June 19, 2024 • 55 mins
In this week's episode, we celebrate Juneteenth by getting to the roots of where we come from with the help of Dr. Paige, co-founder of African Ancestry. She breaks down the unfortunate reality of existing in The US as descendants of the trans-Atlantic African slave trade. The importance of learning about African lineage, legacy, and the missing links of our history. The vast difference between African Ancestry and its competitors. and how African Ancestry has collected thousands of DNA samples throughout Africa so that we could begin to trace our roots back to the Motherland to empower and educate African Americans as descendants of the African diaspora. Stay tuned to hear what tribes we come from and how you can win a free African Ancestry DNA test for your family!
Connect With Us:
@GoodMoms_BadChoices
@TheGoodVibeRetreat
@Good.GoodMedia
@WatchErica
@Milah_Mapp
Connect With Our Guest:
@AfricanAncestry
@GinaPaigeDNA
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:19):
This is.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
Welcome back to Good Mom's Bad Choices America. And I'm
Mila and.
Speaker 3 (00:31):
It is June tea happy June teen.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
Happy Juneteenth everybody to all the black people.
Speaker 4 (00:40):
Only you know you have black babies. Happy Black Happy
Juneteenth to them as well.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
How are you?
Speaker 3 (00:47):
I'm good, I'm great.
Speaker 4 (00:49):
If you're watching this on YouTube, I've given you guys
a show today by accident. The titties are tittying, y'all.
You know I paid good money for these, so we're
gonna show them.
Speaker 2 (01:01):
You look good, girl, you mayay good?
Speaker 3 (01:02):
Thanks? You could do these little tan you're you know.
Speaker 2 (01:06):
I support I support full titties.
Speaker 4 (01:08):
Yeah, I feel like this for this episode. I could
have went and got a little more melanated looking very
light skin today.
Speaker 2 (01:16):
Not for this episode particularly. Well, speaking of this episode,
even for a think, we have we have a very
very very special guest and I'm very excited. I've been
waiting for this moment for a very long time. I
feel like I manifested it in my mind. Can you
tell us who our guest is today?
Speaker 3 (01:32):
Okay?
Speaker 4 (01:32):
Yes, because we have, we've been seeing, we've been getting it.
I don't know if we're being fed ads or what.
But we've been seeing this particular well this person who
created this particular thing for a few months now, maybe
like six months, and we've been talking about it, and
I remember you sent it to me and you were like,
we have to do this, and I was like, oh
my god, we do have to do this because the
thing I did, I don't know, it's not so bullshit.
(01:53):
But anyway, we have the co founder of African Ancestral,
Doctor Paige co founded African Ancestry and in doing so,
pioneered a new way of tracing African lineages using genetics
and a new marketplace for people of African descent looking
to looking for more accurately and reliable.
Speaker 3 (02:16):
Trace to trace their roots.
Speaker 4 (02:18):
Page travels the world demystifying African roots to inform on
the importance and empowerment of Black identity through the lens
of Africa and our African ancestors. Welcome to the show
Doctor Page.
Speaker 5 (02:33):
Hello, ladies, I'm happy here.
Speaker 2 (02:37):
Thank you for joining us. We're so excited to have
you and to talk to you today.
Speaker 5 (02:41):
Let's do it. I'm ready.
Speaker 4 (02:43):
This just feels so serendipitous to be be able to
trace our African roots on this month on this day.
I'm just so happy that it aligned in this way.
I know that what you do is so important. There's
so many people listening right now that are dying to
know where their roots lie. They have no idea, there's
no way to trace them. Really, I mean for me personally,
(03:06):
I said, I mentioned this before we started recording, that
I went the African not the African ancestry. I went
the ancestry dot com route. And that was years ago.
I think I was like maybe in my early twenty
maybe in my early twenties when I did that, and
I and I it was it was always kind of vague,
and it keeps changing, like every time I go check
(03:28):
the database, it keeps changing. Like I swear, I was
like way more Nigerian at one point and now I'm
like barely Nigerian.
Speaker 3 (03:35):
So I was like, well, what what am I like?
Speaker 4 (03:37):
What did you get the information the first time? Just
take my DNA just cuz like so and that you
just made that face. So that makes me know that
maybe yes, So I'm really excited. But before we get
into because me and Jamila, well my father had to
take the test and we'll get into why that, why
that is and Mila took the test, and so today's episode,
(04:00):
so we are going to reveal our African lineage.
Speaker 2 (04:05):
Yeah, we don't know the information yet. Doctor Page is
gonna tell us. But We've been waiting like six weeks
for this information. I'm like, I can't wait and wear
my African garb. I I kept telling Orlando. I was like, listen,
once I know this information, You're not gonna be able
to tell me. Shit, I'm going back to the Motherland.
It's We're going crazy. So I'm excited.
Speaker 4 (04:23):
We've been emailed Nicole like she said, your results are
and we're like, what are the She's like, We're not
going to tell you. I was like, what, No, So
you guys, we really don't know what we're about to hear.
And before we get into it, though, I did want
to ask you a few questions just about African ancestry
and how you got how you started it, Like what
(04:43):
was the thing that that started you on this journey.
Speaker 1 (04:47):
It's interesting. So for me, it was really the community.
The community. It is like this case of supply and demand, right.
The community found out that this was possible, and so
so they inundated. My co founder, who is a geneticist
with requests to do it for them.
Speaker 5 (05:07):
Now.
Speaker 1 (05:07):
The way they found out is he was working on
a project at Howard University where in the nineties they
were excavating land to build a federal building in Lower
Manhattan and they had to stop the ex not Howard,
but you know, construct the government, and they had to
stop construction because they had unearthed a slave burial ground.
Speaker 2 (05:32):
Oh my gosh.
Speaker 1 (05:33):
My co founder, doctor Rick Kittles. He was part of
a Howard University team that went to the site to
do some research and his responsibility was to identify the
ancestry of the bones. And so when the community found
out that he could identify the ancestry of the bones,
(05:54):
they were like, well, it should be easy for us.
We're living you should be able to do it for
us really easily. But he's a scientist, he's not a
business person.
Speaker 5 (06:04):
And so he.
Speaker 1 (06:05):
And I partnered so that I could commercialize his research
and make it available to everybody. But he was just
really doing it for himself. And when the community found out,
that's when africanancestry dot com was formed.
Speaker 2 (06:21):
Wow, what an amazing story that it was birth that way.
I mean I didn't I never even considered how many
slave graveyards there are that are probably unmarked out throughout
the United States and people just building stuff on top
of them, and like.
Speaker 6 (06:35):
That is hopefully haunting them, hopefully, but also also like
it's almost like a full circle moment too, that that
discovery births this amazing, this amazing business that we have
access to because it's been around like twenty years now, right.
Speaker 5 (06:51):
Yep, this year we're twenty one.
Speaker 2 (06:53):
Wow, congratulations people, thank you.
Speaker 3 (06:57):
Oh yes, so can you tell us how j tracing works?
Speaker 1 (07:02):
Sure, I'd love to tell you how it works. So
we're all familiar in some way with genealogy, right. Genealogy
is the research of a person's family history using records
written records like birth records, marriage records, newspaper articles, census records,
(07:23):
as well as oral records like family stories, that kind
of thing. When you're a black person in America, the
census records are only going to go but so far,
we weren't recorded on a federal census until the year
eighteen seventy, and so you can do all the genealogy
research you want, but eventually you're going to hit a brick.
(07:45):
While there is no written document that says exactly where
on the continent of Africa we came from. So that
gave rise to what we call genetic ancestry tracing. It's
the same thing. It's the research of a person's family history,
but it's using your own biology, your own genetics. Okay,
so that's the baseline. Now, we all have DNA in
(08:09):
every cell of our body, ninety nine point nine percent
of everybody. Everybody's DNA is the same, so mine is
the same as somebody listening theirs is the same as
my next door neighbor.
Speaker 5 (08:20):
We're all human.
Speaker 1 (08:21):
Our DNA is the same, but in point one percent
of our DNA there are differences, and so that determines
your height, your skin color, your hair texture, all of
those things are in this little tiny point one percent,
while our ancestry is in there too. So what we do,
and what all companies do, is take a portion of
(08:42):
your of your DNA see unlock the code for whatever
part they're looking at, and then compare your DNA to
the DNA of people all over the world. And when
we find matches, you have to share ancestry with those people.
So that's how it works. In a nutshell, we take
(09:03):
your DNA. We compare it to DNA of other people.
But there's some unique things that African ancesch that that
sort of form how inform what we do. So I'm
gonna give you a quick little biology lesson. Okay, all ready, okay.
(09:24):
So we each inherit fifty percent of our DNA from
our mother and fifty percent from our father. So if
your mother's yellow and your father's blue, then what color
will you be? Green exactly, So we're all green. But
imagine that we have a little yellow dot. We have
a little bit of DNA that we got from our
mother that never turned green. It never mixed, it does
(09:47):
not change, and that's called mitochondrial DNA, empty DNA. So
you all are mothers. Your yellow dot you pass to
your children. It's maternally inherited, so your daughters will pass
it to their children. But you and your siblings got
it from your mother and it didn't change, and she
got it from your grandmother it stayed the same. So
(10:10):
you have the same mitochondrial DNA as every woman that's
come before you on your maternal line.
Speaker 3 (10:16):
Right like the beginning, from the beginning, from the beginning.
Speaker 1 (10:20):
Wow, wow, So we at African ancestry. We don't look
at all of your DNA. We're not trying to tell
you where everybody in the family comes from because they're
all mixed together.
Speaker 5 (10:31):
We're just we just in your cases.
Speaker 1 (10:33):
In the case of your father, Erica and you, Mila,
we looked just at your mitochondrial DNA so that we
could determine where your mother's mother's mother's mother was or
your father's mother's mother's mother's mother was before the Transatlantic
slave trade.
Speaker 3 (10:55):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (10:56):
Wait, and you know what I was thinking before this episode,
because I deeply thought about this, and I'm like, did
they have to go over the entire continent of Africa
and collect collect DNA from every single tribe that ever existed?
Like how did like I know, there, where's this bank
of everybody's DNA that they're pulling from.
Speaker 5 (11:13):
I love that.
Speaker 1 (11:14):
I love the way you asked that question. So African
DNA has the most variation of any DNA in the
world because we are the cradle of civilization and so
we don't have to get every single person's DNA. But
my co founder, he collaborated with researchers across the continent
(11:34):
to collect DNA samples. It was blood at the time,
because this was more than thirty years ago from populations
who were part of the slave trade. So he worked
with historians and anthropologists to make sure that we were
collecting or he was collecting samples from people who who
(11:56):
were taken, you know, whose progeny were taken during the
period of slavery. So we're not trying to tell you
where you're from at the beginning of the time. We're
answering the question, where were my people before Oklahoma, before Haiti,
before South Carolina wherever.
Speaker 3 (12:16):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (12:16):
Wow, this is the most powerful business you could have
ever birthed. I'm so happy you collaborated with him, because
everybody deserves access to this, you know. Like I've always
wondered that, and I've always been like a little bit
resentful of like my white friends who are like I'm
one percent Polish, three percent German, and you know what
I mean.
Speaker 4 (12:32):
It's like my great great grandfather's name, my great great
great great great grandfather's name was oh the Niggas.
Speaker 2 (12:37):
Name God and the people, and especially bothered me growing up.
