Black McCains
Encyclopedia
The family known in the media as the "black McCains" are the living descendants of Isom McCain (1831–Btw 1888 and 1890) and Leddie McCain, African-American slaves owned in Teoc, Mississippi
by William Alexander McCain, a cotton plantation owner who was the great-great-grandfather of Senator John McCain
. The black McCains trace their surname to this slave ownership and neither claim nor disclaim blood relationship with Senator McCain, as no DNA tests have been conducted. Among the black McCains, siblings Lillie McCain (born 1952), of Detroit, and Charles McCain, Jr. (born 1948) and Mary Lou McCain Fluker, of Carrollton, Mississippi
, are the living contemporaries of Senator McCain.
Lillie McCain had in the past e-mailed Senator McCain to inform him about the black McCains after she heard him say on Meet the Press
that his ancestors owned no slaves. John McCain had not known about the slaveholding past until it was discovered by reporters during his 2000 presidential campaign
. The McCain plantation in Teoc, which was formally named Waverly, consisted of 2000 acres (8.1 km²) and existed from 1848 until 1952. The plantation had slaves before the American Civil War
and sharecroppers afterward; influential blues guitarist Mississippi John Hurt
was born on the plantation to one of the latter.
According to The Wall Street Journal
Atlanta Bureau Chief Douglas Blackmon, who researched the black McCains in 2008, the black McCains "resisted the Ku Klux Klan
, led the civil rights movement and voter registration efforts in the 1960s", and "integrated public schools" in Mississippi. Lillie McCain's father Charles "Jack" McCain, a World War II
veteran, purchased 120 acre (0.4856232 km²) of land in Teoc and split it with his cousin, participating in the civil rights movement in the South, working with Stokely Carmichael
when he came to Greenwood, Mississippi
.
Senator John McCain has never met any of the black McCains. Lillie McCain said that Senator John McCain has been invited to their biannual family reunion functions in Teoc (the most recent having been held on July 24, 2008), but according to the McCain campaign, schedule conflicts have prevented Senator McCain from attending. Lillie McCain has met the brother of the Senator, Joseph "Joe" McCain
, who has attended the Teoc reunions, and described him as "very cordial, warm, extrovert... really an energized personality".
A statement by the McCain 2008 presidential campaign
on the subject of the black McCains said, "How the Teoc descendents have served their community, and by extension, their country, is a testament to the power of family, love, compassion, and the human spirit."
Teoc, Mississippi
Teoc is an unincorporated community in Carroll County, Mississippi and is part of the Greenwood, Mississippi micropolitan area approximately northeast of Greenwood on Teoc Road along Teoc Creek.....
by William Alexander McCain, a cotton plantation owner who was the great-great-grandfather of Senator John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
. The black McCains trace their surname to this slave ownership and neither claim nor disclaim blood relationship with Senator McCain, as no DNA tests have been conducted. Among the black McCains, siblings Lillie McCain (born 1952), of Detroit, and Charles McCain, Jr. (born 1948) and Mary Lou McCain Fluker, of Carrollton, Mississippi
Carrollton, Mississippi
Carrollton is a town in Carroll County, Mississippi, United States. It is the county seat of Carroll County. The population was 408 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Greenwood, Mississippi micropolitan area-Geography:...
, are the living contemporaries of Senator McCain.
Lillie McCain had in the past e-mailed Senator McCain to inform him about the black McCains after she heard him say on Meet the Press
Meet the Press
Meet the Press is a weekly American television news/interview program produced by NBC. It is the longest-running television series in American broadcasting history, despite bearing little resemblance to the original format of the program seen in its television debut on November 6, 1947. It has been...
that his ancestors owned no slaves. John McCain had not known about the slaveholding past until it was discovered by reporters during his 2000 presidential campaign
John McCain presidential campaign, 2000
John McCain, the United States Senator from Arizona, launched his first candidacy for the presidency of the United States in the 2000 presidential election....
