CBS News' Michelle Miller on searching for her mother and a sense of "belonging" in new memoir

"CBS Saturday Morning" co-host Michelle Miller joins "CBS Mornings" to talk about her deeply personal new memoir, "Belonging," where she opens up about her painful family history. She reveals she was the result of an affair between her married African American father and her Latino-American mother who she says could sometimes pass as a White women, which ultimately led to her mother abandoning her at birth.
#cbsnews #memoir
Each weekday morning, "CBS Mornings” co-hosts Gayle King, Tony Dokoupil and Nate Burleson bring you the latest breaking news, smart conversation and in-depth feature reporting. "CBS Mornings" airs weekdays at 7 a.m. on CBS and stream it at 8 a.m. ET on the CBS News app.
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[@karentkelleher6119]

Michelle Miller, you inspire us all and this is so powerful. Thank You!!!!

[@midnite22767]

What a tragedy that Michelle's mother and her relatives didn't get a chance to see her grow up and get to reap the rewards of seeing her success in life. Michelle's father and family deserve all the credit for the woman she is today. Some children might have had their spirits permanently crushed from this rejection. So glad she had the wherewithal to not ignorance keep her from achieving excellence!

[@peacenow4456]

Many of us life thru childhood trauma heaped upon us by a parent. Never burden your own children w your old pain. It too burdens them and they don't deserve to shoulder your pain. Evolve from this pain and move on w new empathy for others.

[@janetjohnson9690]

I learned the hard way.

[@rubythomas5895]

Awesome story Michelle I think you are a beautiful person inside and outside❤

[@jeni688]

Why are some of the comments below so mean? This was a lovey interview! Thank you!

[@freema9246]

Sometimes you just gotta accept facts. I see a lot of people seeking out those that abandoned them....I say spend that energy elsewhere.

[@2075vj]

Can’t wait to read your book. All the best to you sister I have a similar story. Stay strong.!❤

[@janetjohnson9690]

Yes I have a similar story pertaining to my father.

[@CompleteHoneyBee]

Love you Michelle! ❤❤❤ I admire you now than I ever have before.

[@judd442009]

Michelle: Thanks for sharing your story with us (and the wonderful family photos!).

[@rachel2404]

It’s hard when parents are immature or don’t behave in a loving way. It’s so common. Not everyone is blessed with a loving family. But we can create our own fictive kin.

[@jimmybuffet4970]

SUCH courage to open up!

[@wileyjohnson5681]

Those black families always accept mixed race black children. Angela Yee from the Breakfast Club was just talking about her Chinese father family shut her father off after they found out he was having a black child. SMH

[@Littlething41]

Wow, every time I'd look at her I'd wonder about her background and thought Yee was a radio name.........

[@culturavibe]

@@Littlething41hahah Adriannnnn I know this is you. You didn’t know Angela Yee was half Chinese girl 🤣

[@nicolaablett7790]

Life is a indeed a challenge Blessings

[@wileyjohnson5681]

The other little girl in the picture was her half sister from the other white woman her father was actually married to.

[@marytheresejacksonlutz2533]

I was wondering who the other girl was. Thank you for clarifying

[@marvinabigby5509]

Her mother isn't white she is Hispanic and black according to her The other little girl is her adopted sister his wife couldn't have children

[@jjjutika2594]

Your story will help so many 👋👋👋

[@paulettetheus1482]

Everyone should be able to tell there story without people always seem to think it is for money. Michelle, works she just needed to vent

[@mamabear3217]

Her father is beautiful 😍

[@heraldlee8112]

Hope she finds closure and always beautiful saturday mornings

[@denisematthewsk]

Thanks for sharing your story with us❤

[@moontakeen]

We are family 👪

[@JustBree716]

My cousin's have a similar story. They are biracial and their white mom who is from Canada was told she had to choose. And my cousin's dad and his side of the family raised them and they are well. I saw them a few years ago in Georgia for a family get together.

[@laverite1050]

Heart breaking story.

[@davidparham8054]

God Bless you Michelle 🙏🙏🙏

[@edwconr]

Thanks for posting.

[@mamabear3217]

❤ Michelle and love Nate's hair

[@Littlething41]

"It cost you your mother" WOW...........💔

[@cyankirkpatrick5194]

Nuclear family was coined after 1945, I think I was reading an encyclopedia and nearly flipped out when I seen a family and it listed a family as a nuclear family in 1968, because they were living post WW2 it has been a long time ago so I can't be sure if I mentioned it right.

[@cyankirkpatrick5194]

I'm coming to terms that the one who birthed me, was a racist narcissist etc etc. I'm 59 years old.

[@naynay7626]

Finding our true story is a beautiful part of the journey … ☮️

[@magnoliaalexander9606]

Michelle still missed on Channel 4 news in New Orleans along with Sheba Turk. We love both of ya'll and miss ya'll 💕

[@gigiwilliams1572]

Hold up-Where Sheba went?

