(fmr Sen. Strom) Thurmond's biracial daughter writes book

[Tab]

COLUMBIA, South Carolina (AP) -- "I always thought I had a fairly normal childhood, until I found out my parents weren't who I thought they were."

So begins the autobiography of Essie Mae Washington Williams, the daughter of longtime U.S. Sen. Strom Thurmond and a 16-year-old black maid who worked at his family's home.

Williams, now 79, came forward a year ago, after Thurmond's death, with the secret she had held for more than 70 years. Her upcoming book, "Dear Senator: A Memoir by the Daughter of Strom Thurmond," deals frankly with her relationship with the one-time segregationist who privately acknowledged her as his child but never spoke of her publicly.

Williams confronted Thurmond about his support of segregation, but watched with disappointment as his political star rose in the 1940s and '50s. "He became an outright racist, cloaked in the ancient doctrine of states' rights," she wrote.
http://www.cnn.com/2004/SHOWBIZ/books/12/11/thurmond.daughter.ap/index.html

[Maat]

1. I'm going to buy her book.

She sure has a fascinating story to tell.

[hopein08]

2. I was thinking the same thing...

Maybe it will be an X-mas present!

[TaleWgnDg]

9. Good. And I hope that her book receives wide circulation . . .

However, it's truly sad that she didn't feel free to *out* that dried old hateful hypocrite's cover many years ago. Strom Thurmond, personally, caused so much harm to others throughout his life -- since he first ran successfully for political office.

That damn white supremacist bigot! And, here, during segregation Strom Thurmond had sex with his housemaid who gave birth to his bi-racial daughter! I wonder. Was she the only bi-racial offspring of that ass? If one, why not more?

All while the South was telling lies about "negro men who rape white women!"

Ever wonder why most African-Americans who are descended from American slaves are not as black as their relatives left in Africa? What pain and suffering those thousands of slaves had to endure at the hands of their slave masters? What recourse did the females have? None. Absolutely none.

Well? Here's a story that is quite typical between master-slave relationships, and that occurred frequently during the South's segregation as well.

[mitchum]

12. She kept quiet because she was being paid off

[SemperEadem]

13. No, he was supporting his child like a man is supposed to.

He should have paid her way--he created her. It was his obligation to provide for her, as it is any man who creates a child. Privately--to those who could most effectively and legally block her--he admitted to being her father and thus provided for her. It wasn't no where near being a matter of her extorting him with the truth of his actions--that he was 'paying her off'. That would indicate that he refused to take responsibility for his actions and had to be forced into doing it. That is not the case.

She kept quiet because she was smart enough to understand how odius it would be to put her family business in the street. She took the long view on this.

[mitchum]

15. By her own admission, he was giving her $$$ all of her life

She kept quiet while others suffered because it was materially beneficial to her. Antebellum slaves had a two word pejorative for her type. She is neither admirable or heroic.

[mitchum]

3. Is it going to be called "My Lips Were Sealed: Keeping Quiet While...

My Father Did Everything In His Power To Deny Civil Rights"?

While I enjoy the embarrassment she has brought to that motherfucker's "real" family, she is NOT an admirable person. I guess you can't beat genetics.

[Erika]

4. Thurmond Taught Her to be subservient

He recognized her in private, on occasion, but hid her publicly. Powerful message sent to her to "know her place" and be quiet about it. How sad.

Maybe her children will tell the story about this mental abuse from her father on her as his daughter and them as her grandchildren.

[Cronus Protagonist]

5. How many days has it been since old Strom the Bigot died?

This and other fun facts here...

http://stromwatch.com

:)

[Blue_Tires]

6. yeah, i'm sure it's a great story

but as a black male, i have a hard time feeling too much pride in her, knowing she could've raised the curtain on this little sideshow at any time when Strom was really dangerous

[Erika]

7. Agreed

She could have blown the whistle that would have rocked America. But we don't know what his discrimination did to her self esteem. That is why I place hope in her grandchildren.

[SemperEadem]

14. uh huh.. and be found swinging from a tree a week later,

raped, beaten and burned alive.

[mitchum]

16. Blacks were being lynched in California in the 1960s?

Please tell me more.

[Jack_DeLeon]

8. A slight bit conflicted about Thurmond...

Sure he was an asshole father but there are plenty of asshole fathers who dont provide jack shit for thier children.

Then on the other hand I wonder if he just provided for her because he thought that if he didnt she would let the secret out.

[TaleWgnDg]

10. OMG! Strom Thurmond bribing his own bi-racial daughter

to shut-up? And his bi-racial daughter perhaps afraid to *out* the guy? By golly, I think this is more in line w/ truth . . . remember that this woman had no power . . . she was raised in segregation when blacks were *worthless* . . . she had a very powerful white father (he ran for president on the white supremacist political party in 1948) who was intertwined with the KKK. Hey, walk in her shoes, not yours.

[kayell]

11. IIRC, she was shipped North to live with relatives to protect her

the family was afraid of what could happen to her and her mother if she remained in SC where the Thurmonds could get to her. I'm sure a lot of their caution was passed on to her.