For African-Americans, Genealogical Research Has Unique Challenges

By Char Daston
Tracing African American roots
An employee points to an entry in a southern Germany parish register, which marks the ancestor of former President Barack Obama. Daniel Maurer / Associated Press
Tracing African American roots
An employee points to an entry in a southern Germany parish register, which marks the ancestor of former President Barack Obama. Daniel Maurer / Associated Press

For African-Americans, Genealogical Research Has Unique Challenges

By Char Daston
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Discovering your ancestry can be particularly difficult if you’re African American. For those whose ancestors arrived as enslaved people, name changes, family separations and lack of written records all make family history research difficult.

Morning Shift talks to the co-founder of AfricanAncestry.com about how the company looks into African American genealogy.

GUEST: Gina Paige, co-founder of AfricanAncestry.com

LEARN MORE: Where I’m From (Identity Politics podcast 2/25/17)

For Some African-Americans, Genetic Testing Reopens Past Wounds (Wall Street Journal 7/14/18)

Finding Your Roots (PBS series)