22
Jul
First Lady Michelle Obama’s Roots
Recently I was interviewed by Joe Johns about First Lady Michelle Obama’s roots. CNN was researching her ancestry as part of their coverage of the Obama’s trip to Ghana.
Having identified the genealogy of her paternal great great grandfather to a plantation in South Carolina, he wanted me to guess at where her enslaved ancestors may have been taken from. We don’t guess. (Maybe that’s why I didn’t make the final edit!) We use genetic technology to provide a definitive answer. We’ve done it for everyone (Oprah, Henry Gates, Judge Hatchett, Forest Whitaker, the list goes on) and we want to do it for her!
I would be honored to trace the Michelle Obama’s roots. Although her father has passed, we can determine the origin of the Robinson roots using her brother’s Y chromosome. This would bridge the gap between South Carolina and where her ancestors were before the Slave Trade. We can also tell her the origin of her maternal roots using her mtDNA.
We’ve all seen how her choices have influenced where we shop, what we wear, and even to some extent what we eat. Imagine the impact that her decision to know her roots would have on our community. Millions of Americans would have a transformative view of themselves, their pasts, and their futures. What a tremendous gift.
I am writting to you because I need to know how you would trace me back to Africa if my mother’s mother(native American) was not an African-American? I am a African American female and I do not have any brothers. Do you have a test that would be able to trace me back to Africa if my mother is mixed? Thank you for any information on the test.I would also need to know the cost of the test that I would need to trace me back to Africa.
Verril Adams
Our tests trace ancestry so, if your mother’s mother is Native American, then you are correct in that we would not find African ancestry. You would have to trace a different line to determine if one of them is African. Here are some options:
1. Trace your paternal line. You can use your father, one of his brothers, or one of his brothers’ sons. You could also use your grandfather, one of his brothers, one of his brothers’ sons, or one of those sons’ sons.
2. Trace your father’s maternal line. This line has the highest likelihood of resulting in African ancestry. You can use your father or one of his siblings, one of his sisters’ children, or one of his sisters’ daughters’ children. You can also use your grandmother, one of her sisters, one of her sisters’ children, or one of her sisters’ daughters’ children.
3. Trace your mother’s paternal line. You can use your mother’s brother, one of his sons, or one of his sons’ sons. You can also use your grandfather, one of his brothers’ sons, or one of those sons’ sons.
Please keep in mind that we can not guarantee that any of these lines will result in African ancestry but, we will tell you whatever ancestry we find. Also, there is a 35% chance that the results of a paternal ancestry test will be European and not African.
There is a great deal of information at our website, http://www.africanancestry.com. Right now, we are running a special and the price for one test is $299. The results that you receive are the same for everyone in the family who shares that branch of the family tree.
Please let me know if you have any other questions. We look forward to the opportunity to trace your DNA and find your roots!