Shannon Lanier never doubted he was a descendant of Thomas Jefferson. The Cincinnati native always knew his family traced its roots to the third president's relationship with Sally Hemings, an African-American slave.

BOOK SIGNING

Shannon Lanier and Jane Feldman, authors of Jefferson's Children: The Story of One American Family, will sign the book from 7:30-9 p.m. Wednesday at Hughes Center, 2515 Clifton Ave., University Heights.

        In Mr. Lanier's family, word of the Jefferson-Hemings union had been passed from generation to generation. It was part of their oral history.

        For years it was easy for others — including many historians and descendants of Jefferson and his wife, Martha — to reject such claims. But a DNA study released in the fall of 1998, in conjunction with historical information, offered evidence to support the possibility that Jefferson and Hemings had at least one child together.

        And last year, the Thomas Jefferson Memorial Foundation released a report saying there is a “strong likelihood” that Jefferson fathered at least one, and maybe more, of Hemings' children.

        Now comes a new book, co-written by Mr. Lanier, 21, a third-year Kent State University student, and Jane Feldman, a New York photographer, titled Jefferson's Children: The Story of One American Family (Random House; $19.95).

        Mr. Lanier, a 1998 Hughes Center graduate, and Ms. Feldman will sign books at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at the school.

        The authors don't attempt to “prove” that Thomas Jefferson fathered children with Sally Hemings. Rather, Mr. Lanier sees the book as “a perfect opportunity for my family's voice to be heard.”

        In fact, more than three dozen voices speak from its pages. Mr. Lanier and Ms. Feldman spent a year traveling across the country, interviewing and photographing descendants of Thomas and Martha Jefferson and Sally Hemings.

        They present a range of viewpoints and situations. Some of the Jeffersons' descendants embrace their Hemings cousins. Others do not. Some Hemings descendants were raised white, and only recently learned their ancestors were slaves.

        Enquirer reporter John Johnston spoke with Mr. Lanier and Ms. Feldman by phone from New York.

        Question: Early in life, you had experiences with people who refused to accept you as a Jefferson descendant. Tell me about first grade.

        Mr. Lanier: We were studying the presidents in school, and I was all excited about the perfect opportunity to tell the class who I'm related to. So I stood up proudly, and said, “Thomas Jefferson is my great-great-great-great-great-great-grandfather.” (The teacher) said, “Sit down and stop telling lies.” And the whole class laughed, of course. I was kind of hurt. The next day my mother came to school and corrected the teacher. The teacher wasn't happy.

        Q: In May 1999, Hemings descendants were, for the first time, invited to Monticello for the annual Jefferson family reunion. You were there. What was the atmosphere like?

        Mr. Lanier: A lot of people were very embracing, on both sides. Then there were some (such as) the lady who wouldn't even look me in the eye or shake my hand. I didn't expect that.

        Ms. Feldman: I got invited in hopes of photographing those who recognize each other as one blood. My hope was for (a photo with) maybe a half dozen or dozen people. . . . Shannon came and introduced himself to me and said he understood what I was trying to do symbolically, and wanted to help. When we asked about using a microphone to assemble the family, we were told it was inappropriate. My heart sank. Shannon, being 19 (then) and truly righteous, ran up the stairs, grabbed the mike, and called forward his family. There are 80 people in that (photo). It went on the AP (The Associated Press) wire worldwide.

        Q: How did the idea for the book come about?

        Mr. Lanier: Jane went back to New York and showed the picture to a group of kids she worked with, and they were so touched by it and amazed by it. They were, like, how can I know more? That prompted her to approach her friend, Kate Klimo (senior vice president at Random House).

        Ms. Feldman: She said, Jane, I need a proposal on my desk tomorrow. I came up with the idea of telling the story through Shannon's eyes, collectively writing and doing interviews, and collecting archival photographs.

        Q: Shannon, why did you want to do the book?

        A: My family . . . sort of represents a symbol for America. People can look at this family with so many diverse ethnicities, religions, cultures, and they can say, if they can unify themselves and get along, why can't my family, and why can't America.

        Q: How did you decide who to interview?

        Mr. Lanier: We started meeting with my immediate family. Then other people we had met at the reunion for the first time. And then they referred us to other people who said, you know, you really should talk to. . . . We wanted to include all the voices, even the people who say (a Jefferson-Hemings relationship) is not true.

        Q: In the book, Dr. Eugene Foster, who conducted the DNA study, notes that we share 99.9 percent of our DNA, and so the biological aspect of the Jefferson-Hemings story is the least important. Agree?

        Mr. Lanier: I think so. It brings up the question: What is family? There are so many families today that aren't traditional families. So what is family to you? Does it mean you're connected by blood? Does it mean that if you find out tomorrow that you're adopted, your parents are no longer your parents?

        Q: Last May, another Jefferson family reunion was held at Monticello. Any change in attitudes from the previous year?

        Ms. Feldman: A world of difference. The year before, we witnessed kids cowering, holding onto their parents, and parents saying, “Don't talk to those children.” This year, (children) ran the great lawn at Monticello as cousins. There was (still) some of the very negative, the naysayers, and they are very vocal. However, their numbers are small in comparison.

        Q: Hemings are still not accepted into the Monticello Association, which represents Jefferson descendants.

        Mr. Lanier: But look how far we've come, from the first year when people wouldn't touch and look at each other, to now, shaking hands and starting to know each other. It won't change overnight, but it's starting to happen.

        Q: So you have hopes members of your extended family will one day fully embrace each other?

        Mr. Lanier: Not only in my family, but also within other families, that they can see this story and be inspired. Families can be like a fine quilt, with each other's differences and similarities strengthening and complementing each other.
       

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