Richard Kurin — History by a Hair: Thomas Jefferson, Sally Hemings & Solving a 200-Year-Old Mystery - with Steve Inskeep — at Conn Ave
Richard Kurin presents *History by a Hair*, an account of the discovery of a possibly human, light-red strand of hair found inside Thomas Jefferson’s Bible at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History in 2011. That discovery prompted a fifteen-year genomic investigation into Jefferson’s DNA and the long-running question of whether he fathered children with Sally Hemings, one of the people he enslaved.
Part scientific investigation, part historical narrative, the book follows DNA scientists, historians, archaeologists, genealogists, forensic experts, and descendants of Jefferson and Hemings as they revisit evidence surrounding a controversy that has shaped American discussions of race, slavery, power, and the mythology of the Founding Fathers. Kurin says the research provides a scientifically validated answer while also examining the complexity of the country’s origins and the significance of family histories passed down through generations.
When: Saturday, October 10, 2026, at 5:00pm
Venue: Politics and Prose at 5015 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
Program: Richard Kurin will discuss *History by a Hair* in conversation with Steve Inskeep.
Lineup: Richard Kurin is the Smithsonian Institution’s Distinguished Scholar and Ambassador-at-Large and a former Under Secretary responsible for its museums and scientific centers. He has written several books on American history, is a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, and has led major cultural initiatives and public-history projects.
Conversation partner: Steve Inskeep cohosts NPR’s *Morning Edition* and *Up First*. His reporting has taken him throughout the United States and internationally, and he is the author of *Instant City*, *Jacksonland*, *Imperfect Union*, and *Differ We Must*.
Tickets: Free admission with first-come, first-served seating.
Accessibility: Requests for accommodations and accessibility questions should be sent to events@politics-prose.com, ideally at least one week before the event. The venue will make an effort to accommodate requests made up to the event.
Related book: *History by a Hair: Thomas Jefferson, Sally Hemings & Solving a 200-Year-Old Mystery* by Richard Kurin, with a foreword by Lonnie G. Bunch III, is available in hardcover for $35.00. It was published September 22, 2026.