Birth Name: Benjamin Solomon Carson
Place of Birth: Detroit, Michigan
Date of Birth: September 18, 1951
Ethnicity: African-American
Ben Carson is an American author and retired neurosurgeon. His parents, Sonya (Copeland) and Robert Solomon Carson, were both African-American.
Ben’s maternal grandfather was John Martin Copeland (the son of John H. Copeland and Indiana Ash). Indiana was the daughter of Thomas Ash and Millie. The 1870 U.S. Census lists a man named James Ash living near Indiana’s household, who was possibly her grandfather. James is then-listed as being 100 years old, and as having been born in Africa (c. 1770).
Ben’s maternal grandmother was Ruby Stanley (the daughter of Coleman Stanley and Lucy Smith). Lucy was the daughter of Green Smith and Emily.
A DNA test performed by Henry Louis Gates, Jr.’s series African-American Lives (2006) stated that Ben is of 80% African and 20% European ancestry.
Source: Family background on Ben Carson – http://www.theroot.com
Photo by Prphotos.com