Deval Patrick – “The Black List: Volume Two” HBO Documentary New York Premiere – Arrivals – The Apollo Theater, 253 West 125th Street – New York City, NY, USA – Keywords: Governor of Massachusetts, Deval Patrick – False – – Photo Credit: Sylvain Gaboury / PR Photos
Birth Name: Deval Laurdine Patrick
Place of Birth: Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Date of Birth: July 31, 1956
Ethnicity: African-American, some English
Deval Patrick is an American politician, civil rights lawyer, author, and businessperson. A member of the Democratic Party, he was U.S. Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division, from April 22, 1994 to January 20, 1997, and Governor of Massachusetts, from January 4, 2007 to January 8, 2015.
Deval is the son of Emily Mae (Wintersmith) and Laurdine Patrick (Laurdine Kenneth Patrick, Jr.), a jazz musician. His parents were both black.
He is married to lawyer Diane Bemus, with whom he has two children.
A DNA test whose results were displayed on the show Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr. (2014) stated that Deval’s genetic ancestry is:
*58.9% African
*38.9% European
*1.2% Native American
Deval’s patrilineal line can be traced to his great-great-great-grandparents Thomas/Thompson Patrick, who was born c. 1818, and his wife Violet, who was born c. 1821. They were both born into slavery.
Deval’s paternal grandfather was Laurdine Kenneth Patrick (the son of George Patrick and May Straughters). Laurdine was born in Kansas. George was the son of Thomas/Thompson Patrick and Amanda Tidings.
Deval’s paternal grandmother was named Laverne/LaVern Love. Laverne was born in Mississippi.
Deval’s maternal grandfather was Reynolds Brown Wintersmith (the son of William Rufus Wintersmith and Christine/Christina Davis). Reynolds was born in Kentucky. William’s grandmother, Emily Wintersmith, was black, and born into slavery. William’s grandfather was likely Harvey Slaughter, who was white.
Deval’s maternal grandmother was Sally Embers (the daughter of Henry Embers and Nannie Taylor). Sally was born in Kentucky.
Sources: Genealogies of Deval Patrick – http://www.wargs.com
https://www.wikitree.com