[ad_1]
The Democratic presidential candidate, Beto O'Rourke, revealed Sunday that he had recently received documents showing that he and his wife, Amy, were the descendants of slave owners.
O'Rourke, a former Texas congressman, wrote in a Medium article that the legacy of slavery "now has a much more personal connection".
O'Rourke stated that his paternal great-great-great-grandfather owned two slaves, Rose and Eliza, in the 1850s, and that he could be his great-great-great-great-great-great grandfather. In the 1860s, documents also show that O'Rourke's wife has an ancestor who owned slaves and another who was a member of the Confederate army.
"I benefit from a system that my ancestors built to favor themselves at the expense of others. This only reinforces the urgency, in my opinion, to help change the country so that it works for those who have been locked out or stuck in this system, "he said. -he writes.
"As a candidate for president, I will do everything in my power to take on this responsibility," he said.
The disclosure comes after the guardian contacted O'Rourke about his family's ties to slaveholders. O'Rourke told the media that he and his wife had never known this part of their family's history.
O'Rourke said he continued to support reparations for the descendants of slaves, which has gained popularity among Democratic candidates.
"We all need to know our own story with respect to national history, just like I learn mine. Only then, I believe, can we take the necessary steps to repair the damage done and stop visiting this injustice inflicted upon the generations following ours, "writes O'Rourke.
[ad_2]
Source link