The Opening Blessing for the We Are Africa Road Tour 2010

We Are Africa 2010 road tour – kickoff prayer – AfricanAncestry.com from ralston smith on Vimeo.

Rev. Martha Arvey is So Excited to Find Her Roots!

we are africa 2010 road tour – winning a free AfricanAncestry.com DNA test kit from ralston smith on Vimeo.

Drexel Brooks Shares His Baton Rouge – Yoruba Connection

we are africa 2010 road tour_Baton Rouge/Yoruba Connection_AfricanAncestry.com from ralston smith on Vimeo.

The Big Easy was amazing! First, we need to thank the Ashe’ Cultural Arts Center. They are an extraordinary organization that celebrates the life and cultural traditions of the community. Viola Johnson and her team hosted a fantastic kickoff for the We Are Africa Road Tour 2010. Please stop by and visit Ashe’ when you are in town.

The Silhoutte Dance Ensemble opened the event with a powerful dance led by Kai Knight. Their performance added to the wonderful energy in the space.

Silhouette Dance Ensemble

After the African Ancestry presentation, African Ancestry Family Member Antoinette Harrell presented a brief video of her journey to Niger upon finding her Tuareg roots. The resemblance between her immediate family members and Tuareg women were uncanny.

AA Fam: Antoinette Harrell and Claudette Hurd

Among the countless highlights of the event was meeting long time African Ancestry Family Member Mtumishi St. Julien and our newest member, Chaela.

Chaela

Mtsumishi

We revealed the roots of our special guests which was almost as exciting as the reactions of the two winners of an African Ancestry Test Kit!

WDSU News Anchor Norman Robinson - Mende and Balanta!

WYLD-FM Sunday Journal Host Hal Clark and Family - Cameroon!

Click here to see more images from Day One in New Orleans. The Road Crew and I are looking forward to bringing the movement to 13 more cities!!! See you on the Road!

After weeks of planning and preparation, we were off to New Orleans. Our flight down to MSY Airport was my second of the day, having just flown home that morning from the NABJ conference in San Diego. Whew! How was I going to get all of this done?

Somehow things worked themselves out and I met Kea and Victoria at the airport. (Ralston and Dr. Gene Sankofa missed the flight!)

The Road Crew @ BWI Airport

When we arrived in New Orleans, we were welcomed what felt like 100 degrees and the most humidity I’ve ever felt in my life! But we were hyped and ready to take on New Orleans. It seemed to make more sense to rent a car for one day rather than deal with taxis from the airport. So I pulled out my Blackberry to look for a deal. That was too slow, so we pulled out the iPad. Success!

We had to convince Chantell at Avis, that we really only needed a economy car, despite all of our bags and boxes.

Chantell at the Avis Counter

We were right! We managed to fit three suitcases, two African Ancestry cases, two boxes, three carryons, and a camera bag into that little Hyundai and still have room for Kea and Victoria.

We capped the day off with a visit to the French Quarter. It reminded me of Vegas with all of the lights and people and action. Good food. Good drinks. Good night!

Thanks to Karla Vogel we found a name….

Welcome Dr. Gene Sankofa to the African Ancestry family! His last name represents the Ghanaian concept of “going back to reclaim our past in order to move forward”.

Be sure to follow him on the Road Tour for the opportunity to win other prizes!

P.S. Shout out to Oyenuga Samuel whose suggestion, Dokita Ayoka, which means “doctor who causes joy all around”, was a very close second choice!

Who’s the only 8 inch tall expert on African DNA Tracing???!!!
Introducing the last piece to the puzzle…

Please help us welcome our newest team member by giving him a name! Post your suggestions in the comment box!! The name will be chosen this Wednesday!

The winner will receive an exclusive We Are Africa Road Tour T-shirt!

Let everyone know that WE ARE AFRICA!!
This NEW EXCLUSIVE design will only be sold on road tour stops.

I have found three talented and inspired people up for an amazing adventure. Each of member of the Road Crew brings a unique interest, talent, and perspective to our journey along with a shared belief in the importance of knowing who you are.

Victoria Massie is a unique combination of aspiring geneticist and anthropologist. She’s a senior a the University of Rochester whose heart – after studying abroad in Malawi and Ghana – belongs to the African continent. Her internship at African Ancestry, as Road Dog #1, is part of her continuing effort to connect her love for Africa with an intrigue for the genome and contemporary issues facing American society. Her senior thesis is a research project focusing on the impact of genetic ancestry testing on African Americans. We encourage you to help with her research by sharing your experience with her. You can contact her at vmassie@africanancestry.com.

Ralston Smith is a gifted storyteller. We were fortunate to have Ralston join the African Ancestry family several years ago when he produced our first marketing video. His vision extends beyond the camera with a strong strategic plan for every project. Ralston will be documenting the Road Tour and posting video to Facebook and YouTube daily. Check out his blog and his website.

Kea Taylor is an amazing photographer. I was so excited when she said that she wanted to join us on the road. We get the benefit of her warm, creative spirit as well as her awesome still photos, which we’ll be posting daily from the Road. We’re all about promoting Black business so, Kea will be autographing copies of her new book, I Still Do – A Celebration of African American Weddings, on the Road Tour too.

A new partner is on board the Road Tour! We are honored to have the Philadelphia Commission for African and Caribbean Immigrant Affairs as our host for the Philadelphia stop. Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell and Chairman Stanley Straughter share our vision for transforming the way that we view Africa.

Imhotep Institute Charter School

6201 N. 21st Street

Philadelphia, PA 19138

6 – 8 pm

Fmr. Mayor W. Wilson Goode, Sr.

Hon. Stanley Straughter

Join us at the Imhotep Institute Charter High School as we celebrate our roots and reveal the ancestries of Chairman Stanley Straughter, Former Mayor Wilson Goode, Sr., and other invited guests!

What’s Road Scholar? We’re a not-for-profit educational travel organization that’s offered more than 4 million participants outstanding learning adventures since we were founded in 1975.

Top instructors, comfortable accommodations, great value and that special Road Scholar spirit are what make our educational travel programs the best experiences and value you’ll find.

Check out our list of African American-inspired adventures here, including a special voyage in West Africa, from the Senegalese capital of Dakar along the Saloun and Gambia Rivers. Discover the vibrant markets and seaside colonial buildings of Dakar and investigate the legacies of the slave trade on Gorée Island, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Then the Gambia River leads you to lush, wildlife-rich nature reserves and the riverside towns and cities of the country where Kunta Kinte was born. Visit our website to get more details.

You can also learn about our $5,000 travel scholarship, the Asa Grant Hilliard III Road Scholar Award for Lifelong Learning.

The application deadline is Sept. 30^th, so apply today!

We are happy to announce our partnership with the Afro-American Historical Society Museum in Jersey City, NJ. Museum Director Neal Brunson has welcomed the Road Tour with open arms!

We also look forward to revealing the ancestry of State Senator Sandra Cunningham, the first woman to be elected to the State House from the 31st Legislative District.

Join us for an engaging and informative experience!

Afro-American Historical Society Museum

1841 Kennedy Boulevard

Jersey City, NJ 07305

6 – 8 pm