Chapter Text
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"I'm your national anthem,
Boy, you're so handsome,
Take me to the Hamptons, Bugatti Veyron,
He loves to romance 'em, reckless abandon,
Holding me for ransom, upper echelon,"
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Victoria Liberty Belle Madison was careful, reserved, and a direct descendant of President James Madison.
She was also black.
John Fitzgerald Kennedy was reckless, magnetic, and a direct descendant of Irish Immigrants.
He was also going to be President of the United States.
Meeting him was by chance, falling in love with him was accidental, and making history with him — as her calculating father-in-law once put it — was just "the Kennedy way".
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The Reluctant American Heiress
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"Will you still love me when I'm no longer young and beautiful?"
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The Cocky American Patriot
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"Will you still love me when I got nothing but my aching soul?"
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The American Dream
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"I know you will,
I know you will,
I know that you will..."
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"I had never met people like them [the Kennedys] before...they were so confident and thoughtless — dangerous and bold. They did not live ordinary lives, because they were not ordinary people. It was honestly all so frightening, but also thrilling and remarkable — and Jack...oh, my Jack...was at the center of all of it. I should have known from the moment he smiled at me that my life would never be the same."
- Former First Lady Liberty Belle Kennedy, 2018
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"I've seen the world, done it all, had my cake now,
Diamonds, brilliant, and Bel Air now,
Hot summer nights, mid-July,
When you and I were forever wild,
The crazy days, city lights,
The way you'd play with me like a child,"
Young and Beautiful - Lana Del Rey (2013)
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July 2018
Former First Lady Liberty Belle Kennedy was a very private individual. Despite so much of her life being in the spotlight for decades, there was still so little that the American people knew about her. Her background, her personality, her likes and dislikes — so much of who she was before she married President John F. Kennedy was a mystery.
Even after his passing.
She was an enigma to biographers, who have only ever been able to scratch the surface of who she was — a descendant of President James Madison — the Father of the Constitution, born on July 4th, 1930, was raised by her uncle since the age of 10. No one knew the finer details — the history of the silent woman behind the lovely smile and gentle eyes, who captured the attention of the world along with her husband.
However, despite her mystery, her tenure as First Lady was distinct and profound, being among the ones next to Eleanor Roosevelt and Michelle Obama. She championed hard for civil rights and was historically closer to the African American community than any First Lady before her, breaking barriers and challenging social norms for their benefit. She was also interested in the development of young children and their education, wanting to build up the literary and mathematical talents of the next generation.
Working with her personal secretary and closest friend, Jacqueline Bouvier Husted, they brought about the White House Restoration project, restoring its historical character for future generations to enjoy, and forming organizations and committees dedicated to that purpose.
Though she did not speak much, having very limited speeches during her husband's political career, she still had a remarkable effect on American history — culturally and politically — and has become a distinguishable icon.
Which is why Chérie Gordon was honored to have been chosen to interview her and write her biography.
The young historian had always had an interest in the former First Lady, and was amazed so little was written about her. She was one of the most photographed women in history, but no one even knew her birthplace or mother — notes in history that seemed almost hidden.
Chérie was determined to learn them.
Sitting in the living room of the historic Kennedy Compound in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts, Chérie sat face to face with the matriarch in a very homey setting. Pictures of the first generation of Kennedys to the latest littered the room in a grandmotherly way with a picture of the late President himself set next to her on a small table. Next to him was the current President, Jimmy Kennedy — her grandson.
To be the descendant, a wife, a mother, and a grandmother to a President was a historical phenomenon, but for Liberty Belle Kennedy that was her life.
With surprisingly still thick, dark hair at the age of 88, she sat across from Chérie with her iconic Mona Lisa smile — her skin tanner than the historian had imagined, but still wrinkled and worn with her pale green eyes still as bright from the pictures of her youth. She saw all her freckles as well as the one dimpled cheek that the President adored, and how round and high her cheekbones were.
Chérie also noted how very distinct her appearance was up close.
The structure of her cheeks, eyes, and lips were very telling — a thinly veiled truth that no one seemed to acknowledge. Liberty Belle was known for her picturesque beauty, but it was obvious now it was because it was not Eurocentric. In full color and up close, Chérie, who was a black woman, could easily spot another black woman on any given day.
And there was a black woman sitting directly in front of her.
Furrowing her brows, she had a list of questions forming on her lips but was speechless as to which to ask first, gripping the pen in her hand tight with anxiety.
How had no one not noticed before?
Taking a deep breath, Chérie finally asked. "Mrs. Kennedy, how long have you been whitepassing?"
"...Since the summer of...1940...when my uncle...took me from Georgia," She spoke, slow and careful. But not as if trying to think of words to paint a certain picture, but as if she was trained to do so to ensure her words were neat and easy to hear. There was a sweet Southern twang to her voice. "I've hidden the truth...for so long...it's time the world knew."
"Did he know?..."
For the first time that day, her smile lifted to her eyes and her eyes watered. "He was the first...to figure it out and...love all of me. I never had to hide...with him."
Chérie smiled at this statement — no longer seeing a sophisticated American icon, but a young woman in love. It was obvious she missed him.
It was also obvious now why she wanted the interview.
She wanted her truth to be told now — her story from her own words. Chérie understood this, and her responsibility in making sure she got it right.
"Mrs. Kennedy, when were you born?" She asked earnestly.
Liberty Belle took a deep breath and smiled. "July 4th, 1930 in Atlanta, Georgia. My father...was a biracial lawyer named Jamie Edward Madison...and my mother...was a black nurse named Elizabeth Gardner...they...were all I had in the world...u-until...1940."
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Author's Note:
Thank you so much for reading "National Anthem". I appreciate the love and support!
I blame Lana Del Ray and Taylor Swift for this emotional rollercoaster we are about to embark on. Meet Victoria Liberty Belle Madison — our protagonist.
Historical Facts
- President James Madison did not have any children, but for fictional purposes, he had three, and one is the linage that Liberty came from.
- Jackie Kennedy was engaged to John Husted in January 1952, but called it off because reportedly her mother did not think he made enough money for her. She met JFK that that same year in May. For the purpose of the story, she goes through with the engagement and marries Husted.
Until next time!