Rock unlocks his family secrets
Ancestor was a slave turned politician
Chris Rock has learned that his great-great-grandfather was a slave, who became a politician after fighting in the American civil war.The comic was left stunned by the news, unearthed by a TV show, and said he may never have gone into stand-up had he known his family history.
The PBS series African American Lives 2 discovered that Julius Caesar Tingman spent 21 years in forced servitude, then fought against slavery as a soldier in the Union Army’s, before going into politics. He served in the South Carolina Legislature and died owning dozens of acres of land.
‘I'm going to cry. I can't believe this,’ an overwhelmed Rock said. ‘I never knew any of this.’
The comic, who was brought up in a poor Brooklyn district, said the revelation made him realise he was not pre-destined to remain in dead-end jobs.
‘Until I lucked into a comedy club at age 20, just on a whim, I assumed I would pick up things for white people for the rest of my life,’ he said. ;If I'd have known this, it would have taken away the inevitability I was gonna be nothing.
‘I mean it's weird, if I'd have known this, there's a good chance I wouldn't be a comedian.’
Published: 18 Feb 2008