We live in the valley in la so it's predominantly white,
but it particularly bothered me having like there's always like
a family heritage project, right, and then like being the
one of you know, two of all the black kids
in the class or the school, and then it gets
to you and you're like, well, there's slavery, yeah, you know,
(13:01):
or like what is your cultural tradition and it's like, well, greens,
greens and black eyed peas on New Year's Eve, Like
that's the one I always consistently chose. And I realized
in my adulthood that I was a little bit resentful
of that because we don't have we don't I didn't
know there was resources to examine and to understand where
(13:22):
you come from, you know, like it's such a big
part of your existence. Like when you see immigrants come
in and they still have knowledge of their history and
their roots, of their music, of their language. It makes
such a difference how you move around in the world.
Speaker 1 (13:36):
It does, and you hit it spot on. Not only
does it happen in a classroom, it happens in the
workplace when they will have, you know, these icebreakers where
people have to say where they're from and the black
people are like, what what do you mean?
Speaker 5 (13:52):
We don't know?
Speaker 1 (13:53):
There is no way for us to know. And that
was by design, right. I always say that we're the
original victims of identity thefts. So when our ancestors were stolen,
we lost our names. There were no pages in Africa,
we lost our languages. Everybody had to speak English in
(14:15):
order for the business of slavery to flourish. We lost
the freedom to honor our ancestors. And then our families
were constantly torn apart. And so you can't know who
you are when you.
Speaker 5 (14:26):
Don't know your name, your language, your people.
Speaker 1 (14:28):
You just can't. And so we've been working, we've been
flourishing to the extent right that we've done all the
incredible things we've done as people of the African diaspora
without the knowledge. So imagine what we can do when
we plug in and we find out where exactly where're from.
Speaker 2 (14:46):
No.
Speaker 4 (14:46):
I was having this conversation yesterday and I was talking
to my dad because I was so excited.
Speaker 3 (14:50):
I was like, guess what, Dad, Tomorrow, I'm gonna find out,
And he actually just called me right now.
Speaker 4 (14:54):
I was like, I just text him, like you late,
but you might might be able to send it to
the link. Having a conversation with one of his friends
who is battling cancer right now, and I was telling him,
you know, he's been, he's been like trying to like
clean up his diet. All these things that we started
talking about, just how how diet has been such an
(15:15):
important part of the detriment of our health in America,
and that we don't even know how we're supposed to
really eat because we just ate whatever they gave us here.
And we all know America's you know, food system is terrible.
So I guess my question to you too is why
is it important for people to know where they're from
in Africa and particularly I think black mothers. I mean
(15:38):
aside from yes, the food and all those things, but like,
how does that how do you how do you think
in your work have you seen in the work that you've.
Speaker 3 (15:44):
Done has it been so beneficial to us?
Speaker 1 (15:48):
So, you know, as moms specifically, moms are the original
source connection to ancestry. And if you remember I told
you about the m pochondrial DNA, not only does that
DNA never change when it's passed from mother to child,
mother to child, but it also has it powers every
(16:10):
cell in your body. It provides the energy for every
cell in our body. So we owe so much to
our mothers just as people. But then you know, when
you think about all of the cultural practices, the traditions,
the values, the spiritual beliefs and more that are embodied
(16:36):
in the ethnic groups that we share ancestry with. As mothers, we.
Speaker 5 (16:43):
We can help.
Speaker 1 (16:44):
You know, people say that DNA has memory, So as mothers,
we're giving or I'm not a mother of children, I'm
a mother of this company, but as mothers, you're giving
that ancestral memory to your children. And so it's very
important and when you're raising your children to help them
feel secure and strong and strong in their position in
(17:09):
the world, to give them a context. So there's so
many different things that you can do as a mom
once you find out where you're from.
Speaker 5 (17:17):
Even if you.
Speaker 1 (17:18):
Don't know where you're from, you can incorporate African practices
and traditions in basic rituals that you have, like at
bath time. Or I was talking to a mom the
other day and she said, we traced her ancestry to
Nigeria and to the house of people living in Nigeria,
and she's a Feali head. So when she needs ten minutes,
(17:41):
because you know, his songs are long, right, they go
on for ten minutes, twelve minutes. Her little girl loves
to dance. She turns on Felia and lets her dance.
And she says, sometimes she can get a good thirty
minutes of uninterrupted time because the little girl's just grooved.
She doesn't know she's listening to Feli.
Speaker 3 (17:58):
Listen.
Speaker 1 (18:01):
Oh, it can be as simple as that. It can
be storytelling, you know, at storytime, the stories that you
tell your children about where they come from, about the
family that you know here, reading books about or stories.
I should say there are plenty of books now about
(18:22):
stories that are African folk tales or country specific. So
I think there are lots of ways that moms can
incorporate this information in how they're raising their children and
loving their children.
Speaker 3 (18:37):
I have a question.
Speaker 4 (18:38):
So my daughter, her dad is black, and actually he
did this ancestry test through dot com answery dot com,
and he came out like ninety nine point six percent African.
Speaker 3 (18:53):
I try to tell him too.
Speaker 4 (18:54):
It was like, I was like you from this, oh
my god, this white girl, we will never forget.
Speaker 3 (18:58):
We were in Germany and the white girl was like
you're Nigeria. And he's like, bitch, you don't know what
I am. He was getting so mad.
Speaker 4 (19:04):
He was like, damn, near cursed her out his And
then we got the test back and it said that,
and I was like, but again, I don't know if
that was I don't know. I don't know where his
chart has shifted over the last I don't ten years,
twelve years, so because this has passed on through the
maternal like the the is it them?
Speaker 3 (19:24):
I'm sorry?
Speaker 4 (19:24):
What was the word that I turned on mitochondri DNA.
Would my daughter need to get a like an African
ancestry test because her grandmother on his side.
Speaker 3 (19:35):
Is would it be different?
Speaker 4 (19:37):
I mean, I know it would be different, but how
does that work with children?
Speaker 5 (19:40):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (19:40):
Yeah, so normally children would not have to do it
because like my mother did it, so that means I
didn't have to do it, Her sister and brother didn't
have to do it. None of their children had to
do it, you see, because it's the same for everybody
in the family who comes from a woman.
Speaker 5 (19:57):
On that line.
Speaker 1 (19:58):
But in your case, your daughter gets her mitochondrial DNA
from you, she does not get it from her father.
So if she wanted to learn about her father's ancestry,
her father would have to do the tests, But I
did want to if I could take one moment, since
we are talking about ancestry dot com and I'm sure
(20:20):
several of the many of the people who are listening
have taken that test, I wanted to point out how
we're different because you keep mentioning your results and you
know how they've changed, and there's some really significant differences
between the tests that you've taken with us and that
test that you might take with them.
Speaker 5 (20:40):
Told me, you're not quiet.
Speaker 1 (20:43):
So remember I told you we look at in your case,
we looked at mother to mother to mother to mother.
We then take your DNA and we compare it to
a DNA of African lineages that has over thirty three
thousand nal lineages from thirty five African countries. We have
(21:05):
all of Western Central Africa in our database because we
know historically that that's where we were taken. From Western
Central Africa. There are about almost four hundred ethnic groups
within those our database of countries, So we have data
from DNA from Mandinka people in Senegal, from Mbundu people
(21:28):
in Angola, from too many people in Sierra Leone.
Speaker 5 (21:31):
You see what I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (21:33):
Ancestry dot Com has they're not looking at your mother's
line or your father's line. They're looking at your entire
genetic family tree, which is all mixed up together. All
of that DNA changes with each generation. They then compare
your DNA to a database that has, you know, probably
(21:57):
a good sixty to eighty thousand samples from all over
the world. And guess how many are from Africa not
even two thousand?
Speaker 3 (22:10):
Wow?
Speaker 1 (22:12):
Okay, So when they're looking at the African part of you,
those percentages are from based on comparing you to fewer
than two thousand Africans.
Speaker 2 (22:24):
It's not very broad.
Speaker 1 (22:25):
So everybody gets Nigeria right, everybody gets Cameroon slash Congo slash.
Speaker 3 (22:33):
I said I'm Cameroon, I'm Nigerian, I'm.
Speaker 1 (22:37):
Coast exactly, Togo slash I mean Ivory Coast slash.
Speaker 5 (22:42):
You got everything, literally.
Speaker 3 (22:44):
That's everything. They said.
Speaker 1 (22:45):
I was right, you're West African, but we didn't need
DNA to tell you that.
Speaker 5 (22:51):
Your West African history tells.
Speaker 3 (22:53):
You that we know from North Africa.
Speaker 5 (22:55):
So then you're like, well, what am I?
Speaker 1 (22:57):
So you probably went with the biggest percentage said.
Speaker 4 (23:00):
I'm Nigerian, but Nigerian kings right, And so you knew.
Speaker 1 (23:07):
That it had to be on your father's side, but
was it his mother's side or his father's side?
Speaker 5 (23:13):
Was it a.
Speaker 1 (23:13):
Grandmother or a grandfather? And where in Nigeria? Nigeria is
the most populous country in Africa?
Speaker 3 (23:20):
Yeah, so are you Hausa?
Speaker 1 (23:22):
Are you Uraba? Are you Ebo? Are you you know?
Speaker 5 (23:26):
What are?
Speaker 3 (23:27):
So?
Speaker 1 (23:28):
I wanted to be very clear about that because it's
just totally different and when while there is value in
other tests, there is no value in my opinion, when
it comes to telling you where in Africa you're from.
If you want to know where in Africa you're from,
you're from West Africa. That's the best they're going to
(23:49):
give you.
Speaker 4 (23:52):
Well, if you want to know where in Africa you're from,
you need to you need to get with an African ancestry.
Speaker 3 (23:57):
So period, and that's why you're.
Speaker 1 (24:00):
Things keep changing because as they add samples to the
size of the database, everything's gonna switch. But they're not
adding African samples. They're adding samples from other populations. So
it's just it burns me up because people are they
don't know, and so they take this and they're like, oh,
(24:21):
this is where I'm from, and you know, there's just
so much more that you can know, and so so
much more that you can feel if you know specifically
where in Africa you come from, Like you guys.
Speaker 4 (24:34):
Are going to I saw that you did some reveals
for some celebrities and I won't be nosy.
Speaker 3 (24:39):
So where's Oprah fu?
Speaker 1 (24:42):
So we traced Oprah's mother's mother's mother's line to the
country of present day Liberia, and within Liberia, she shares
ancestry with the Pelee people, who are the largest ethnic
group in Liberia.
Speaker 3 (24:57):
Wow. Yeah, interesting, interesting. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (25:00):
I was like I was reading your bio and I
was like, oh, Brah, John Legend. I'm like, all these
celebrities know where they're from. I'm like, I wonder if
they're incorporating the practices of their people into their lives,
because you're right after I find out, Bitch, it's a rap.
Speaker 3 (25:13):
That's how to start googling everything.
Speaker 2 (25:15):
Be like we're hairstyles. You're gonna be like what. I'm like,
it's my people, they're coming out. I have a question,
doctor Page. Since you've found out about your your lineage,
have you have you like visited any place specific to
you or what are some things that you've adopted. Now
that you've known after these all these years.
Speaker 5 (25:31):
Oh that's so interesting.
Speaker 1 (25:33):
So I've known for a really long time in African
ancestry years, and I have to say, for the longest time,
I didn't really do anything because I was in startup mode,
you know. I was just trying to folks. I was
being focused on everyone learning where they're from. And then
we used to give away and in Car to Africana
DVD way back in the beginning. And one day an
(25:56):
elder called and he's like, I don't have a computer.
