Barack Obama

The Vid is 3:45 minutes and worth it if you have the time. Sweet cousins of Melvinia and Michelle..

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Back in 2009, I traced the then-new First Lady's family tree back four or five generations on all branches, but of all the ancestors I uncovered, it was a great-great-great-grandmother named Melvina Shields McGruder who captured my attention. Sadly, this remarkable woman who was born into slavery and lived until 1938 had no tombstone.

Fast forward to 2014. Descendants -- mostly still living in the vicinity of Kingston, Georgia where Melvina spent the last half of her life -- raised funds for and installed an impressive memorial. This video includes not only scenes from this moving ceremony, but also brief interviews with more than a dozen of Melvina's descendants, who also happen to be cousins of Michelle Obama's. While holding a board with their relationship to both Melvina and the First Lady stated, each one shares their thoughts about their notable relatives.