Earlier this year, African Ancestry reached out and invited me to take one of their DNA tests, where they use the world’s largest database of African DNA lineages to help determine your country and ethnic group of origin. I took the Matriclan test, which pulls from your Mother’s DNA line to determine your origins. The conversation around DNA testing and ancestry has been commonplace in my circles for a while now, with people sharing their results on social media, heading on pilgrimages to their newly discovered homelands (check out Episode 030 of UNGENTRIFIED where I talk to Rondell Holder about his journey to Benin & Togo after receiving his DNA results).
I’ve been told on multiple occasions that people assumed my family was Ethiopian and my roots were there, but never had anyone in my family fess up to such lineage. Since I’m on the continent several times a year, it only made sense that I tightened my connection with my homeland too, and helped others by sharing my experience with the process. So I recorded the experience and broke it down into two parts; the process of taking the test, and receiving the results.
I was definitely surprised to get the results that I did, and honestly, instead of feeling like a door had closed, I felt like I was only taking the first step to finding out my genetic background. Check out the videos below and let me know what you think.
This experience was sponsored by African Ancestry.