My ancestry Hausa and you need to tell me about
the House of People. And I was like, yes, sir,
so I put in the DVD and my paternal ancestry,
one of those lines, my father's father's father's line goes
back to the Hausa and so one sentence I read
was that the house of women are very business oriented,
(26:20):
like they handle the business. That's true of our houses,
but in this case that's what I read. And I
got goosebumps because everybody on my paternal line is an entrepreneur.
My grandparents, their parents, my aunts and uncles, my father, me,
my cousins, all of us. And I had no you know,
it just felt like, Okay, this is why I do this.
(26:44):
I'm supposed to be doing this work. I have not
had the opportunity to visit Nigeria yet. To me, that's
a country that you got to go with, go to
with somebody who's from there, who knows it intimately. And
so I'm scheduled to go to Nigeria at some point
this year.
Speaker 5 (27:05):
We'll see if that happens.
Speaker 1 (27:06):
But the other thing I can say in more recent times,
the person who does our paid ads, he's Euroba from Nigeria,
and so now we have sort of a ritual every
time we meet. He has to say something to me
in Europa and then has to tell me how to respond,
and then I just keep practicing and practicing. So you know,
(27:28):
those are the every some of the everyday things I do.
Speaker 2 (27:32):
That's amazing. I just have this vision like I'm going
to find out this information and then I'm gonna fly
there and they're gonna just be welcome me, welcoming me
with open arms.
Speaker 3 (27:40):
Wait.
Speaker 4 (27:40):
I have a question, So once on the once you
get your results back, is there a way to connect
you with your people kind of like can you connect
with people like in Africa, Like, can I find my cousins?
Speaker 1 (27:54):
That's a great question. So the type of testing we
get that all the time. The type of testing that
we do does not allow for connections because when we
compiled our database, everything was anonymous. Again we're talking more
than thirty years ago, and people weren't making connections like that.
So what we do have is two things. One we
(28:15):
have an online community.
Speaker 5 (28:17):
Three things.
Speaker 1 (28:18):
We have an online community and so people who've taken
the test can go there and share information and share resources.
We are establishing. We have established relationships with several of
the embassies. Since we're located in DC, that's very easy,
and so we're starting to see more activities where the
(28:39):
embassies are opening up to welcome people who share their ancestry.
And then we have African Ancestry family Reunions, which are
specially curated birthright journeys home and so we've taken people
home too.
Speaker 5 (28:55):
Sorly Young.
Speaker 3 (28:58):
Technique. It's so crazy it said that.
Speaker 2 (29:01):
I literally just told Orlando, I was like, I wonder
if Africa has birthright and he's like, what's that? Because
I we grow up hearing about birthright from the Jewish
friends that we have in LA they get to go
to Israel. I'm like, it's a program, you get to
go to your homeland for free. But I only heard
about like for Israel. I didn't know if they had
it offered it for like Africans. That's it. Also, I
want to know because if embassies are accepting it. What
(29:22):
I really wanted to learn my ancestry for is so
I can get my dual cuitizenship and I have my
paperwork when I go to the embassy and I said,
give me my passport.
Speaker 3 (29:29):
Yeah, I was like, is that yeah? Could we do?
Speaker 2 (29:31):
This is really what I want.
Speaker 1 (29:34):
There's one country, the country of Sierra Leone, that from
twenty twenty one to twenty twenty three offered citizenship based
on africanancestry dot Com test results. They have not renewed.
They have a new Minister of Tourism and they have
not renewed the program yet this year, but we're hopeful
(29:54):
that they will restart the program. That's the only country
right now that has had an official citizenship program based
on DNA. But there are other countries like the country
of Benin, for example, that I'm reading is planning to
start offering citizenship based on DNA and so they're opening
(30:17):
up to the idea. But many of these countries their
constitutions don't allow for dual citizenship, like Cameroon, So we're
working with them to see, Okay, if it's not citizenship,
is it a long term visa, is it residency? What
are the kinds of things that you can offer to
encourage the descendants to come home.
Speaker 4 (30:40):
How many people actually like followed through with that and
got citizenship and Syria and within that time period.
Speaker 5 (30:48):
At least three hundred Okay.
Speaker 2 (30:50):
I bet because baby, don't let me get my little
green light. Yes, right, and like when you do.
Speaker 3 (30:55):
That to your kids, also get citizenship too.
Speaker 4 (30:57):
I probably have to pay a fee, but probably, yeah,
they give it to the kids.
Speaker 3 (31:03):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (31:03):
I had someone had told me this a long time ago,
and that was like it's always stuck in my mind
that that was like an option like based on the dispora.
But yeah, I mean we deserve to go back and
like experience where we came from.
Speaker 3 (31:16):
You know.
Speaker 2 (31:18):
Yes, as a child literally I always thought about that.
I'm like, so you're telling me they stole us and
then we stayed here. I never understood it. I was like,
I just don't get it. I understand why we just
didn't leave once we figured out this information, Why don't we.
Speaker 3 (31:32):
Just go back home. I think it's hard to get back.
Speaker 2 (31:34):
I know I feel like to get back, But as
a child, I just if you've heard about it, but
as a child, I just could not understand why we
were still here in this craziness. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (31:45):
So as the time, I think it's time, I can't
wait any longer.
Speaker 3 (31:49):
Tell me who I am, doctor Page.
Speaker 1 (31:51):
So you're going to go first, Yeah, sure, okay, Okay,
So Erica, we trace. We had your father take the test,
and so the information that I'm going to give you
is about your father's mother's.
Speaker 5 (32:09):
Mother's mother's mothers.
Speaker 1 (32:11):
And you know you got half of your DNA from
your father, So this is as much your ancestry as
it is your father's. We did find his, your ancestry,
your grandmother's ancestry in Africa. We found it in a
country that is known as Africa in miniature, because when
(32:34):
you go to this country, it has the same landscape
as every country found. You can find every landscape that
is found on the continent in this country. There's the
same diversity of foods, the same diversity of cultures. It
has both English and French as its official language, so
(32:55):
when you travel there, you will be able to communicate
with with some people in the country. And this country
is called Cameroon.
Speaker 5 (33:10):
I know you're familiar.
Speaker 1 (33:11):
With Cameroon because you've seen the laundry list of percentages.
But we went farther, so we're not saying Cameroon. Maybe
some part of Cameroon, maybe some part of Congo. Maybe No,
we found exact matches with your DNA, your father's maternal
mitochondrial DNA among the.
Speaker 5 (33:31):
T Car people. The t Car people are people living
in Cameroon today.
Speaker 1 (33:38):
And what I love about the t Car people is
that they are the artists and the artisans of the culture.
So most many of the masks you'll see our t
Car masks, they had writing and printing before the appearance
of any white person to set foot on the country,
(33:58):
in the country or on the land in fact the
t Car So as a t Car person, you are
a descendant of the bay Mun kingdom, and the bah
Mun Kingdom has the oldest written manuscripts in the on the.
Speaker 5 (34:13):
Continent of Africa. They have been writing for a very
very long time. There are a lot of other.
Speaker 3 (34:20):
I'm sorry, it was called the boom on the b
A m o u n.
Speaker 5 (34:28):
The ba Mun Kingdom.
Speaker 1 (34:30):
And you are a t Car descendant, so the t
Car people t I k A R. You have so
many Cameroon cousins. The Cameroon is one of the countries
that we find results from the most often. So when
we're talking about t Car, we're talking about people.
Speaker 5 (34:50):
Like Quincy Jones.
Speaker 1 (34:53):
You're talking about people like Sheryl Lee Ralph. And then
in terms of Cameroon, like your broader Cameroonian cousins Taraji
p Henson. We trace to the MafA people living in Cameroon.
Erica Badu.
Speaker 3 (35:15):
This Erica we related. Girl, I knew it. I knew.
I knew that it wasn't just Erica for no reason.
Speaker 1 (35:21):
So this is information that is the same. You can
share this information with every single person who has descended
from your paternal grandmother or even her mother. The result
is the same for all of them.
Speaker 5 (35:34):
Wow, the congratulations.
Speaker 3 (35:38):
Excited.
Speaker 4 (35:39):
I can't wait to do more research on the Tikar
people and the Bouman Kingdom bam Bamun, the Ba Moon Kingdom.
Hear that from a kingdom a slavey ship bitch.
Speaker 2 (35:53):
I mean that's important when you when for American children,
our history begins at slavery, so you say psychological and
subconsciously you don't even think about how that resonates in
our spirits and like says, like you know, paves the
way for how we look at ourselves as literally everyone
in this country starts like history at slavery, and that
is damaging. No, And when.
Speaker 4 (36:13):
You said kingdom and association with my lineage, it made
me feel even emotional. Yeah, I'm like, wow, I mean
I know I'm a queen. No, no, for sure, but
I mean I knew, but like from where? So wow,
that's that's so amazing. Thank you, thank you, thank you,
thank you.
Speaker 1 (36:31):
And speaking of Cameron, I have a great story about
a young he's a young man now.
Speaker 5 (36:36):
His name is Julian.
Speaker 1 (36:37):
He is the step stool chef on Instagram. He started
a business helping kids learn how teaching kids how to cook,
and so back when he was about nine, he was
at one of those international day at schools like you
talked about Nila, and they put a big map up
on the wall and told the kids to put a
(36:57):
pin in their country. And he went home to his
mother and was like, where am I supposed to put
my pen? So she got him a test and he
took it, and we traced him to the t car
people living in Cameroon and also the Booby people on
Bioko Island, and when I asked him how he felt,
(37:19):
he said, well, now I can put two pins in
the map, and he was just, you know, so empowered.
Speaker 5 (37:24):
And then his little sister when she went to.
Speaker 1 (37:26):
Participate in that, she had something, she had someplace to
put her pens. But taking it a step further, he
has incorporated a recipe for Cameroon Joel off Rice in
his cooking classes and his cooking instructions. So that's another
way that you can connect with your children about this
(37:48):
and about your ancestries, even through the food.
Speaker 4 (37:51):
Right right, Wow, I mean god, it's so it's I mean,
it's not crazy, but it is a little bit like
how I guess tone deaf schools can be, right, and
just our society can be when it comes to those
type of activities for children and just in general and
even in the workplace. Like you said, it's like, are
(38:12):
you really you really asking me this? Like are you
like what? Yeah, it kind of feels that way. Yeah,
So Mila and Jamila, are you ready ready?
Speaker 1 (38:24):
So, Mila, you took the test. So we've traced your
mother's mother's mother's mother's line and we found your maternal
roots among.
Speaker 5 (38:35):
Two groups of people.
Speaker 1 (38:36):
So we found the exact same matches in the country
of Nigeria among the Uruba people and the House of People. Wow,
so you had the House the House of State in
New Jersey in Nigeria.
Speaker 5 (38:57):
I'm like, we're in a New Jersey.
Speaker 1 (38:59):
Coming in Nigeria is in the northern part of the country.
The Yoraba are in the southwestern part of the country.
But of course there's movement. You know, these ethnic groups
are cultural and social. They're not genetic, and so you
can have people in different groups that have the same genetics,
(39:19):
which is what has happened in your case.
Speaker 2 (39:21):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (39:21):
So when we talk about the Yoraba, one of the
things that the Yuruba are well known for is their
spiritual system. This spiritual system has lived far beyond Nigeria.
They took us when they took Europa from Nigeria, they
took the spiritual system with them. And so you find
(39:42):
Euraba practiced in Brazil and Cuba and here and in
other Caribbean countries, and it's centered around the Aorishas, which
are different manifestations of God.