[@kayabe856]

I always thought she was Creole

[@caloricIntake22]

🥰🥰🥰

[@araceligomez1544]

LatinX DOES NOT exist in the Spanish language. Personally, I like to say I'm Latina/Latino

[@NellieKAdaba]

👍🏿👍🏿

[@mallorygraf8574]

Yes...I perfer Latina, too. Poor Michelle. As a Latina, it's hard to hear that Michelle's mom family treated her dad and her that way. But some women are strong and some women are not...

[@monicaldr3711]

Yes!! I was wondering if anyone else caught that! We all prefer Latino or Latina 😊

[@k-love5910]

Who cares

[@BrandonPenson]

Hearing Michelle's story is so heartbreaking. It hurts when a parent abandons you. It makes you feel empty or unwanted. It's part of why I've been trying to find my father.

[@johnlewis195]

I didn't know she was married to Mark Moriel...

[@cdchoux]

Morial, former mayor of New Orleans.

[@virginiavillalba6425]

Again....let remenber to pray for Michelle Williams. !!!for her to find some peace!! Is good that wrote a book...but she also should put herself into her mother place...being a young woman and herself pregnant...and maybe her family was one of those very strict latin church related..so...bet she did had lot of mixed feelings..and painful ones....but one never knows...maybe she still could come around...but...👀🤔🥺🌹✨

[@wileyjohnson5681]

Stop making white people excuses Her mother was not a teenager She was grown adult.

[@martiwaterman1437]

Michelle Miller.

[@virginiavillalba6425]

@@martiwaterman1437 of course....don't know what I said Williams..🥴😁😁😁

[@martiwaterman1437]

@@virginiavillalba6425 There is the actress named Michelle Williams as well as the Destiny’s Child singer. It’s an easy mistake to make.

[@citygirlingraham]

This is not uncommon, sorry the Latino culture here in the US is NOT interested in interracial relationships with the black community. No one wants to talk about this. Her mother disowned her own daughter because her husband was black. The mother’s family made her choose between her family and her husband and daughter. This is so sad…

[@positivepessimist6853]

I think her father worked for the CIA.

[@williamb.8059]

Guess what? Latinos can be white, black, Asian etc. And what is LatinX?

[@abrahamisaacmuciusiii9192]

Latinx is such a ridiculous term. Just use Hispanic, Latino, or Latina.

[@kennethmartinez8731]

Hispanic is white Not white passing

[@daphnesmith1686]

Noo Hispanic is not a Race it’s a culture. Her mother was of the Spaniard ancestry.

[@kennethmartinez8731]

@@daphnesmith1686 White culture for white people

[@dianeharris8020]

mom want to have fun' she did not want no child to stop her

[@marvinabigby5509]

Ko

[@22lyric]

We ARE only getting her father and grandmother's side

[@vatricegeorge]

DEEPLY in LUST

[@sueandpatrick]

Oh brother...LatinX?!! She just lost me!!!

[@Jay-hr3rh]

Beautiful women got issues.

[@cricketwireless1203]

gr8 legs

[@kenyamontijo4212]

DO NOT BE FOOLED ALL HAVE SOLD THEIR SOUL'S FOR WEALTH FAME AND POWER AND HELP THE RACIST ELITE'S!!!

[@tracysmith2790]

🤪🤪🤣

[@SLOFO351]

You're past is nothing compared to what I went through. The way to handle it is to be strong and move on with your head held high. Not write a book to complain about it to the world. You're actually profiting on what you whine about. Pitiful! Not strong! Sorry to put the truth out there! But somebody needed to say it!

[@martiwaterman1437]

Nobody knows you.

[@chicarobertson4706]

Sounds like her father was filled with self-hate himself. Why did he marry into a racist non-black family? He didn't want a black wife and he must've felt that even a racist Mexican was better for him than a black woman. Pitiful...

[@laurencaulton103]

Needlessly rude. What has she done to you? Nothing. You're projecting on somebody you don't even know.

[@mimiv1347]

Meow🐈‍⬛. Where’s the stinking cat litter box at?

[@chesterjade7630]

@laurencaulton103 Nasty, mean people. To grow up without a mother is alot for so many reasons. I would love to read her book. Michelle didn't get on drugs to escape what she was going through. Michelle thank you for sharing a important and deep part of your life. May it have a significant impact on someone else's life.

[@1525boy]

Why doesn’t Michelle mention her mother’s EXACT Hispanic background? Doesn’t she know? Also, why use such an artificial, meaningless term like “Latinx?”

[@stephennicolasglenn3637]

You're so beautiful Michelle Every guy loves you and so I😍😘 And Dana😍😘 And Gayle King😍😘

[@stephennicolasglenn3637]

sorry i apologize I don't know what every guy is thinking