A Reparations Campaign: Finding Your Tribal Roots
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Our DNA contains information that defines important characteristics such as eye color, hair type, physical attributes, and chemical makeup. As human beings, we value respect, identity, and heritage. Everybody wants to know where they come from and who their ancestors are.
But sadly, for African Americans, tracing our heritage is a challenging and complex task. The transatlantic slave trade from the 16th to 19th centuries is the most significant movement and displacement of people ever recorded. The astonishing numbers meant that the enslaved people and their offspring were their master's property. And just like any property, they were bought and sold at markets across Europe and in the Americas.
As a community, we must never underestimate the magnitude of these devastating events. Many African American scholars refer to the transatlantic slave trade as Maafa, a Swahili term meaning "Great Disaster" or the "Holocaust of Enslavement." One form of reparations is access to free ancestry kits.
Our organization And Still We Rise (ASWR) is launching a reparations campaign to help trace our residents' roots. Our campaign is open to any citizen from Massachusetts who identifies as Black and is interested in discovering their ancestral beginnings. We are looking to crowdfund $40,000. The bulk of the funds raised will help purchase 100 genetic testing kits. The funds will also allow us to offer support groups facilitated by our highly qualified BIPOC clinicians.
How enlightening, liberating, and rewarding would it be to find out what African tribe you originate from? Imagine being able to identify with a region, a new language, and stories that capture your very existence and sharing them with your immediate family. Rejoice at never worrying about your background because the test gives you the answers to all those nagging questions at the back of your mind. As an organization, we hear many stories from people wanting to rediscover their heritage.
Roberta's story
During the last few months of my mother's life, she wanted to reunite with her ancestral roots. However, weakened by cancer ravishing her body, she couldn’t muster enough saliva to complete the genetic testing. Fortunately, my mother's only surviving relative, my uncle, agreed to do the test on my mother's behalf. Sadly, my mother didn't survive to learn the test results or discover her tribal community.
Roberta's story resonates with thousands of African Americans in Massachusetts. So, let's come together in the name of reparation and reconnect with our stolen heritage. We have the right to know where we come from, especially those who were taken from their motherland against their will. If we can connect even 30 people with their ancestral roots, that’s thirty people who know their true identity. So, come and join us, and help a family learn their ancestral truth.
Thank you for taking the time to read our story and your kind donations today. Please share our story with your family, friends, church groups, community leaders, and social media followers. And hopefully, we can connect 100 people to their tribal roots.
#Reparations #AndStillWeRise #FindYourRoots #OurRoots
But sadly, for African Americans, tracing our heritage is a challenging and complex task. The transatlantic slave trade from the 16th to 19th centuries is the most significant movement and displacement of people ever recorded. The astonishing numbers meant that the enslaved people and their offspring were their master's property. And just like any property, they were bought and sold at markets across Europe and in the Americas.
As a community, we must never underestimate the magnitude of these devastating events. Many African American scholars refer to the transatlantic slave trade as Maafa, a Swahili term meaning "Great Disaster" or the "Holocaust of Enslavement." One form of reparations is access to free ancestry kits.
Our organization And Still We Rise (ASWR) is launching a reparations campaign to help trace our residents' roots. Our campaign is open to any citizen from Massachusetts who identifies as Black and is interested in discovering their ancestral beginnings. We are looking to crowdfund $40,000. The bulk of the funds raised will help purchase 100 genetic testing kits. The funds will also allow us to offer support groups facilitated by our highly qualified BIPOC clinicians.
How enlightening, liberating, and rewarding would it be to find out what African tribe you originate from? Imagine being able to identify with a region, a new language, and stories that capture your very existence and sharing them with your immediate family. Rejoice at never worrying about your background because the test gives you the answers to all those nagging questions at the back of your mind. As an organization, we hear many stories from people wanting to rediscover their heritage.
Roberta's story
During the last few months of my mother's life, she wanted to reunite with her ancestral roots. However, weakened by cancer ravishing her body, she couldn’t muster enough saliva to complete the genetic testing. Fortunately, my mother's only surviving relative, my uncle, agreed to do the test on my mother's behalf. Sadly, my mother didn't survive to learn the test results or discover her tribal community.
Roberta's story resonates with thousands of African Americans in Massachusetts. So, let's come together in the name of reparation and reconnect with our stolen heritage. We have the right to know where we come from, especially those who were taken from their motherland against their will. If we can connect even 30 people with their ancestral roots, that’s thirty people who know their true identity. So, come and join us, and help a family learn their ancestral truth.
Thank you for taking the time to read our story and your kind donations today. Please share our story with your family, friends, church groups, community leaders, and social media followers. And hopefully, we can connect 100 people to their tribal roots.
#Reparations #AndStillWeRise #FindYourRoots #OurRoots
Organizer
Natasha Holmes
Organizer
Boston, MA
