James Madison's Black Descendants Disempowered at Montpelier?

CULPEPER STAR EXPONENT: Montpelier—President James Madison’s home in Orange County, Virginia—is embroiled in controversy over what authority it allows descendants of the enslaved people who built and powered his family’s plantation.

On Friday afternoon, The Montpelier Foundation board rescinded its earlier commitment and stripped 50-50 power sharing from the Montpelier Descendants Committee representing African Americans who trace their roots to the plantation’s community.

Five descendants of enslaved people serve on the board, three chosen by the committee and two by the foundation. The bylaws change bars the committee from naming future members. That gives the foundation more control over the board’s composition.