Genealogists have been busy reconstructing the First Lady’s family tree and what they’ve discovered is shocking—but really only to Debbie Shields, who is apparently Michelle Obama’s cousin. And yes, she’s white as can be. But are we really surprised by this? As most of us know, there were many African and American couplings (both consensual and non-consensual) that took place during the times of slavery—and Michelle’s great, great grandmother Melvinia was no exception. As it turns out, Melvinia was impregnated at age 15 by plantation owner Charles Marion Shields who is also Debbie’s great, great grandfather. In case you got lost there in the twisted branches, that makes the two fourth cousins. While Debbie and her 17-year old son Brandon think it’s “awesome” to be related to the first lady, they couldn’t believe it at first. Believe it, folks! So what do you think? Awkward family reunion or positive step forward for race relations in this country? [Newser]
