fight club Star Edward Norton has revealed an ‘uncomfortable’ truth that his ancestors owned ointments.
According to Metroin the PBS the Finding Your Roots show, host historian Henry Louis Gates Jr. first made the revelation to the 53-year-old actor.
“How does it feel to see that?” Gates Jr. asked after presenting the actor with a photo of a family of seven.
the American history x star replied, “The short answer is, these things are uncomfortable, and you should be uncomfortable with them. Everyone should be uncomfortable with them.”
“It’s not a judgment on you and your own life, but it’s a judgment on the history of this country. It must be recognized first and foremost and then it must be fought against,” Norton said. .
“When you step away from the censuses and personalize things, you might be talking about a husband and wife with five daughters – and those daughters are slaves. Born into slavery.”
Gates Jr. replied, “Born into slavery and into slavery for life.”
“Yeah,” Norton said. “Again, when you read ‘8 year old slave’ you just want to die.”
It is pertinent to mention here that the family of Benedict Cumberbatch could be asked to compensate Barbados on behalf of his ancestor’s role in the slave trade.