Monument to First Lady's Ancestor Toppled

Police investigating incident in Georgia
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Jun 11, 2013 2:27 PM CDT
Monument to First Lady's Ancestor Toppled
In this image taken from video provided by WSB-TV, people stand near the location of a knocked-over monument dedicated to Melvinia Shields on June 10, 2013 in Rex, Ga.   (WSB-TV via AP)

Police in Georgia are investigating after a monument dedicated to one of first lady Michelle Obama's relatives was knocked over in suburban Atlanta. Clayton County Commissioner Sonna Singleton tells WSB-TV that a stone monument to Obama's great-great-great-grandmother, Melvinia Shields, was pushed over and will need to be inspected for cracks. Shields was born into slavery in the mid-1800s and later settled in Rex, Ga., about 15 miles southeast of downtown Atlanta. The monument was installed about a year ago, and the county commission has organized a celebration for later this month to recognize Shields' connection to the White House. (More Michelle Obama stories.)

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