Earlier this year I took a DNA test to figure out: where do I come from, and who are the people that share my blood. I found interesting stats and was surprised by some of the findings. I realized though that on my African side, it didn’t feel specific enough. What tribes did my ancestors belong to, what culture markers did they have back then and today? Way back in 2003, when I was an itty-bitty toddler, Dr. Rick Kittles and Dr. Gina Paige combined forces to create African Ancestry. The largest database of African genetic makeup is Black-owned and founded, gives specific tribes in Africa, and most importantly, destroys 100% of DNA samples after finding your results. There are two options for female and male participates and will tell you either your mother’s or father’s African ancestry, depending on which test you take. My mom is of African descent so I took the maternal test. I simply swabbed my cheeks, popped it in the envelope and dropped it off at the post office. Periodically, I got updates on my status until one day… my results were in!
I opened my email, logged in my account, and saw I descended from the Kanuri people, who are found in the countries of Nigeria, Chad, Niger, Cameroon. My results came more specifically from Nigeria with a 99.7% match. I received a certificate with my results along with a letter breaking down all the DNA subtypes. It was an emotional experience to discover this information and, more importantly, share it with my family. From my grandmother to my young nieces, we finally have a name to where our bloodline belongs. African Ancestry has the answers for those with questions. Grab a kit today and find out a wealth of historical information that will last a lifetime.
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