Descendants

An original series from The Washington Post


Nicole Ellis investigates the lasting influence of slavery on American life, the reparations debate and the challenges of charting your family tree.

Featuring
Nicole Ellis
@Navigatingnikki | Email the author
Additional Credits
Lauren Saks, Michelle Jaconi, Brian Monroe, Ross Godwin

Featuring
Nicole Ellis
@Navigatingnikki | Email the author
Additional Credits
Lauren Saks, Michelle Jaconi, Brian Monroe, Ross Godwin
Up next in Descendants
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8:13
White Supremacy in the U.S. Capitol
October 20, 2021
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8:53
Georgia's Senate races put a spotlight on voter suppression. Here's how it works.
December 22, 2020
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9:15
This former sundown county expelled 1,100 black residents in a racial cleansing
October 2, 2020
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7:43
The citizen's arrest law cited in Ahmaud Arbery's death was created to control the Black population.
September 29, 2020
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7:31
George Floyd was a catalyst, but 325 years of racism led to removing confederate statues in Richmond
September 19, 2020

How a propaganda campaign to minimize slavery’s role in the civil war became American history

February 24, 2020 | 5:27 PM GMT
Host Nicole Ellis visits Richmond, the former capital of the Confederacy, to investigate the Lost Cause propaganda campaign, the women most influential to its success and the museum leaders determined to help the city heal by setting the record straight.