Monticello Association

Thomas Jefferson's descendants, at the annual meeting of the Monticello Assn. in Charlottesville, Va., again put off a decision on whether to allow the descendants of Jefferson slave Sally Hemings into their organization. The delay frustrated Hemings' descendants who attended seeking formal acceptance of their family tradition that Jefferson and Hemings had children together.

A group of Thomas Jefferson's descendants decided Sunday that DNA tests and historic evidence are not enough to admit relatives of Sally Hemings, a Jefferson slave, as bona fide members of their organization. The Monticello Assn., whose 700 members are descended from Jefferson and his daughters, Martha and Maria, opted not to welcome the Hemings family into the organization.

They may not look alike or accept that they're related, but when the descendants of Thomas Jefferson and of one of his slaves, Sally Hemings, sat down at a white-linen luncheon Sunday afternoon, it was like an episode of "Family Feud." Before everyone even tucked in their napkins, goodwill lost its footing and the bickering began. The occasion was the 86th annual meeting of the Monticello Assn., a group of 700 descendants of Jefferson and his wife, Martha.

Thomas Jefferson's descendants, at the annual meeting of the Monticello Assn. in Charlottesville, Va., again put off a decision on whether to allow the descendants of Jefferson slave Sally Hemings into their organization. The delay frustrated Hemings' descendants who attended seeking formal acceptance of their family tradition that Jefferson and Hemings had children together.

A group of Thomas Jefferson's descendants decided Sunday that DNA tests and historic evidence are not enough to admit relatives of Sally Hemings, a Jefferson slave, as bona fide members of their organization. The Monticello Assn., whose 700 members are descended from Jefferson and his daughters, Martha and Maria, opted not to welcome the Hemings family into the organization.

They may not look alike or accept that they're related, but when the descendants of Thomas Jefferson and of one of his slaves, Sally Hemings, sat down at a white-linen luncheon Sunday afternoon, it was like an episode of "Family Feud." Before everyone even tucked in their napkins, goodwill lost its footing and the bickering began. The occasion was the 86th annual meeting of the Monticello Assn., a group of 700 descendants of Jefferson and his wife, Martha.