Summer 1851. Jacob Vanderpool was exiled from the Oregon Territory under an exclusion law that banned people of African descent from living within its borders. To this day, he remains the only person in the United States to ever have been tried, convicted, and punished solely for the “crime” of being Black.  
More than a century and a half later, Sarah L. Sanderson made the shocking discovery that she was related to not just one but two of the White men who played a role in Jacob’s exile. This discovery started an investigative journey to confront her ancestors’ overt racism and her own unconscious biases, and find a way forward with repentance and humility. 

Brave, compassionate, and filled with transformative realizations, this stunning work of research and reflection is an invitation into the holy work of self-examination and repentance to guide you to better understand, care, and love the people and places we call home.