Image of Thomas Jefferson alongside Black descendant holds 'a mirror' to America.
LaNier, a TV host in Houston who co-wrote a book about his family,"Jefferson's Children: The Story of One American Family," also said of the third U.S. president, “He was a brilliant man who preached equality, but he didn’t practice it. He owned people. And now I’m here because of it.”
The Smithsonian article features pictures by British photographer Drew Gardner who, about 15 years ago, started tracking down descendants of famous Europeans such as Napoleon and Charles Dickens to see if they would"pose as their famous forebears in portraits he was recreating," the article said.“For all its travails, America is the most brilliant idea,” the photographer said.
Other famous Americans featured alongside their descendants in the article are Frederick Douglass and Elizabeth Cady Stanton., saying the magazine article"is helping hold a mirror" to America. The side-by-side images show that Jefferson"not only took part in creating this country but also it's people... black, white, brown, yellow & red!" LaNier wrote.Shamar Walters is a reporter for NBC News' Social Newsgathering team based in New York City.
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