‘Who Blackened Thy Bloodline’: Thomas Jefferson’s Black Descentdant Sparks Controversy with Bold Recreation of His Ancestor’s Photo

Four years after Smithsonian Magazine published photos of Shannon LaNier, a Black descendant of Thomas Jefferson, dressed like his ancestor, many have mixed feelings about him embracing his heritage. Critics focused on how Jefferson wrote the words “all men are created equal” but never freed his own slaves and started a relationship with LaNier’s direct matrilineal ancestorSally Hemings, when she was just 14 and he was 44. The image resurfaced on the X platform with one person simply sharing LaNier and Jefferson’s portraits side by side. But immediately, the trolls began to chime in. “Thomas Jefferson rollin in his grave rn,” one person suggested, A few people said that they saw a familiar likeness despite the difference in race, tweeting, “They look the same!” and “I see the resemblance.” “He look pissed like ‘who blackend thy bloodline’ heada—,” one person joked. He look pissed like “ who blackend thy bloodline “ headass