Even activists confronting racism may not know their own dangerous ancestral links

Evidence

“I was shocked and deeply troubled by the fact that this was an ancestor of mine,” Eli said. “I’ve been an activist since I was a teenager. I knew I had racist ancestors—but I did not know anything about my connection to Louis Agassiz or how dangerous his views were.” — Tamara Lanier, From These Roots, 878

Categorization

• SEED: Angle: how family silence about a famous ancestor’s racism propagates harm — descendants discover the connection only through a stranger’s lawsuit.