Speaker 5 (39:56):
And so.
Speaker 1 (39:58):
Yamaya is one of the Aorasias and I picked her
because she is the mother of all of the orisias,
and she is considered the source of all waters, and
of course water is what gives us.
Speaker 3 (40:16):
Life, right.
Speaker 1 (40:18):
And then among with the house of people, we're cousins because.
Speaker 5 (40:25):
To the house.
Speaker 1 (40:26):
And what I know for sure about the house of
which I mentioned is that they're all about business. Like
Nigerians tell me that there's nothing that happens in Nigeria
that's about business. If a house, a person's not involved.
Speaker 5 (40:41):
The other cool things.
Speaker 1 (40:42):
Speaking of kingdoms and queendoms, Queen Amina was a house
a queen and Queen Amina was so incredibly dope. And
one of the things that she sort of brought into
battle was the idea of armor. Of this of chain mail.
(41:06):
I don't know if you're familiar, but it looks like
an armor made out of chains like people wear it
now fashionably. But Queen Amina really ran things during her
time period. Of course, so you two have a connection
to a very powerful, powerful woman. You come from the
legacy of a very powerful woman in terms of your
(41:29):
cousins besides me. Let's see LeVar Burton. We trace to
the house of people. Remy Ma, we traced to the
house of people. I'll send you a list of the
other people both of you that you share, you know,
(41:51):
a common ancestry with your cousins, if you will. And
so the exciting thing about Nigeria is that it is
the most populous country in Africa. You see so many
people living in Brazil who are carrying on Nigerian traditions
because Brazil has the most Black people living outside of Africa.
(42:17):
And we have an African ancestry family reunion coming up
to Nigeria. So you'll be able to come with us
to Nigeria. Erico will be able to come with us
to a care maroon. Whenever you guys are ready to
make the voyage.
Speaker 3 (42:33):
I already when the dates.
Speaker 2 (42:37):
When the date, Okay, I'm going to get my outfits together.
I'll be there, Okay, just tell me one time.
Speaker 1 (42:45):
And we talked about Fayla you know earlier. Nigeria is
very Nigerian culture is very prominent these days, with you know,
from Feli and Afrobeat to the current Robeat's artists, who
are you know, just burning up the charts, and so
there's a lot of African culture to celebrate in the
(43:08):
mainstream now and from both of your individual present day
countries to celebrate as well.
Speaker 2 (43:14):
Wow, I can't wait. I could call my mom.
Speaker 3 (43:16):
Are you surprised?
Speaker 2 (43:17):
I am? I mean, yeah, how would I know? But
I'm but I'm excited and I want to do my
dad's too, because now I'm really really curious. So thank
you for that information. I'm excited. Now I'm going home
to the motherland.
Speaker 1 (43:29):
Yes, And thank you ladies, because it's you know, this
is you never know what the answer is going to be.
And I appreciate that you were willing to share this
experience with your listeners and with your family, and that
you trusted us because, in fact, I hadn't mentioned this before,
but we're the only company that does not sell or
(43:51):
share your DNA. In fact, we don't monetize it at all.
So now that you've taken the test, your your DNA
has been destroyed. And we may a strategic decision to
do that when we started the company, because we didn't
want fear of what we're going to do with someone's
DNA to keep them from the power of this information.
Speaker 2 (44:14):
Do most do most of these type of companies not
destroy the DNA.
Speaker 5 (44:18):
After Oh, absolutely so.
Speaker 2 (44:20):
So in the fine print is definitely out.
Speaker 5 (44:24):
But nobody reads the fine print going.
Speaker 3 (44:27):
With her DNA. Who knows, girl, I mean maybe she does. Well.
Speaker 1 (44:31):
I'm so Africa. The DNA of black people is extremely valuable.
I would argue it's more valuable than anybody else's DNA
because we because we are African, and there's so much
variation in the DNA of African people and African descendants.
And so if you can solve cure, a cure for
(44:53):
a disease, or solve a problem using a Black person,
then you've solved it for every everyone.
Speaker 5 (45:01):
And so our DNA is.
Speaker 1 (45:02):
Extremely valuable, and it is being researched, and it is
being shared, and it is being monetized. And that's why
other tests can charge ninety nine dollars forty nine dollars
because they're not making their money off the DNA. You're
paying them to tell you that you're from West Africa,
(45:24):
and then they're using it and monetizing it on a
whole other.
Speaker 2 (45:29):
Scope, on a whole day market that you're not even
aware of and what specifically they're even testing for what
they're creating.
Speaker 3 (45:34):
They're making so much more money on that back end.
Speaker 1 (45:36):
Yeah, and so I would like to say that it
is important that we participate as black people, that we
participate in research for that very reason, because you can't
if you solve it for a white person, for example,
it won't necessarily work on us. So we need to
participate and we need to contribute. But you need to
be aware of what you're doing and feel comfortable that
(46:00):
you know what's being done with your genetic information. So
people go out there, participate in clinical trials with you know,
organizations that are credible, that you believe in. Don't shy
away from it, but just be informed. I guess what I'm.
Speaker 4 (46:14):
Saying, Yeah, I guess when you put it in that
in that perspective, it does change the narrative of why
it is important for us to participate so that we
can heal not just the world, but ourselves. So like
when you're doing testing on other races, those and then
then they're cured, and then they give us that medicine
(46:36):
and then it doesn't work on us, and in fact,
it does the total opposite I mean that that makes
total sense, and I never even realized. I never associated
I guess those type of tests with race essentially, and
how one could be way more potent than the other.
I mean obviously I know that, like I know just
(46:57):
because I've been told, you know, with people tell us
black people we are this, we are that, we are that,
and we feel it, we feel that in our bodies
and our bones. But to hear it also to know
the science behind it too, I think is really important
as well. I'm really excited because you guys have been
so gracious to us and our tribe. Here, African Ancestry
(47:19):
is giving away two tests.
Speaker 3 (47:22):
And these tests they ain't cheap.
Speaker 2 (47:24):
Girl.
Speaker 3 (47:25):
You can go on the website and go check it out.
Speaker 2 (47:26):
This is like a seven hundred dollars value. So you
need to put in look at the description, see what
the guidelines are. Submit your entry so you can understand.
Speaker 3 (47:35):
Tell you the guidelines. The guidelines are.
Speaker 4 (47:38):
You need to follow African Ancestry, you need to be
following Good Mom's Bad Choices on Instagram, and you need
to join our newsletter. Okay, so send a screenshot of
all those things and then dm us at Good Mom's
underscore Bad Choices to enter. We're also going to be
posting this on Instagram in case you forget, but follow
African Ancestry, follow Good Mom's Bad Choices and join our
(47:59):
newsletter Good Moms by Choices dot com and show us proofbaby,
because you deserve this, you really do.
Speaker 2 (48:05):
It's important you deserve that gift to gift to your
kids as well. Yeah, thank you so much for this
information and for sharing and sitting with us and chatting
with us and telling the people. I think a lot
of us are going to make the move and invest
in knowing where we come from.
Speaker 1 (48:20):
An overused African saying is that it takes a village.
But we really do appreciate your platform and being on
your platform to help help spread the word. We are
not a humongous company like the others, and we rely
on our people to help us grow.
Speaker 2 (48:37):
So thank you for having me, no problem anytime.
Speaker 3 (48:40):
Thank you and can where can they find you? Is
it Africanancestry dot com.
Speaker 5 (48:45):
That's it African Ancestry dot com.
Speaker 1 (48:47):
We're on all the socials as at African Ancestry and
we're on YouTube as African Ancestry DNA perfect.
Speaker 4 (48:56):
Thank you doctor Paige for joining us, and I look
forward to hearing the results of whoever wins this giveaway.
Speaker 3 (49:05):
Oh yeah, yeah yeah, so thank you, thank you.
Speaker 2 (49:09):
Wow. That was amazing.
Speaker 3 (49:11):
I am so happy. I'm so happy that African ancestry exists.
I'm so happy. Fuck ancestry do I honestly, because I
was out here telling people I was Nigerian. Its you Nigerian.
I'm not even Nigerian.
Speaker 2 (49:22):
They lied And you know what, I also heard some
of those I've heard some of those, uh those other tests,
like are incriminating people in jail?
Speaker 3 (49:31):
Oh oh, they're putting them into Oh wow.
Speaker 2 (49:32):
Yeah, so we need to like stay away from them.
Speaker 3 (49:34):
Well I don't. I mean, I'm not worried about.
Speaker 2 (49:36):
I mean, I'm not worried that, but you never know,
you never know what needs to happen on any given day.
I don't need anyone in my business just in case. Well,
I think it's terror time because I think the cards.
Speaker 4 (49:46):
Need to come through and tell us speak through us,
speak through our ancestral lineage. So what did you pull?
So today I pulled a card I've never pulled before.
I didn't even know this card existed. I pulled the
Hermit I have it right here.
Speaker 2 (50:01):
Okay, I'm gonna pull up the other one. And I
pulled the world I love did that one?
Speaker 4 (50:05):
So, the hermit says, soul searching, introspection, being alone in
her guidance, this feels right on time. The hermit shows
that you are taking a break from everyday life to
draw your energy and attention inward and find the answers
you seek deep within your soul. You realize that your
most profound sense of truth and knowledge is within yourself
(50:27):
and not in the distraction of the outside world. You
leave behind the mundane to set off on a journey
of self discovery, led only by your inner wisdom and
guiding light. Now is the perfect time to go on
a weekend retreat. Hello, I'm actually going on a retreat
next week. Wow, on a sacred pilgrimage, anything in which
you can contemplate your motivations, personal values and principles and
(50:49):
get close to your authentic self. The hermit often appears
when you are at a pivotal point in your life
and considering a new direction. Through meditation, contemplation, and self examination,
and you may begin to reevaluate your personal goals and
change your overall course you will look at your life
with a deeper, more spiritual understanding, and a few of
your priorities will change as a result.
Speaker 2 (51:11):
I think we did pull that before, because I'm amber meditation, contemplation.
Speaker 3 (51:15):
No, that was a different car that said that.
Speaker 5 (51:17):
It was.
Speaker 3 (51:18):
The last thing was when I was out there. I
think it was two of cups.
Speaker 2 (51:22):
This next one is the World. It's a beautiful woman
and she's an only a sky with flutes flying in
the air, and it's completion, integration, accomplishment, travel, the World card. Wait,
let's see I described it. When the World card appears
in a tarot reading, you're glowing with a sense of wholeness, achievement, fulfillment,
(51:44):
and completion. A long term project, period of study, relationship,
or career has come full circle, and you're now reveling
in the sense of closure and accomplishment. This card could
represent graduation, a marriage, the birth of a child, or
achieving long held dream of ass inspiration. You have finally
accomplished your goal or purpose. Everything has come together and
(52:04):
you're in the right place, doing the right thing, achieving
what you have envisioned. You feel whole and complete. Now
the World card invites you to reflect on your journey.
Honor your achievements and tune into your spiritual lessons. Celebrate
your successes and bask in the joy of having brought
your goals to fruition. All the triumphs and tribulations along
your path have made you into the strong, wise, more
(52:27):
experienced person that you are now. Express gratitude for what
you've created and harvested, and finally, make sure you don't
rush into the next big project. Celebrating your journey will
set you up for success when you are ready for
your next challenge.
Speaker 3 (52:42):
Take your time.
