Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, who recently faced criticism for comparing Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas to a house slave, is himself a descendant of slaveowners, according to a 2017 report.
“Ellison’s younger brother, Anthony, now a lawyer in Boston, recalled Ellison struggling with their mother’s revelation that some of their Creole ancestors had owned slaves,” the article from Mother Jones reads.
The report goes on to explain how Ellison spent hours interviewing his relatives with a tape recorder and notebook on a family cotton farm in Louisiana. In his 2014 autobiography, Ellison wrote about some of his ancestors who were slaves.
Ellison came under fire last week for comparing Justice Thomas to a pro-slavery house slave from the movie “Django Unchained.” The comment was made in his hometown of Detroit, where Ellison was making a stop to promote his new book.
“Anybody who’s watched the movie Django, just watch Stephen and you see Clarence Thomas. Clarence Thomas has decided that his best personal interest is siding with the powerful and the special interests regardless as to who they’re going to hurt,” Ellison said.
Ellison called for the impeachment of Thomas while discussing recent Supreme Court decisions on affirmative action and student loan debt.
“Clarence Thomas needs to be impeached. Clarence Thomas is illegitimate and has no basis in the job that he’s in,” Ellison said.
Ellison’s office did not respond to a request for comment regarding the Mother Jones article. At the time it was published, Ellison was serving in the U.S. House and running for the position of DNC chairman.
Hayley Feland
Hayley Feland previously worked as a journalist with The Minnesota Sun, The Wisconsin Daily Star, and The College Fix. She is a Minnesota native with a passion for politics and journalism.
