of nine children. He also had 40 grandchildren.
Puzzled by the information he received, Burton said: “There is a conflict stirring inside me right now.”
However, LeVar Burton was optimistic, saying he felt a “path” was opening up. “Knowing what I know about the history of this nation, I’ve wanted to, especially right now, I think as Americans we need to have this conversation about who we are and how we got here.”
Burton also claimed that he had been looking for an “entry point” to talk about “white America,” adding, “Here it is.”
LeVar Burton references his character ‘Roots’ after discovering he has a white ancestor
Meanwhile, LeVar Burton referred to his Estate character, Kunta Kinte, as he talks about his white ancestor.
“I would have fought you for five minutes if you told me I had a white great-great-grandfather,” Burton said. “What! Kunta has white ancestry, what? Come now.”
Gates Jr. spoke more about Dixon, including more details about his life and occupations. “When he was young, James served to protect slavery,” the host explained. “But when he was an adult, he had a child with an African-American woman who was born into slavery.”
Gates Jr. also showed a photo of Dixon. Burton learned more about his father, Levardis Robert Lee Burton, who was born in Cherry Valley, Arkansas. His father, with whom the actor had an estranged relationship, also had a tumultuous relationship with his grandparents. “The cycles repeat themselves,” Burton said.
Burton went on to add that he was elated by the discoveries in his family tree. “I can’t even explain what it feels like to receive this information.”
Categories: Biography
Source: vcmp.edu.vn