July 2025 - Understanding Your DNA Report

Decoding your DNA report can be overwhelming, but it holds key insights into your ancestral past. Here's how to begin:

• Look for regional breakdowns: Pay attention to areas like Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon, or Congo — many African Americans find roots in West or Central Africa due to transatlantic slavery routes.
• Trace migratory patterns: If your DNA includes North African, Iberian (Spain/Portugal), or Native American regions, it may reflect colonial entanglements, indigenous lineage, or Sephardic Jewish ancestry.
• Compare shared DNA matches: Platforms like Ancestry or 23andMe let you explore genetic matches who may share common ancestors.

Remember: DNA is just one part of your identity. Combine it with oral histories, family records, and cultural memory for a fuller picture.

June 2025 - How to Trace Freedmen and Black Native Ancestry

Many African Americans also descend from Indigenous communities. Here's how to uncover that legacy:

• Start with the Dawes Rolls: Freedmen of the Five Civilized Tribes were often recorded in separate rolls. Search for family surnames in Freedmen or By Blood categories.
• Use the National Archives: Explore Bureau of Indian Affairs records, census data, and tribal enrollment applications.
• Research tribal history: Learn how your family’s geographic location may link to specific tribes like the Cherokee, Choctaw, or Seminole.

Don't let colonial paperwork deny your Indigenous identity. Reclaiming your dual heritage is an act of resistance and truth.

May 2025 - Reparations 101: What Are We Really Owed?

Reparations are not about a handout — they’re about justice. Here's a quick primer:

• Historical Debt: Enslaved people were never compensated. Instead, slaveholders were paid for their “loss.”
• Generational Harm: Redlining, Jim Crow, convict leasing, and mass incarceration widened the racial wealth gap that persists today.
• Global Precedent: Holocaust survivors, Japanese Americans, and others have received reparations. Why not us?

Reparations are about restoring what was stolen — dignity, land, labor, and legacy.

April 2025 - Healing Through History: Honoring Our Ancestors

Reclaiming history is part of spiritual healing. Here’s how to start:

• Visit ancestral sites: Whether it's West African ports, Southern plantations, or Indigenous lands, presence is a powerful tribute.
• Create family archives: Interview elders, digitize photos, and preserve heirlooms.
• Practice remembrance: Light a candle. Pour libation. Say their names. Our ancestors are listening.

Healing begins when we remember who we are — and whose we are.