Thurmonds secret daughter
The week's news at a glance.
Columbia, S.C.
The family of Strom Thurmond, the late South Carolina senator who was once the nation’s leading segregationist, confirmed this week that a retired California teacher was Thurmond’s illegitimate, half-black daughter. The woman, Essie Mae Washington-Williams, was born in 1925 to Carrie Butler, then the Thurmonds’ 16-year-old maid. There were rumors, but Washington-Williams denied everything to protect Thurmond’s career. He ran for president in 1948, promising to uphold segregation. “On the question of the social intermingling of the races,” Thurmond said, “our people draw the line.” After Thurmond died in June, at 100, Washington-Williams resolved to reveal the secret. “It is a part of history,” she said.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
How global conflicts are reshaping flight paths
Under the Radar Airlines are having to take longer and convoluted routes to avoid conflict zones
-
Zohran Mamdani: the young progressive likely to be New York City's next mayor
In The Spotlight The policies and experience that led to his meteoric rise
-
The best film reboots of all time
The Week Recommends Creativity and imagination are often required to breathe fresh life into old material