START A CONVERSATION ABOUT WHITE
PRIVILEGE.
SOCIALLY DISTANT SELFIES ON THE
LAWN AT MONTICELLO AFTER A
PERFORMANCE BY BILL BARKER AS
THOMAS JEFFERSON.
>> RIGHTS COME FROM NATURE AND
NATURE’S GOD.
THEY ARE NOT GIVEN TO ANY MAN BY
ANY GOVERNMENT OR RULER.
WE’RE ALL BORN FREE.
>> Reporter: JEFFERSON WHO
PENNED THE DECLARATION OF
INDEPENDENCE WAS LEARNED,
BRILLIANT, AND THE EPITOME OF
PARADOX.
FOR IN HIS LIFETIME, HE OWNED
MORE THAN 600 SLAVES.
>> HERE IT IS.
BLACK AND WHITE.
SIX CHILDREN, FATHERED BY THOMAS
JEFFERSON.
>> Reporter: BRENDA URKOWSKI AND
DAUGHTER AND NIECES HAVE SERIOUS
FAMILY TIES HERE.
THEY ARE DESAN DANTCENDANTS OF T
JEFFERSON AND THE SLAVE SALLY
HELP
HEMMINGS.
>> IT CONNECT US US TO OUR
ANCESTORS.
IT BRINGS LIGHT AND LIFE TO THE
ENSLAVED FAMILIES HERE.
>> Reporter: JEFFERSON’S PLACE
IN THEIR FAMILY HISTORY IS THE
SOURCE OF CONTINUAL DEBATE.
HIS LEGACY IS VERY MUCH ALIVE.
DO YOU THINK THERE’S A
CONNECTION BETWEEN THE PROTESTS
THAT ARE HAPPENING NOW AND WHAT
HAPPENED HERE A COUPLE HUNDRED
YEARS AGO?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
US GROWING UP HERE IN MONTH CHEL
LOW, WE WERE SAYING THESE SLAVE
FAMILIES MATTERED TO THIS
PROPERTY.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT ALL OF
JEFFERSON’S ACCOMPLISHMENTS,
THESE PEOPLE MATTERED.
RIGHT NOW THE MOVEMENT IS BLACK
LIVES MATTER.
>> Reporter: BRENDA BELIEVES
JEFFERSON WAS A HYPOCRITE.
>> I JUST DON’T THINK THAT HE
REALLY TRULY BELIEVES THAT ALL
MEN ARE CREATED EQUAL.
>> Reporter: JEFFERSON DECLARED
SLAVERY A MORAL DEPRAVITY AND A
HIDEOUS BLOT BUT WAS OFTEN
SILENT WHEN IT CAME TO PERSONAL
OR POLITICAL ACTION.
>> PEOPLE LIKE TO SAY JEFFERSON
BUILT THIS HOUSE.
NO.
ENSLAVED PEOPLE BUILT THIS
HOUSE.
CHILDREN HELPED BUILD THIS
HOUSE.
AND IF YOU LOOK CLOSELY, YOU CAN
SEE THE FINGERPRINTS, THE
INDENTATIONS THAT THE CHILDREN
MADE WHEN THEY WERE MAKING
BRIDGES.
>> Reporter: GAYLE IS A DESEN
DESCENDANT OF HEMMINGS AND
JEFFERSON.
>> I GET EMOTIONAL.
I WOULD ARGUE THE PEOPLE
ENSLAVED HERE ARE JUST IMPORTANT
TO AMERICA AS THOMAS JEFFERSON.
>> Reporter: WELL SPACED
VISITORS ARE WELCOME AT
MONTICELLO.
THE SIMMONS FAMILY CAME FROM
WASHINGTON, D.C.
DAD WARREN SAYS --
>> TO TEACH OUR DAUGHTERS THAT
EXPOSURE IS THE KEY TO LIFE.
>> Reporter: AND MOM LISA ADDS,
EVEN IF THAT HURTS.
>> TO SEE THE BEAUTY AND THE
PAIN OF A PLANTATION.
TO FEEL IT, TO SEE IT.
VERSUS JUST SEEING IT IN A BOOK.
>> Reporter: JUST DOWN THE HILL
FROM THE MANSION, THE HEAD OF
THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN HISTORY
HERE SHOWS US A RESTORED SLAVE
DWELLING.
>> THIS IS A MEANS OF COERCING
FREE LABOR TO BE PRODUCTIVE.
TO GIVE THEM A HOME WHERE THEY
CAN LIVE WITH THEIR FAMILY.
THEIR NUCLEAR FAMILY.
>> Reporter: A NUCLEAR FAMILY
WHERE EACH PERSON WAS AN ASSET
TO BE USED OR TRADED OR SOLD.
A HUMAN COMMODITY.
BATES BELIEVES IT MAKES
MONTICELLO THE RIGHT PLACE TO
CONNECT PAST AND PRESENT.
>> I THINK PLANTATIONS ARE A
UNIQUE SPACE IN THAT PEOPLE
REALLY NEED TO COME SEE IT.
YOU KNOW?
THEY NEED TO GRAPPLE WITH THE
REALITIES OF WHAT 400 YEARS OF
ENSLAVEMENT DID TO OUR COUNTRY.
BECAUSE IT’S NOT COMFORTABLE.
IT’S NOT EASY.
IT’S HARD WORK, BUT IT’S
NECESSARY.
>> Reporter: AND BECAUSE
JEFFERSON WAS SUCH A METICULOUS
KEEPER OF HIS RECORDS, WE KNOW
THE NAMES OF ALL THE 600-PLUS
PEOPLE WHO WERE ENSLAVED HERE.
AND IN THE NOT TOO DISTANT
FUTURE, THERE WILL BE A SITE
JUST DOWN THE HILL HERE WHERE
ALL OF THOSE NAMES WILL BE
DISPLAYED AND PEOPLE CAN COME
AND SEE THEM AND READ THEM AND
KNOW EVEN BETTER THE HISTORY OF
THIS PLACE.
>> YOU KNOW, HARRY, WE ARE IN
THIS MOMENT IN OUR COUNTRY WHERE
SO MANY OF OUR SYMBOLS AND
STATUES AND PLACES LIKE
MONTICELLO, WE ARE RE-EXAMINING
HOW THEY FIT INTO THIS GREAT
AMERICAN NARRATIVE AND PERHAPS
NO PLACE BETTER SYMBOLIZES THAT
RE-EXAMINATION THAN WHERE YOU
ARE RIGHT NOW.
>> Reporter: WELL, IT’S SUCH AN
IMPORTANT BRIDGE THAT’S BEEN
BUILT HERE BETWEEN THE ICONIC
JEFFERSON AND MAYBE THE REAL
LIFE JEFFERSON.
AND IT’S INTERESTING BECAUSE IN
THE ORIGINAL DRAFT OF THE
DECLARATION, JEFFERSON CAME OUT
FLAT OUT AGAINST SLAVERY.
TWO SAID THAT’S GOT TO GO SO
THEY TOOK IT OUT.
NOW, SOME YEARS LATER IN THE
LATE 1700s, ABOLITIONISTS CAME
TO JEFFERSON AND SAID, PLEASE
JOIN OUR CAUSE.
HE WAS QUITE SILENT.
AS A MATTER OF FACT, AND I WANT
TO READ THIS QUOTE EXACTLY.
ONE OF THE ABOLITIONISTS SAID