{"id":2152836,"date":"2024-01-18T14:50:02","date_gmt":"2024-01-18T19:50:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/levar-burton-reacts-to-discovery-that-his-ancestor-was-a-confederate-soldier\/"},"modified":"2024-01-18T14:54:30","modified_gmt":"2024-01-18T19:54:30","slug":"levar-burton-reacts-to-discovery-that-his-ancestor-was-a-confederate-soldier","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/levar-burton-reacts-to-discovery-that-his-ancestor-was-a-confederate-soldier\/","title":{"rendered":"LeVar Burton shocked to learn his ancestor fought for the Confederacy"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Flevar-burton-reacts-to-discovery-that-his-ancestor-was-a-confederate-soldier%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2152836&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>LeVar Burton Discovers Surprising Ancestry\u2062 on &#8220;Finding Your Roots&#8221;<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">In a shocking revelation, beloved &#8220;Star Trek&#8221; actor <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/topic\/celebrities\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">LeVar Burton<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">  recently learned that one of \u200bhis ancestors\u2062 was a white <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/topic\/confederacy\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Confederate<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">  soldier.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">During an episode \u2062of the popular <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/topic\/pbs\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">PBS<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">  series &#8220;Finding Your Roots,&#8221; the \u206466-year-old TV star \u200bwas stunned to discover \u2062this surprising\u2064 fact about his lineage.\u2063 LeVar Burton, known for his\u200d role in\u2064 &#8220;Reading Rainbow,&#8221; revealed that he had limited knowledge of his\u200d family tree due to \u2064being estranged from his\u2064 father since childhood and his mother&#8217;s reluctance to\u200b share their background, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/people.com\/finding-your-roots-recap-levar-burton-journey-made-him-feel-closer-to-father-he-hadnt-seen-8430586\">according<\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">  to\u200b People magazine.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Burton expressed his feelings of\u200c growing up\u200b with a void of information \u2063about his family history, stating, &#8220;You grow up\u2063 with just blanks, right? No information, no \u200bclue and no real way to overcome that blind spot.&#8221; He emphasized the importance of such knowledge in order to feel complete, as reported by the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/entertainment-arts\/story\/2024-01-17\/levar-burton-descendant-confederate-soldier-white-america-finding-your-roots\">Los Angeles Times<\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The show&#8217;s\u200d host, Henry Louis Gates Jr., explained that a team of \u200dgenealogists and\u200c DNA experts worked together to uncover these <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/study-media-gives-biden-less-negative-coverage-than-any-president-on-record\/\" title=\"STUDY: Media Gives Biden Less Negative Coverage Than Any President On Record\">surprising findings<\/a> about Burton&#8217;s past.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">To Burton&#8217;s astonishment, it was revealed that his great-grandmother, Mary Sills, on his mother&#8217;s side, was not biologically related to the man she\u200b claimed as her father on a Social Security application. Instead, her biological father was James Henry Dixon, a white farmer who was married with children. &#8220;So Granny was half-white,&#8221; Burton exclaimed in disbelief, according to <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.today.com\/popculture\/tv\/levar-burton-white-confederate-ancestor-finding-your-roots-rcna133422\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Today<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><a href=\"https:\/\/onelink.to\/dwapp\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" aria-describedby=\"sk-tooltip-9096\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/onelink.to\/dwapp&#038;source=gmail&#038;ust=1705604838822000&#038;usg=AOvVaw2_j2KMpwVRLCzwAoGaYKL5\">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Furthermore, it \u200bwas discovered that Dixon, residing in North Carolina, had joined the Confederate Army\u2063 at the age of 17 and served in the junior reserves. \u200bBurton&#8217;s reaction to this revelation \u200cwas filled with disbelief and shock, exclaiming, &#8220;Are you kidding me? Oh my God, oh\u200c my God. I did not see this coming.&#8221; Although \u2062it is unlikely that Sills participated in any battles, the fact \u2062remains\u2064 that her biological father was associated with the pro-slavery side of the Civil War and had a child with \u2062a\u2064 woman born into <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/topic\/slavery\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">slavery<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Reflecting\u200d on the complex \u2063dynamics of interracial relationships during that time,\u2062 Burton expressed his curiosity about how white men justified their involvement with\u200c black women, particularly considering the\u2063 power imbalances. He acknowledged\u2064 the prevalence of mixed ancestry,\u2062 as Gates informed him that almost no African American has been found to be 100% sub-Saharan African through commercial DNA tests. &#8220;We all have\u200c white ancestors,&#8221; \u200cGates stated.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Despite the conflicting emotions\u200b stirred within him, Burton sees this revelation as an opportunity for a necessary \u200dconversation about America&#8217;s history\u2063 and identity. He stated, &#8220;There&#8217;s some conflict roiling inside of me right\u200b now.