You Don’t Want to Know the Relationship Between Anderson Cooper and Michelle Obama

October 14, 2008 - 2:30 pm By CC Staff

If this isn’t the most outrageous story I’ve heard in a while, I don’t know what is.

Apparently, CNN anchor Anderson Cooper’s great-great-grandfather Cornelius Vanderbuilt was the slave owner of Michelle Obama’s great-great-grandfather, Jim Robinson. And what’s more, Anderson’s kin has personally invited Obama to visit her ancestor’s grave at the Georgetown, SC plantation named Friendfield. Not surprisingly, Michelle Obama has yet to respond to the invite.

I’m going to assume that supporting the final days of her husband’s campaign for President of the United States is taking precedence.

We thought we’d seen it all earlier this election season when news of Bristol (daughter of Sarah) Palin’s teenage pregnancy made headlines. But now we’re talking about celebrities/politicians and slavery. Will the press never end?

Of course not.

UPDATE: The source, Mollygood.com (via the New York Daily News), has updated the story to note that Cornelius Vanderbilt came into ownership of Friendfield after Jim Robinson was enslaved there. To clarify, the Vanderbilts never actually owned Robinson as a slave. My apologies for any confusion.

Jacks says:
Tue, 14th Oct 20085:41 pm

I don’t get what’s so outrageous. Note the

“great great’s…” it’s not like Anderson Cooper personally enslaved Michelle Obama. It might be a strange invitation, but I think it was one meant with warm regards.

Eve says:
Tue, 14th Oct 20086:20 pm

The Mollygood item has been updated to note that Anderson’s relations never owned the plantation during the slave era. It just came into their ownership later on, so they did not own Michelle’s ancestor.

Sara C - Fordham says:
Tue, 14th Oct 20088:07 pm

I don’t think the slave-ownership in and of itself is outrageous (that is, that the Vanderbilt family owned a slave plantation and Obama’s ancestors were slaves–yes it’s unfortunate, but like Jacks says, it wasn’t as though it was intentional). What I think is more outrageous, and what I should have made clearer in my writing, is that the media is publishing such inane pieces. (Do I realize that by reproducing this story, I too am spreading the news? Yes, but the difference is that I am criticizing the media rather than criticizing Cooper and Obama.)

And thank you, Eve, for following up. I will correct the story.

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3 Comments		Posted in Buzz, News
		Tags: Anderson Cooper, barack obama, cnn, Cornelius Vanderbuilt, Friendfield, Georgetown, history, Jim Robinson, michelle obama, presidnet, slaves, teenage pregnancy

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