
Stronger Together DNA Project
The heart of this project is twofold:
1. It reconnects the lost branches of Moses Williams' enslaved family from 1750s York County, Virginia to the Carolinas...and then to every corneer of the Antebellum South; and
2. It will show how a large number of white, black, and native Americans share common ancestral roots that stretch back to early colonial Virginia.
Funding this project will enable us to:
1. Purchase DNA kits, and hire a small team of specialist genetic genealogists to triangulate the DNA results;
2. Hire a small team of professional specialist genealogists and/or local hostorians as part of the research team;
3. Digitize and share genealogical records for the project;
4. Pay for travel & accommodation to enable on-site genealogy records research (the bulk of records we need to access have not been digitized); and
5. Publicly share our findings, including in-school talks and seminars.
Impact Goals:
1. America is more than a country of immigrants. Tens of millions of us are connected at the most fundamental level there is - genetic. Tens of millions of Americans are family, regardless of race/ethnicity/culture, religious beliefs, sociology-econonic and education attainment, or any other construct that serves to divide. we're about connecting people from different backgrounds and breaking down perception barriers;
2. Leading people to think of people who are different from themselves as an important part of society;
3. Increasing understanding of ourselves and American history;
4. Helping people see the value in a myriad of life stories and experiences;
5. To recognize and celebrate the commonality we share through the wonder of an enormous, extended family.
We are currently in the process of booking interviews. We'd like to extend our thanks to Scott Fisher, host of the nationally syndicated Extreme Genealogy Show (http://www.wrko.com/shows/show-schedule/extreme-genes-family-history-radio ) for being the first to invite us to share our project with his audience.
For more information about the project, please read: Genealogy challenge: Researching the 45 enslaved children of Moses Williams
https://genealogyadventures.wordpress.com/2017/03/24/genealogy-challenge-researching-the-43-enslaved-children-of-moses-williams-old-ninety-six-sc
This project is historic - in scope as well as subject. Thank you in advance for your support!