Hemings' descendants meet at Monticello

About 250 people who believe they are descendants of Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings learned more about their heritage and each other at a reunion in Charlottesville.

At the first Monticello Community Gathering over the weekend, attendees discussed family ties and toured downtown Charlottesville and Monticello.

Organizer Diana Redman calls the gathering "an opportunity to get beyond the racial issues." Redman is a descendant of Madison Hemings, one of Hemings' sons.

The Monticello Association has adamantly denied membership to Hemings' descendants, citing lack of evidence that Thomas Jefferson fathered her children.