"Everything was kind of hush-hush."
Patricia Roberts recalls first hearing about her connection to Jefferson and Monticello.
Patricia Roberts
Patricia Roberts, daughter of Pearl Hinds and Frederick Madison Roberts, attended business school at St. Louis University and returned to live in Los Angeles. After years in business and as an executive secretary and insurance agent, she took great pleasure in retirement as a teacher of young children.
Interview Information
5 Dec. 1998, Los Angeles, CA
Interviewee: Patricia Roberts
Excerpts
"We always kept that in our hearts."
Patricia Roberts talks about the family oral tradition that Jefferson "dearly loved" Sally Hemings.
"To take pride in who we were."
Patricia Roberts tells how her father was ahead of his time in his views on race and racial terminology.
Themes: Family, Racial Identity
"You don't have to be black."
Patricia Roberts recalls how her appearance led to puzzlement over her racial identity.
Theme: Racial Identity
Ancestry
- Elizabeth Hemings 1735–1807
John Wayles 1715–1773 - Sally Hemings 1773–1835
- Madison Hemings 1805–1877
- Ellen Hemings Roberts 1856–1940
- Patricia Roberts 1934–2007
Related People
- Frederick Madison Roberts father
- Pearl Hinds Roberts mother
- Ellen Hemings Roberts grandmother
- Gloria Roberts sister