Speaker 2 (52:42):
I'll received that my birthday is going to be in
a few days, and just easeon. End thirty six, Just float,
float accomplishment.
Speaker 4 (52:54):
Yes, stayed alive, You're healthy, You're successful, kept a baby alive.
Speaker 2 (53:01):
How about that, Barley Barley ce, Oh my god, what
was she saying?
Speaker 3 (53:10):
What was the thing she was yelling at?
Speaker 2 (53:12):
I'm legally blind?
Speaker 3 (53:13):
She said, like six she was She was like shouting
out a gang or some ship. She said something like.
Speaker 2 (53:19):
It wasn't a streets sometime.
Speaker 3 (53:20):
What she was saying, what was it?
Speaker 2 (53:23):
Po? Po, P put it down, put it down, pop.
I'm legally blind. I don't even do it I can
barley see. I need to check on her where she at,
Probably in jail because she could barely see.
Speaker 3 (53:36):
Bitch could see? Please pop put it is not legally
blind nothing.
Speaker 2 (53:40):
I hope she got off. I hope YopE got her
ship together.
Speaker 3 (53:42):
Oh my lord.
Speaker 4 (53:44):
Anyway, anyway, y'all, y'all know where to find us at
Good Mom's Underscore Bad Choices on Instagram. Make sure you
go rate and review this episode. Join our Patreon because
we have a lot of bonus content there. We've been
posting full episodes there during our off season, so I
know y'all think we're off season, but we are sort of,
but not for the tribe. On Patreon, we also have
(54:06):
our Discord community there where hundreds and hundreds of people
are communicating and talking every single day. We're announcing our
retreat and if you didn't get to come to Costa
Rica last year, now's your chance. We have other locations too,
which I'm really excited about. So make sure you go
to Good Momsbad Choices dot com and check out our retreat,
(54:27):
or go to the Good Vibe Retreat and see the vibes. Anyway,
I love you, love you, and I love you love you.
Speaker 3 (54:36):
Bye bye.
Speaker 5 (55:00):
Record the lollas
Speaker 2 (55:01):
And then they asked
This is.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
Welcome back to Good Mom's Bad Choices America. And I'm
Mila and.
Speaker 3 (00:31):
It is June tea happy June teen.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
Happy Juneteenth everybody to all the black people.
Speaker 4 (00:40):
Only you know you have black babies. Happy Black Happy
Juneteenth to them as well.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
How are you?
Speaker 3 (00:47):
I'm good, I'm great.
Speaker 4 (00:49):
If you're watching this on YouTube, I've given you guys
a show today by accident. The titties are tittying, y'all.
You know I paid good money for these, so we're
gonna show them.
Speaker 2 (01:01):
You look good, girl, you mayay good?
Speaker 3 (01:02):
Thanks? You could do these little tan you're you know.
Speaker 2 (01:06):
I support I support full titties.
Speaker 4 (01:08):
Yeah, I feel like this for this episode. I could
have went and got a little more melanated looking very
light skin today.
Speaker 2 (01:16):
Not for this episode particularly. Well, speaking of this episode,
even for a think, we have we have a very
very very special guest and I'm very excited. I've been
waiting for this moment for a very long time. I
feel like I manifested it in my mind. Can you
tell us who our guest is today?
Speaker 3 (01:32):
Okay?
Speaker 4 (01:32):
Yes, because we have, we've been seeing, we've been getting it.
I don't know if we're being fed ads or what.
But we've been seeing this particular well this person who
created this particular thing for a few months now, maybe
like six months, and we've been talking about it, and
I remember you sent it to me and you were like,
we have to do this, and I was like, oh
my god, we do have to do this because the
thing I did, I don't know, it's not so bullshit.
(01:53):
But anyway, we have the co founder of African Ancestral,
Doctor Paige co founded African Ancestry and in doing so,
pioneered a new way of tracing African lineages using genetics
and a new marketplace for people of African descent looking
to looking for more accurately and reliable.
Speaker 3 (02:16):
Trace to trace their roots.
Speaker 4 (02:18):
Page travels the world demystifying African roots to inform on
the importance and empowerment of Black identity through the lens
of Africa and our African ancestors. Welcome to the show
Doctor Page.
Speaker 5 (02:33):
Hello, ladies, I'm happy here.
Speaker 2 (02:37):
Thank you for joining us. We're so excited to have
you and to talk to you today.
Speaker 5 (02:41):
Let's do it. I'm ready.
Speaker 4 (02:43):
This just feels so serendipitous to be be able to
trace our African roots on this month on this day.
I'm just so happy that it aligned in this way.
I know that what you do is so important. There's
so many people listening right now that are dying to
know where their roots lie. They have no idea, there's
no way to trace them. Really, I mean for me personally,
(03:06):
I said, I mentioned this before we started recording, that
I went the African not the African ancestry. I went
the ancestry dot com route. And that was years ago.
I think I was like maybe in my early twenty
maybe in my early twenties when I did that, and
I and I it was it was always kind of vague,
and it keeps changing, like every time I go check
(03:28):
the database, it keeps changing. Like I swear, I was
like way more Nigerian at one point and now I'm
like barely Nigerian.
Speaker 3 (03:35):
So I was like, well, what what am I like?
Speaker 4 (03:37):
What did you get the information the first time? Just
take my DNA just cuz like so and that you
just made that face. So that makes me know that
maybe yes, So I'm really excited. But before we get
into because me and Jamila, well my father had to
take the test and we'll get into why that, why
that is and Mila took the test, and so today's episode,
(04:00):
so we are going to reveal our African lineage.
Speaker 2 (04:05):
Yeah, we don't know the information yet. Doctor Page is
gonna tell us. But We've been waiting like six weeks
for this information. I'm like, I can't wait and wear
my African garb. I I kept telling Orlando. I was like, listen,
once I know this information, You're not gonna be able
to tell me. Shit, I'm going back to the Motherland.
It's We're going crazy. So I'm excited.
Speaker 4 (04:23):
We've been emailed Nicole like she said, your results are
and we're like, what are the She's like, We're not
going to tell you. I was like, what, No, So
you guys, we really don't know what we're about to hear.
And before we get into it, though, I did want
to ask you a few questions just about African ancestry
and how you got how you started it, Like what
(04:43):
was the thing that that started you on this journey.
Speaker 1 (04:47):
It's interesting. So for me, it was really the community.
The community. It is like this case of supply and demand, right.
The community found out that this was possible, and so
so they inundated. My co founder, who is a geneticist
with requests to do it for them.
Speaker 5 (05:07):
Now.
Speaker 1 (05:07):
The way they found out is he was working on
a project at Howard University where in the nineties they
were excavating land to build a federal building in Lower
Manhattan and they had to stop the ex not Howard,
but you know, construct the government, and they had to
stop construction because they had unearthed a slave burial ground.
Speaker 2 (05:32):
Oh my gosh.
Speaker 1 (05:33):
My co founder, doctor Rick Kittles. He was part of
a Howard University team that went to the site to
do some research and his responsibility was to identify the
ancestry of the bones. And so when the community found
out that he could identify the ancestry of the bones,
(05:54):
they were like, well, it should be easy for us.
We're living you should be able to do it for
us really easily. But he's a scientist, he's not a
business person.
Speaker 5 (06:04):
And so he.
Speaker 1 (06:05):
And I partnered so that I could commercialize his research
and make it available to everybody. But he was just
really doing it for himself. And when the community found out,
that's when africanancestry dot com was formed.
Speaker 2 (06:21):
Wow, what an amazing story that it was birth that way.
I mean I didn't I never even considered how many
slave graveyards there are that are probably unmarked out throughout
the United States and people just building stuff on top
of them, and like.
Speaker 6 (06:35):
That is hopefully haunting them, hopefully, but also also like
it's almost like a full circle moment too, that that
discovery births this amazing, this amazing business that we have
access to because it's been around like twenty years now, right.
Speaker 5 (06:51):
Yep, this year we're twenty one.
Speaker 2 (06:53):
Wow, congratulations people, thank you.
Speaker 3 (06:57):
Oh yes, so can you tell us how j tracing works?
Speaker 1 (07:02):
Sure, I'd love to tell you how it works. So
we're all familiar in some way with genealogy, right. Genealogy
is the research of a person's family history using records
written records like birth records, marriage records, newspaper articles, census records,
(07:23):
as well as oral records like family stories, that kind
of thing. When you're a black person in America, the
census records are only going to go but so far,
we weren't recorded on a federal census until the year
eighteen seventy, and so you can do all the genealogy
research you want, but eventually you're going to hit a brick.
(07:45):
While there is no written document that says exactly where
on the continent of Africa we came from. So that
gave rise to what we call genetic ancestry tracing. It's
the same thing. It's the research of a person's family history,
but it's using your own biology, your own genetics. Okay,
so that's the baseline. Now, we all have DNA in
(08:09):
every cell of our body, ninety nine point nine percent
of everybody. Everybody's DNA is the same, so mine is
the same as somebody listening theirs is the same as
my next door neighbor.
Speaker 5 (08:20):
We're all human.
Speaker 1 (08:21):
Our DNA is the same, but in point one percent
of our DNA there are differences, and so that determines
your height, your skin color, your hair texture, all of
those things are in this little tiny point one percent,
while our ancestry is in there too. So what we do,
and what all companies do, is take a portion of
(08:42):
your of your DNA see unlock the code for whatever
part they're looking at, and then compare your DNA to
the DNA of people all over the world. And when
we find matches, you have to share ancestry with those people.
So that's how it works. In a nutshell, we take
(09:03):
your DNA. We compare it to DNA of other people.
But there's some unique things that African ancesch that that
sort of form how inform what we do. So I'm
gonna give you a quick little biology lesson. Okay, all ready, okay.
(09:24):
So we each inherit fifty percent of our DNA from
our mother and fifty percent from our father. So if
your mother's yellow and your father's blue, then what color
will you be? Green exactly, So we're all green. But
imagine that we have a little yellow dot. We have
a little bit of DNA that we got from our
mother that never turned green. It never mixed, it does
(09:47):
not change, and that's called mitochondrial DNA, empty DNA. So
you all are mothers. Your yellow dot you pass to
your children. It's maternally inherited, so your daughters will pass
it to their children. But you and your siblings got
it from your mother and it didn't change, and she
got it from your grandmother it stayed the same. So
(10:10):
you have the same mitochondrial DNA as every woman that's
come before you on your maternal line.
Speaker 3 (10:16):
Right like the beginning, from the beginning, from the beginning.
Speaker 1 (10:20):
Wow, wow, So we at African ancestry. We don't look
at all of your DNA. We're not trying to tell
you where everybody in the family comes from because they're
all mixed together.
Speaker 5 (10:31):
We're just we just in your cases.
Speaker 1 (10:33):
In the case of your father, Erica and you, Mila,
we looked just at your mitochondrial DNA so that we
could determine where your mother's mother's mother's mother was or
your father's mother's mother's mother's mother was before the Transatlantic
slave trade.
Speaker 3 (10:55):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (10:56):
Wait, and you know what I was thinking before this episode,
because I deeply thought about this, and I'm like, did
they have to go over the entire continent of Africa
and collect collect DNA from every single tribe that ever existed?
Like how did like I know, there, where's this bank
of everybody's DNA that they're pulling from.
Speaker 5 (11:13):
I love that.