\u200d But oddly enough, I feel a pathway opening up&#8230;\u2063 Knowing what I know about the history of this nation, I&#8217;ve wanted, \u2062especially in this current time frame, I believe that as Americans we need to have this conversation about \u200bwho we\u200d are\u2062 and how we got here,&#8221; as reported\u2063 by Today.<\/span><\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> How does LeVar Burton&#8217;s journey on Finding Your Roots highlight the interconnectedness and complexity \u200bof human history, as well as\u2062 the potential for\u2062 personal growth and \u2062societal progress\u200c through understanding our past<\/h2>\n<p><span>  Toyed&#8221;>Click here to download the Daily Wire app!<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The\u200b revelation of Burton&#8217;s Confederate ancestor raises important questions about identity, race, and\u200c American history. As a prominent black actor and advocate for diversity, Burton has been a vocal critic\u200b of systemic racism and \u200bhas sought to promote inclusivity in his work. Learning about his white Confederate ancestor presents a complex and thought-provoking challenge for Burton as he grapples with the legacy of racism within his own lineage. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">In an interview with the Los Angeles\u200b Times, Burton reflected\u2064 on\u200d the\u200c significance of this\u200b discovery, stating, &#8220;The juxtaposition of the material reality of my life and what I have come to\u2062 learn about the people that I come\u2063 from is a fascinating examination of America.&#8221;\u200b He expressed \u2062that this <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/new-documentary-series-the-enemy-within-shows-how-china-bent-hollywood-to-its-will\/\" title=\"New Documentary Series, \u2018The Enemy Within,\u2019 Shows How China Bent Hollywood To Its Will\">newfound knowledge<\/a> has forced \u2063him to\u200d confront the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/nbc-news-anchor-fairness-is-overrated\/\" title=\"NBC News Anchor: \u2018Fairness Is Overrated\u2019\">uncomfortable truths<\/a> of the past and reevaluate his\u200d understanding of American history.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">As\u2064 Finding Your \u200cRoots continues to delve into the ancestral\u2064 backgrounds of various individuals,\u200b it highlights the interconnectedness and complexity of \u2064human history. The show not only uncovers hidden family secrets but also provides a platform for individuals to explore their heritage and confront the societal implications of their lineage. The episode featuring LeVar Burton serves as a powerful reminder that history is not always \u2062straightforward and that \u200b<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/national-cathedral-replaces-confederacy-windows-to-reflect-racial-justice\/\" title=\"National Cathedral replaces Confederate windows to promote 'racial justice'\">confronting uncomfortable truths<\/a> is an essential part of personal growth and societal progress. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Burton&#8217;s reaction to the discovery of his Confederate\u2063 ancestor demonstrates his\u200d commitment to self-reflection and his dedication to understanding the nuances of America&#8217;s past. Rather than shy away from\u200c this revelation, Burton has embraced it as an opportunity for learning and growth. He acknowledged that this newfound knowledge sheds light on the complexity of race\u2063 and shows that &#8220;the world is not \u200bbinary.&#8221; Through his courage and vulnerability, \u200bBurton encourages others\u200d to\u2063 confront their\u2064 own <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/fact-check-does-blackrock-own-75-percent-of-ancestry\/\" title=\"FACT CHECK: Does BlackRock Own 75 Percent Of Ancestry?\">family histories<\/a> and engage\u200d in meaningful\u200d conversations about race, identity, and the ongoing fight for equality.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">LeVar Burton&#8217;s remarkable journey on Finding Your Roots serves as a reminder that our individual stories are\u2063 intertwined with the larger narrative of history. It showcases the power of knowledge and the potential for personal transformation that comes \u200cfrom understanding our past. As Burton continues to use his platform to advocate for a more inclusive and equitable\u2063 society, his own exploration \u2062of his ancestry \u200cprovides a\u200b powerful example of the importance of acknowledging and grappling with the \u2064complexities of our collective past.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\">Visit the Daily Wire website \u200dfor more\u2063 news and\u2062 articles like\u2062 this!<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Was completely taken aback when he learned that a white Confederate soldier was among his ancestors. This revelation came during an episode of &#8220;Finding Your Roots&#8221; on PBS, where LeVar Burton, the 66-year-old actor known for his role in &#8220;Star Trek&#8221; and &#8220;Reading Rainbow,&#8221; shared his astonishment with host Henry Louis Gates Jr<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":345,"featured_media":2152837,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[541],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2152836","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-daily-wire"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2152836","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/345"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2152836"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2152836\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2152837"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2152836"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2152836"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2152836"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}