So I started thinking about Alexandre Dumas recently 'cause his name popped up when I was scrolling some classical literature lists. Figured I'd dig deeper into his background - heard rumors, y'know?
First thing I did? Went straight to Wikipedia. Big mistake. They showed his photo alright - the old, fancy portrait everyone knows. Description? Just "French writer." Felt too damn clean, like part of the story was missing.
Next morning I brewed extra coffee and hit up free public archives. Kept searching "Dumas family origin" for hours like a detective. Stumbled on some dusty academic paper about his grandmother. Bam - turned out she was a Black enslaved woman from Haiti. Why ain't this common knowledge?
Stuff that made me scratch my head
- All official bios ignore his Black heritage completely
- Paintings always show him pale-skinned as milk
- Schools teach "Three Musketeers" but not his roots
Got mad curious why they erased this. Visited my local library (crazy, right?) and found out they was hiding Black identity hard during Dumas' time in France. Dude faced racism too - critics called his hair "frizzy" and mocked his African features while praising his work. Felt like uncovering a conspiracy.
Stayed up till 3AM watching documentaries. Realized his stories have themes about outsiders and identity - makes total sense now. The Count of Monte Cristo? That's a revenge story fueled by injustice. Man was writing his rage through fiction.
Conclusion slapped me in the face: history whitewashed a genius because race made people uncomfortable. We celebrate his stories but bury what shaped him. So I sat down and wrote this post - my small protest against historical amnesia. Dumas wasn't just French. He was French, Haitian, Black, brilliant, and complicated as hell. Erasing that ain't just dishonest - it steals our understanding.