. The McCain plantation in Teoc, which was formally named Waverly, consisted of 2000 acres (8.1 km²) and existed from 1848 until 1952. The plantation had slaves before the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
and sharecroppers afterward; influential blues guitarist Mississippi John Hurt
Mississippi John Hurt
John Smith Hurt, better known as Mississippi John Hurt was an American country blues singer and guitarist.Raised in Avalon, Mississippi, Hurt taught himself how to play the guitar around age nine...
was born on the plantation to one of the latter.
According to The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal is an American English-language international daily newspaper. It is published in New York City by Dow Jones & Company, a division of News Corporation, along with the Asian and European editions of the Journal....
Atlanta Bureau Chief Douglas Blackmon, who researched the black McCains in 2008, the black McCains "resisted the Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan, often abbreviated KKK and informally known as the Klan, is the name of three distinct past and present far-right organizations in the United States, which have advocated extremist reactionary currents such as white supremacy, white nationalism, and anti-immigration, historically...
, led the civil rights movement and voter registration efforts in the 1960s", and "integrated public schools" in Mississippi. Lillie McCain's father Charles "Jack" McCain, a World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
veteran, purchased 120 acre (0.4856232 km²) of land in Teoc and split it with his cousin, participating in the civil rights movement in the South, working with Stokely Carmichael
Stokely Carmichael
Kwame Ture , also known as Stokely Carmichael, was a Trinidadian-American black activist active in the 1960s American Civil Rights Movement. He rose to prominence first as a leader of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and later as the "Honorary Prime Minister" of the Black Panther Party...
when he came to Greenwood, Mississippi
Greenwood, Mississippi
Greenwood is a city in and the county seat of Leflore County, Mississippi, United States, located at the eastern edge of the Mississippi Delta approximately 96 miles north of Jackson, Mississippi, and 130 miles south of Memphis, Tennessee. The population was 15,205 at the 2010 census. It is the...
.
Senator John McCain has never met any of the black McCains. Lillie McCain said that Senator John McCain has been invited to their biannual family reunion functions in Teoc (the most recent having been held on July 24, 2008), but according to the McCain campaign, schedule conflicts have prevented Senator McCain from attending. Lillie McCain has met the brother of the Senator, Joseph "Joe" McCain
Joe McCain
Joseph Pinckney "Joe" McCain II is a stage actor, newspaper reporter, and brother of U.S. Senator and two-time presidential candidate John McCain.-Early life and education:...
, who has attended the Teoc reunions, and described him as "very cordial, warm, extrovert... really an energized personality".
A statement by the McCain 2008 presidential campaign
John McCain presidential campaign, 2008
John McCain, the senior United States Senator from Arizona, launched his second candidacy for the presidency of the United States in an unsuccessful bid to win the 2008 presidential election. His candidacy, in the works for a number of years, was informally announced on February 28, 2007 during a...
on the subject of the black McCains said, "How the Teoc descendents have served their community, and by extension, their country, is a testament to the power of family, love, compassion, and the human spirit."
Family lineages
| White McCains | Black McCains |
|---|---|
| William Alexander McCain (1812–1863) |
Isom McCain (1831–between 1888 and 1890) |
| John Sidney McCain (1851–1934) |
Harry McCain (1866–1898) |
| John Sidney "Slew" McCain Sr. John S. McCain, Sr. John Sidney "Slew" McCain Sr. was a U.S. Navy admiral. He held several command assignments during the Pacific campaign of World War II.... (1884–1945) |
Weston Sims McCain (1885–1976) |
| John "Jack" S. McCain Jr. John S. McCain, Jr. John Sidney "Jack" McCain Jr. was a United States Navy admiral, who served in conflicts from the 1940s through the 1970s, including as the Commander, United States Pacific Command.... (1911–1981) |
Charles "Jack" McCain (1916–2000) |
| John S. McCain III John McCain John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election.... (born 1936) |
Lillie McCain (born 1952) |