Speaker 1 (11:14):
I love the way you asked that question. So African
DNA has the most variation of any DNA in the
world because we are the cradle of civilization and so
we don't have to get every single person's DNA. But
my co founder, he collaborated with researchers across the continent
(11:34):
to collect DNA samples. It was blood at the time,
because this was more than thirty years ago from populations
who were part of the slave trade. So he worked
with historians and anthropologists to make sure that we were
collecting or he was collecting samples from people who who
(11:56):
were taken, you know, whose progeny were taken during the
period of slavery. So we're not trying to tell you
where you're from at the beginning of the time. We're
answering the question, where were my people before Oklahoma, before Haiti,
before South Carolina wherever.
Speaker 3 (12:16):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (12:16):
Wow, this is the most powerful business you could have
ever birthed. I'm so happy you collaborated with him, because
everybody deserves access to this, you know. Like I've always
wondered that, and I've always been like a little bit
resentful of like my white friends who are like I'm
one percent Polish, three percent German, and you know what
I mean.
Speaker 4 (12:32):
It's like my great great grandfather's name, my great great
great great great grandfather's name was oh the Niggas.
Speaker 2 (12:37):
Name God and the people, and especially bothered me growing up.
We live in the valley in la so it's predominantly white,
but it particularly bothered me having like there's always like
a family heritage project, right, and then like being the
one of you know, two of all the black kids
in the class or the school, and then it gets
to you and you're like, well, there's slavery, yeah, you know,
(13:01):
or like what is your cultural tradition and it's like, well, greens,
greens and black eyed peas on New Year's Eve, Like
that's the one I always consistently chose. And I realized
in my adulthood that I was a little bit resentful
of that because we don't have we don't I didn't
know there was resources to examine and to understand where
(13:22):
you come from, you know, like it's such a big
part of your existence. Like when you see immigrants come
in and they still have knowledge of their history and
their roots, of their music, of their language. It makes
such a difference how you move around in the world.
Speaker 1 (13:36):
It does, and you hit it spot on. Not only
does it happen in a classroom, it happens in the
workplace when they will have, you know, these icebreakers where
people have to say where they're from and the black
people are like, what what do you mean?
Speaker 5 (13:52):
We don't know?
Speaker 1 (13:53):
There is no way for us to know. And that
was by design, right. I always say that we're the
original victims of identity thefts. So when our ancestors were stolen,
we lost our names. There were no pages in Africa,
we lost our languages. Everybody had to speak English in
(14:15):
order for the business of slavery to flourish. We lost
the freedom to honor our ancestors. And then our families
were constantly torn apart. And so you can't know who
you are when you.
Speaker 5 (14:26):
Don't know your name, your language, your people.
Speaker 1 (14:28):
You just can't. And so we've been working, we've been
flourishing to the extent right that we've done all the
incredible things we've done as people of the African diaspora
without the knowledge. So imagine what we can do when
we plug in and we find out where exactly where're from.
Speaker 2 (14:46):
No.
Speaker 4 (14:46):
I was having this conversation yesterday and I was talking
to my dad because I was so excited.
Speaker 3 (14:50):
I was like, guess what, Dad, Tomorrow, I'm gonna find out,
And he actually just called me right now.
Speaker 4 (14:54):
I was like, I just text him, like you late,
but you might might be able to send it to
the link. Having a conversation with one of his friends
who is battling cancer right now, and I was telling him,
you know, he's been, he's been like trying to like
clean up his diet. All these things that we started
talking about, just how how diet has been such an
(15:15):
important part of the detriment of our health in America,
and that we don't even know how we're supposed to
really eat because we just ate whatever they gave us here.
And we all know America's you know, food system is terrible.
So I guess my question to you too is why
is it important for people to know where they're from
in Africa and particularly I think black mothers. I mean
(15:38):
aside from yes, the food and all those things, but like,
how does that how do you how do you think
in your work have you seen in the work that you've.
Speaker 3 (15:44):
Done has it been so beneficial to us?
Speaker 1 (15:48):
So, you know, as moms specifically, moms are the original
source connection to ancestry. And if you remember I told
you about the m pochondrial DNA, not only does that
DNA never change when it's passed from mother to child,
mother to child, but it also has it powers every
(16:10):
cell in your body. It provides the energy for every
cell in our body. So we owe so much to
our mothers just as people. But then you know, when
you think about all of the cultural practices, the traditions,
the values, the spiritual beliefs and more that are embodied
(16:36):
in the ethnic groups that we share ancestry with. As mothers, we.
Speaker 5 (16:43):
We can help.
Speaker 1 (16:44):
You know, people say that DNA has memory, So as mothers,
we're giving or I'm not a mother of children, I'm
a mother of this company, but as mothers, you're giving
that ancestral memory to your children. And so it's very
important and when you're raising your children to help them
feel secure and strong and strong in their position in
(17:09):
the world, to give them a context. So there's so
many different things that you can do as a mom
once you find out where you're from.
Speaker 5 (17:17):
Even if you.
Speaker 1 (17:18):
Don't know where you're from, you can incorporate African practices
and traditions in basic rituals that you have, like at
bath time. Or I was talking to a mom the
other day and she said, we traced her ancestry to
Nigeria and to the house of people living in Nigeria,
and she's a Feali head. So when she needs ten minutes,
(17:41):
because you know, his songs are long, right, they go
on for ten minutes, twelve minutes. Her little girl loves
to dance. She turns on Felia and lets her dance.
And she says, sometimes she can get a good thirty
minutes of uninterrupted time because the little girl's just grooved.
She doesn't know she's listening to Feli.
Speaker 3 (17:58):
Listen.
Speaker 1 (18:01):
Oh, it can be as simple as that. It can
be storytelling, you know, at storytime, the stories that you
tell your children about where they come from, about the
family that you know here, reading books about or stories.
I should say there are plenty of books now about
(18:22):
stories that are African folk tales or country specific. So
I think there are lots of ways that moms can
incorporate this information in how they're raising their children and
loving their children.
Speaker 3 (18:37):
I have a question.
Speaker 4 (18:38):
So my daughter, her dad is black, and actually he
did this ancestry test through dot com answery dot com,
and he came out like ninety nine point six percent African.
Speaker 3 (18:53):
I try to tell him too.
Speaker 4 (18:54):
It was like, I was like you from this, oh
my god, this white girl, we will never forget.
Speaker 3 (18:58):
We were in Germany and the white girl was like
you're Nigeria. And he's like, bitch, you don't know what
I am. He was getting so mad.
Speaker 4 (19:04):
He was like, damn, near cursed her out his And
then we got the test back and it said that,
and I was like, but again, I don't know if
that was I don't know. I don't know where his
chart has shifted over the last I don't ten years,
twelve years, so because this has passed on through the
maternal like the the is it them?
Speaker 3 (19:24):
I'm sorry?
Speaker 4 (19:24):
What was the word that I turned on mitochondri DNA.
Would my daughter need to get a like an African
ancestry test because her grandmother on his side.
Speaker 3 (19:35):
Is would it be different?
Speaker 4 (19:37):
I mean, I know it would be different, but how
does that work with children?
Speaker 5 (19:40):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (19:40):
Yeah, so normally children would not have to do it
because like my mother did it, so that means I
didn't have to do it, Her sister and brother didn't
have to do it. None of their children had to
do it, you see, because it's the same for everybody
in the family who comes from a woman.
Speaker 5 (19:57):
On that line.
Speaker 1 (19:58):
But in your case, your daughter gets her mitochondrial DNA
from you, she does not get it from her father.
So if she wanted to learn about her father's ancestry,
her father would have to do the tests, But I
did want to if I could take one moment, since
we are talking about ancestry dot com and I'm sure
(20:20):
several of the many of the people who are listening
have taken that test, I wanted to point out how
we're different because you keep mentioning your results and you
know how they've changed, and there's some really significant differences
between the tests that you've taken with us and that
test that you might take with them.
Speaker 5 (20:40):
Told me, you're not quiet.
Speaker 1 (20:43):
So remember I told you we look at in your case,
we looked at mother to mother to mother to mother.
We then take your DNA and we compare it to
a DNA of African lineages that has over thirty three
thousand nal lineages from thirty five African countries. We have
(21:05):
all of Western Central Africa in our database because we
know historically that that's where we were taken. From Western
Central Africa. There are about almost four hundred ethnic groups
within those our database of countries, So we have data
from DNA from Mandinka people in Senegal, from Mbundu people
(21:28):
in Angola, from too many people in Sierra Leone.
Speaker 5 (21:31):
You see what I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (21:33):
Ancestry dot Com has they're not looking at your mother's
line or your father's line. They're looking at your entire
genetic family tree, which is all mixed up together. All
of that DNA changes with each generation. They then compare
your DNA to a database that has, you know, probably
(21:57):
a good sixty to eighty thousand samples from all over
the world. And guess how many are from Africa not
even two thousand?
Speaker 3 (22:10):
Wow?
Speaker 1 (22:12):
Okay, So when they're looking at the African part of you,
those percentages are from based on comparing you to fewer
than two thousand Africans.
Speaker 2 (22:24):
It's not very broad.
Speaker 1 (22:25):
So everybody gets Nigeria right, everybody gets Cameroon slash Congo slash.
Speaker 3 (22:33):
I said I'm Cameroon, I'm Nigerian, I'm.
Speaker 1 (22:37):
Coast exactly, Togo slash I mean Ivory Coast slash.
Speaker 5 (22:42):
You got everything, literally.
Speaker 3 (22:44):
That's everything. They said.
Speaker 1 (22:45):
I was right, you're West African, but we didn't need
DNA to tell you that.
Speaker 5 (22:51):
Your West African history tells.
Speaker 3 (22:53):
You that we know from North Africa.
Speaker 5 (22:55):
So then you're like, well, what am I?
Speaker 1 (22:57):
So you probably went with the biggest percentage said.
Speaker 4 (23:00):
I'm Nigerian, but Nigerian kings right, And so you knew.
Speaker 1 (23:07):
That it had to be on your father's side, but
was it his mother's side or his father's side?
Speaker 5 (23:13):
Was it a.
Speaker 1 (23:13):
Grandmother or a grandfather? And where in Nigeria? Nigeria is
the most populous country in Africa?
Speaker 3 (23:20):
Yeah, so are you Hausa?
Speaker 1 (23:22):
Are you Uraba? Are you Ebo? Are you you know?
Speaker 5 (23:26):
What are?
Speaker 3 (23:27):
So?
Speaker 1 (23:28):
I wanted to be very clear about that because it's
just totally different and when while there is value in
other tests, there is no value in my opinion, when
it comes to telling you where in Africa you're from.
If you want to know where in Africa you're from,
you're from West Africa. That's the best they're going to
(23:49):
give you.
Speaker 4 (23:52):
Well, if you want to know where in Africa you're from,
you need to you need to get with an African ancestry.
Speaker 3 (23:57):
So period, and that's why you're.
Speaker 1 (24:00):
Things keep changing because as they add samples to the
size of the database, everything's gonna switch. But they're not
adding African samples. They're adding samples from other populations. So
it's just it burns me up because people are they
don't know, and so they take this and they're like, oh,
(24:21):
this is where I'm from, and you know, there's just
so much more that you can know, and so so
much more that you can feel if you know specifically
where in Africa you come from, Like you guys.
Speaker 4 (24:34):
Are going to I saw that you did some reveals
for some celebrities and I won't be nosy.
Speaker 3 (24:39):
So where's Oprah fu?
Speaker 1 (24:42):
So we traced Oprah's mother's mother's mother's line to the
country of present day Liberia, and within Liberia, she shares
ancestry with the Pelee people, who are the largest ethnic
group in Liberia.
