United

New Jersey state senator Cory Booker had spent his whole life identifying as a black American man. That’s why he was so surprised to learn about his mixed heritage.

As is the case when most of us delve into our backgrounds, research into Booker’s family tree revealed a complex web of genetics. He’s the descendant of slaves and slave owners, of Native Americans and of a white man who fought in the Creek War of 1836, pushing Native Americans from their land. In other words, his ancestors quite literally fought each other.

Using DNA results, Booker found and met a white man to whom he never would have guessed he was related, but with whom he actually shared a great-grandfather. The day Booker shook this man’s hand, something his parents had told him in childhood really clicked: Making the world a better place begins with setting aside whatever differences we may think divide us. To find common ground, we have to understand that we’re all connected. 

Booker’s parents, Carolyn and Cary, made sure to teach their sons this lesson – because without the help of a Jewish lawyer named Arthur Lesemann, the whole family’s lives would have turned out very differently. 

What happened was that when Booker’s parents first moved to New Jersey, they were continually barred from purchasing a home in the all-white neighborhood they wanted to live in, even though this was technically illegal. The Bookers would view a house, make an offer, and then be told it had been sold or taken off the market. 

Luckily, Arthur Lesemann, inspired by the historic march on Selma, had begun volunteering at the Fair Housing Council. Lesemann believed that we all share a common destiny. With his legal help, the Bookers successfully conducted a sting operation. They sent a white couple to a house the Bookers had tried to purchase. When the white couple put in an offer and it was accepted, Arthur and Cary confronted the real estate agent. They had evidence that he was in violation of New Jersey state law, which put his real estate license at risk. The next day, the house was theirs. 

As a child, Cory Booker was frequently reminded that many of the opportunities he benefited from were the result of people working across their differences to make the world a better place. It’s a lesson he never forgot.