Speaker 3 (24:57):
Wow. Yeah, interesting, interesting. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (25:00):
I was like I was reading your bio and I
was like, oh, Brah, John Legend. I'm like, all these
celebrities know where they're from. I'm like, I wonder if
they're incorporating the practices of their people into their lives,
because you're right after I find out, Bitch, it's a rap.
Speaker 3 (25:13):
That's how to start googling everything.
Speaker 2 (25:15):
Be like we're hairstyles. You're gonna be like what. I'm like,
it's my people, they're coming out. I have a question,
doctor Page. Since you've found out about your your lineage,
have you have you like visited any place specific to
you or what are some things that you've adopted. Now
that you've known after these all these years.
Speaker 5 (25:31):
Oh that's so interesting.
Speaker 1 (25:33):
So I've known for a really long time in African
ancestry years, and I have to say, for the longest time,
I didn't really do anything because I was in startup mode,
you know. I was just trying to folks. I was
being focused on everyone learning where they're from. And then
we used to give away and in Car to Africana
DVD way back in the beginning. And one day an
(25:56):
elder called and he's like, I don't have a computer.
My ancestry Hausa and you need to tell me about
the House of People. And I was like, yes, sir,
so I put in the DVD and my paternal ancestry,
one of those lines, my father's father's father's line goes
back to the Hausa and so one sentence I read
was that the house of women are very business oriented,
(26:20):
like they handle the business. That's true of our houses,
but in this case that's what I read. And I
got goosebumps because everybody on my paternal line is an entrepreneur.
My grandparents, their parents, my aunts and uncles, my father, me,
my cousins, all of us. And I had no you know,
it just felt like, Okay, this is why I do this.
(26:44):
I'm supposed to be doing this work. I have not
had the opportunity to visit Nigeria yet. To me, that's
a country that you got to go with, go to
with somebody who's from there, who knows it intimately. And
so I'm scheduled to go to Nigeria at some point
this year.
Speaker 5 (27:05):
We'll see if that happens.
Speaker 1 (27:06):
But the other thing I can say in more recent times,
the person who does our paid ads, he's Euroba from Nigeria,
and so now we have sort of a ritual every
time we meet. He has to say something to me
in Europa and then has to tell me how to respond,
and then I just keep practicing and practicing. So you know,
(27:28):
those are the every some of the everyday things I do.
Speaker 2 (27:32):
That's amazing. I just have this vision like I'm going
to find out this information and then I'm gonna fly
there and they're gonna just be welcome me, welcoming me
with open arms.
Speaker 3 (27:40):
Wait.
Speaker 4 (27:40):
I have a question, So once on the once you
get your results back, is there a way to connect
you with your people kind of like can you connect
with people like in Africa, Like, can I find my cousins?
Speaker 1 (27:54):
That's a great question. So the type of testing we
get that all the time. The type of testing that
we do does not allow for connections because when we
compiled our database, everything was anonymous. Again we're talking more
than thirty years ago, and people weren't making connections like that.
So what we do have is two things. One we
(28:15):
have an online community.
Speaker 5 (28:17):
Three things.
Speaker 1 (28:18):
We have an online community and so people who've taken
the test can go there and share information and share resources.
We are establishing. We have established relationships with several of
the embassies. Since we're located in DC, that's very easy,
and so we're starting to see more activities where the
(28:39):
embassies are opening up to welcome people who share their ancestry.
And then we have African Ancestry family Reunions, which are
specially curated birthright journeys home and so we've taken people
home too.
Speaker 5 (28:55):
Sorly Young.
Speaker 3 (28:58):
Technique. It's so crazy it said that.
Speaker 2 (29:01):
I literally just told Orlando, I was like, I wonder
if Africa has birthright and he's like, what's that? Because
I we grow up hearing about birthright from the Jewish
friends that we have in LA they get to go
to Israel. I'm like, it's a program, you get to
go to your homeland for free. But I only heard
about like for Israel. I didn't know if they had
it offered it for like Africans. That's it. Also, I
want to know because if embassies are accepting it. What
(29:22):
I really wanted to learn my ancestry for is so
I can get my dual cuitizenship and I have my
paperwork when I go to the embassy and I said,
give me my passport.
Speaker 3 (29:29):
Yeah, I was like, is that yeah? Could we do?
Speaker 2 (29:31):
This is really what I want.
Speaker 1 (29:34):
There's one country, the country of Sierra Leone, that from
twenty twenty one to twenty twenty three offered citizenship based
on africanancestry dot Com test results. They have not renewed.
They have a new Minister of Tourism and they have
not renewed the program yet this year, but we're hopeful
(29:54):
that they will restart the program. That's the only country
right now that has had an official citizenship program based
on DNA. But there are other countries like the country
of Benin, for example, that I'm reading is planning to
start offering citizenship based on DNA and so they're opening
(30:17):
up to the idea. But many of these countries their
constitutions don't allow for dual citizenship, like Cameroon, So we're
working with them to see, Okay, if it's not citizenship,
is it a long term visa, is it residency? What
are the kinds of things that you can offer to
encourage the descendants to come home.
Speaker 4 (30:40):
How many people actually like followed through with that and
got citizenship and Syria and within that time period.
Speaker 5 (30:48):
At least three hundred Okay.
Speaker 2 (30:50):
I bet because baby, don't let me get my little
green light. Yes, right, and like when you do.
Speaker 3 (30:55):
That to your kids, also get citizenship too.
Speaker 4 (30:57):
I probably have to pay a fee, but probably, yeah,
they give it to the kids.
Speaker 3 (31:03):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (31:03):
I had someone had told me this a long time ago,
and that was like it's always stuck in my mind
that that was like an option like based on the dispora.
But yeah, I mean we deserve to go back and
like experience where we came from.
Speaker 3 (31:16):
You know.
Speaker 2 (31:18):
Yes, as a child literally I always thought about that.
I'm like, so you're telling me they stole us and
then we stayed here. I never understood it. I was like,
I just don't get it. I understand why we just
didn't leave once we figured out this information, Why don't we.
Speaker 3 (31:32):
Just go back home. I think it's hard to get back.
Speaker 2 (31:34):
I know I feel like to get back, But as
a child, I just if you've heard about it, but
as a child, I just could not understand why we
were still here in this craziness. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (31:45):
So as the time, I think it's time, I can't
wait any longer.
Speaker 3 (31:49):
Tell me who I am, doctor Page.
Speaker 1 (31:51):
So you're going to go first, Yeah, sure, okay, Okay,
So Erica, we trace. We had your father take the test,
and so the information that I'm going to give you
is about your father's mother's.
Speaker 5 (32:09):
Mother's mother's mothers.
Speaker 1 (32:11):
And you know you got half of your DNA from
your father, So this is as much your ancestry as
it is your father's. We did find his, your ancestry,
your grandmother's ancestry in Africa. We found it in a
country that is known as Africa in miniature, because when
(32:34):
you go to this country, it has the same landscape
as every country found. You can find every landscape that
is found on the continent in this country. There's the
same diversity of foods, the same diversity of cultures. It
has both English and French as its official language, so
(32:55):
when you travel there, you will be able to communicate
with with some people in the country. And this country
is called Cameroon.
Speaker 5 (33:10):
I know you're familiar.
Speaker 1 (33:11):
With Cameroon because you've seen the laundry list of percentages.
But we went farther, so we're not saying Cameroon. Maybe
some part of Cameroon, maybe some part of Congo. Maybe No,
we found exact matches with your DNA, your father's maternal
mitochondrial DNA among the.
Speaker 5 (33:31):
T Car people. The t Car people are people living
in Cameroon today.
Speaker 1 (33:38):
And what I love about the t Car people is
that they are the artists and the artisans of the culture.
So most many of the masks you'll see our t
Car masks, they had writing and printing before the appearance
of any white person to set foot on the country,
(33:58):
in the country or on the land in fact the
t Car So as a t Car person, you are
a descendant of the bay Mun kingdom, and the bah
Mun Kingdom has the oldest written manuscripts in the on the.
Speaker 5 (34:13):
Continent of Africa. They have been writing for a very
very long time. There are a lot of other.
Speaker 3 (34:20):
I'm sorry, it was called the boom on the b
A m o u n.
Speaker 5 (34:28):
The ba Mun Kingdom.
Speaker 1 (34:30):
And you are a t Car descendant, so the t
Car people t I k A R. You have so
many Cameroon cousins. The Cameroon is one of the countries
that we find results from the most often. So when
we're talking about t Car, we're talking about people.
Speaker 5 (34:50):
Like Quincy Jones.
Speaker 1 (34:53):
You're talking about people like Sheryl Lee Ralph. And then
in terms of Cameroon, like your broader Cameroonian cousins Taraji
p Henson. We trace to the MafA people living in Cameroon.
Erica Badu.
Speaker 3 (35:15):
This Erica we related. Girl, I knew it. I knew.
I knew that it wasn't just Erica for no reason.
Speaker 1 (35:21):
So this is information that is the same. You can
share this information with every single person who has descended
from your paternal grandmother or even her mother. The result
is the same for all of them.
Speaker 5 (35:34):
Wow, the congratulations.
Speaker 3 (35:38):
Excited.
Speaker 4 (35:39):
I can't wait to do more research on the Tikar
people and the Bouman Kingdom bam Bamun, the Ba Moon Kingdom.
Hear that from a kingdom a slavey ship bitch.
Speaker 2 (35:53):
I mean that's important when you when for American children,
our history begins at slavery, so you say psychological and
subconsciously you don't even think about how that resonates in
our spirits and like says, like you know, paves the
way for how we look at ourselves as literally everyone
in this country starts like history at slavery, and that
is damaging. No, And when.
Speaker 4 (36:13):
You said kingdom and association with my lineage, it made
me feel even emotional. Yeah, I'm like, wow, I mean
I know I'm a queen. No, no, for sure, but
I mean I knew, but like from where? So wow,
that's that's so amazing. Thank you, thank you, thank you,
thank you.
Speaker 1 (36:31):
And speaking of Cameron, I have a great story about
a young he's a young man now.
Speaker 5 (36:36):
His name is Julian.
Speaker 1 (36:37):
He is the step stool chef on Instagram. He started
a business helping kids learn how teaching kids how to cook,
and so back when he was about nine, he was
at one of those international day at schools like you
talked about Nila, and they put a big map up
on the wall and told the kids to put a
(36:57):
pin in their country. And he went home to his
mother and was like, where am I supposed to put
my pen? So she got him a test and he
took it, and we traced him to the t car
people living in Cameroon and also the Booby people on
Bioko Island, and when I asked him how he felt,
(37:19):
he said, well, now I can put two pins in
the map, and he was just, you know, so empowered.
Speaker 5 (37:24):
And then his little sister when she went to.
Speaker 1 (37:26):
Participate in that, she had something, she had someplace to
put her pens. But taking it a step further, he
has incorporated a recipe for Cameroon Joel off Rice in
his cooking classes and his cooking instructions. So that's another
way that you can connect with your children about this
(37:48):
and about your ancestries, even through the food.
Speaker 4 (37:51):
Right right, Wow, I mean god, it's so it's I mean,
it's not crazy, but it is a little bit like
how I guess tone deaf schools can be, right, and
just our society can be when it comes to those
type of activities for children and just in general and
even in the workplace. Like you said, it's like, are
(38:12):
you really you really asking me this? Like are you
like what? Yeah, it kind of feels that way. Yeah,
So Mila and Jamila, are you ready ready?
Speaker 1 (38:24):
So, Mila, you took the test. So we've traced your
mother's mother's mother's mother's line and we found your maternal
roots among.
Speaker 5 (38:35):
Two groups of people.
Speaker 1 (38:36):
So we found the exact same matches in the country
of Nigeria among the Uruba people and the House of People. Wow,
so you had the House the House of State in
New Jersey in Nigeria.
Speaker 5 (38:57):
I'm like, we're in a New Jersey.
Speaker 1 (38:59):
Coming in Nigeria is in the northern part of the country.
The Yoraba are in the southwestern part of the country.
But of course there's movement. You know, these ethnic groups
are cultural and social. They're not genetic, and so you
can have people in different groups that have the same genetics,
(39:19):
which is what has happened in your case.
Speaker 2 (39:21):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (39:21):
So when we talk about the Yoraba, one of the
things that the Yuruba are well known for is their
spiritual system. This spiritual system has lived far beyond Nigeria.
They took us when they took Europa from Nigeria, they
took the spiritual system with them. And so you find
(39:42):
Euraba practiced in Brazil and Cuba and here and in
other Caribbean countries, and it's centered around the Aorishas, which
are different manifestations of God.
Speaker 5 (39:56):
And so.
Speaker 1 (39:58):
Yamaya is one of the Aorasias and I picked her
because she is the mother of all of the orisias,
and she is considered the source of all waters, and
of course water is what gives us.
Speaker 3 (40:16):
Life, right.
Speaker 1 (40:18):
And then among with the house of people, we're cousins because.
Speaker 5 (40:25):
To the house.
Speaker 1 (40:26):
And what I know for sure about the house of
which I mentioned is that they're all about business. Like
Nigerians tell me that there's nothing that happens in Nigeria
that's about business. If a house, a person's not involved.
Speaker 5 (40:41):
The other cool things.
Speaker 1 (40:42):
Speaking of kingdoms and queendoms, Queen Amina was a house
a queen and Queen Amina was so incredibly dope. And
one of the things that she sort of brought into
battle was the idea of armor. Of this of chain mail.
(41:06):
I don't know if you're familiar, but it looks like
an armor made out of chains like people wear it
now fashionably. But Queen Amina really ran things during her
time period. Of course, so you two have a connection
to a very powerful, powerful woman. You come from the
legacy of a very powerful woman in terms of your
(41:29):
cousins besides me. Let's see LeVar Burton. We trace to
the house of people. Remy Ma, we traced to the
house of people. I'll send you a list of the
other people both of you that you share, you know,
(41:51):
a common ancestry with your cousins, if you will. And
so the exciting thing about Nigeria is that it is
the most populous country in Africa. You see so many
people living in Brazil who are carrying on Nigerian traditions
because Brazil has the most Black people living outside of Africa.
(42:17):
And we have an African ancestry family reunion coming up
to Nigeria. So you'll be able to come with us
to Nigeria. Erico will be able to come with us
to a care maroon. Whenever you guys are ready to
make the voyage.
Speaker 3 (42:33):
I already when the dates.
Speaker 2 (42:37):
When the date, Okay, I'm going to get my outfits together.
I'll be there, Okay, just tell me one time.
Speaker 1 (42:45):
And we talked about Fayla you know earlier. Nigeria is
very Nigerian culture is very prominent these days, with you know,
from Feli and Afrobeat to the current Robeat's artists, who
are you know, just burning up the charts, and so
there's a lot of African culture to celebrate in the
(43:08):
mainstream now and from both of your individual present day
countries to celebrate as well.
Speaker 2 (43:14):
Wow, I can't wait. I could call my mom.
Speaker 3 (43:16):
Are you surprised?
Speaker 2 (43:17):
I am? I mean, yeah, how would I know? But
I'm but I'm excited and I want to do my
dad's too, because now I'm really really curious. So thank
you for that information. I'm excited. Now I'm going home
to the motherland.
Speaker 1 (43:29):
Yes, And thank you ladies, because it's you know, this
is you never know what the answer is going to be.
And I appreciate that you were willing to share this
experience with your listeners and with your family, and that
you trusted us because, in fact, I hadn't mentioned this before,
but we're the only company that does not sell or
(43:51):
share your DNA. In fact, we don't monetize it at all.
So now that you've taken the test, your your DNA
has been destroyed. And we may a strategic decision to
do that when we started the company, because we didn't
want fear of what we're going to do with someone's
DNA to keep them from the power of this information.
Speaker 2 (44:14):
Do most do most of these type of companies not
destroy the DNA.
Speaker 5 (44:18):
After Oh, absolutely so.
Speaker 2 (44:20):
So in the fine print is definitely out.
Speaker 5 (44:24):
But nobody reads the fine print going.
Speaker 3 (44:27):
With her DNA. Who knows, girl, I mean maybe she does. Well.
Speaker 1 (44:31):
I'm so Africa. The DNA of black people is extremely valuable.
I would argue it's more valuable than anybody else's DNA
because we because we are African, and there's so much
variation in the DNA of African people and African descendants.
And so if you can solve cure, a cure for
(44:53):
a disease, or solve a problem using a Black person,
then you've solved it for every everyone.
Speaker 5 (45:01):
And so our DNA is.
Speaker 1 (45:02):
Extremely valuable, and it is being researched, and it is
being shared, and it is being monetized. And that's why
other tests can charge ninety nine dollars forty nine dollars
because they're not making their money off the DNA. You're
paying them to tell you that you're from West Africa,
(45:24):
and then they're using it and monetizing it on a
whole other.
Speaker 2 (45:29):
Scope, on a whole day market that you're not even
aware of and what specifically they're even testing for what
they're creating.
Speaker 3 (45:34):
They're making so much more money on that back end.
Speaker 1 (45:36):
Yeah, and so I would like to say that it
is important that we participate as black people, that we
participate in research for that very reason, because you can't
if you solve it for a white person, for example,
it won't necessarily work on us. So we need to
participate and we need to contribute. But you need to
be aware of what you're doing and feel comfortable that
(46:00):
you know what's being done with your genetic information. So
people go out there, participate in clinical trials with you know,
organizations that are credible, that you believe in. Don't shy
away from it, but just be informed. I guess what I'm.
Speaker 4 (46:14):
Saying, Yeah, I guess when you put it in that
in that perspective, it does change the narrative of why
it is important for us to participate so that we
can heal not just the world, but ourselves. So like
when you're doing testing on other races, those and then
then they're cured, and then they give us that medicine
(46:36):
and then it doesn't work on us, and in fact,
it does the total opposite I mean that that makes
total sense, and I never even realized. I never associated
I guess those type of tests with race essentially, and
how one could be way more potent than the other.
I mean obviously I know that, like I know just
(46:57):
because I've been told, you know, with people tell us
black people we are this, we are that, we are that,
and we feel it, we feel that in our bodies
and our bones. But to hear it also to know
the science behind it too, I think is really important
as well. I'm really excited because you guys have been
so gracious to us and our tribe. Here, African Ancestry
(47:19):
is giving away two tests.
Speaker 3 (47:22):
And these tests they ain't cheap.
Speaker 2 (47:24):
Girl.
Speaker 3 (47:25):
You can go on the website and go check it out.
Speaker 2 (47:26):
This is like a seven hundred dollars value. So you
need to put in look at the description, see what
the guidelines are. Submit your entry so you can understand.
Speaker 3 (47:35):
Tell you the guidelines. The guidelines are.
Speaker 4 (47:38):
You need to follow African Ancestry, you need to be
following Good Mom's Bad Choices on Instagram, and you need
to join our newsletter. Okay, so send a screenshot of
all those things and then dm us at Good Mom's
underscore Bad Choices to enter. We're also going to be
posting this on Instagram in case you forget, but follow
African Ancestry, follow Good Mom's Bad Choices and join our
(47:59):
newsletter Good Moms by Choices dot com and show us proofbaby,
because you deserve this, you really do.
Speaker 2 (48:05):
It's important you deserve that gift to gift to your
kids as well. Yeah, thank you so much for this
information and for sharing and sitting with us and chatting
with us and telling the people. I think a lot
of us are going to make the move and invest
in knowing where we come from.
Speaker 1 (48:20):
An overused African saying is that it takes a village.
But we really do appreciate your platform and being on
your platform to help help spread the word. We are
not a humongous company like the others, and we rely
on our people to help us grow.
Speaker 2 (48:37):
So thank you for having me, no problem anytime.
Speaker 3 (48:40):
Thank you and can where can they find you? Is
it Africanancestry dot com.
Speaker 5 (48:45):
That's it African Ancestry dot com.
Speaker 1 (48:47):
We're on all the socials as at African Ancestry and
we're on YouTube as African Ancestry DNA perfect.
Speaker 4 (48:56):
Thank you doctor Paige for joining us, and I look
forward to hearing the results of whoever wins this giveaway.
Speaker 3 (49:05):
Oh yeah, yeah yeah, so thank you, thank you.
Speaker 2 (49:09):
Wow. That was amazing.
Speaker 3 (49:11):
I am so happy. I'm so happy that African ancestry exists.
I'm so happy. Fuck ancestry do I honestly, because I
was out here telling people I was Nigerian. Its you Nigerian.
I'm not even Nigerian.
Speaker 2 (49:22):
They lied And you know what, I also heard some
of those I've heard some of those, uh those other tests,
like are incriminating people in jail?
Speaker 3 (49:31):
Oh oh, they're putting them into Oh wow.
Speaker 2 (49:32):
Yeah, so we need to like stay away from them.
Speaker 3 (49:34):
Well I don't. I mean, I'm not worried about.
Speaker 2 (49:36):
I mean, I'm not worried that, but you never know,
you never know what needs to happen on any given day.
I don't need anyone in my business just in case. Well,
I think it's terror time because I think the cards.
Speaker 4 (49:46):
Need to come through and tell us speak through us,
speak through our ancestral lineage. So what did you pull?
So today I pulled a card I've never pulled before.
I didn't even know this card existed. I pulled the
Hermit I have it right here.
Speaker 2 (50:01):
Okay, I'm gonna pull up the other one. And I
pulled the world I love did that one?
Speaker 4 (50:05):
So, the hermit says, soul searching, introspection, being alone in
her guidance, this feels right on time. The hermit shows
that you are taking a break from everyday life to
draw your energy and attention inward and find the answers
you seek deep within your soul. You realize that your
most profound sense of truth and knowledge is within yourself
(50:27):
and not in the distraction of the outside world. You
leave behind the mundane to set off on a journey
of self discovery, led only by your inner wisdom and
guiding light. Now is the perfect time to go on
a weekend retreat. Hello, I'm actually going on a retreat
next week. Wow, on a sacred pilgrimage, anything in which
you can contemplate your motivations, personal values and principles and
(50:49):
get close to your authentic self. The hermit often appears
when you are at a pivotal point in your life
and considering a new direction. Through meditation, contemplation, and self examination,
and you may begin to reevaluate your personal goals and
change your overall course you will look at your life
with a deeper, more spiritual understanding, and a few of
your priorities will change as a result.
Speaker 2 (51:11):
I think we did pull that before, because I'm amber meditation, contemplation.
Speaker 3 (51:15):
No, that was a different car that said that.
Speaker 5 (51:17):
It was.
Speaker 3 (51:18):
The last thing was when I was out there. I
think it was two of cups.
Speaker 2 (51:22):
This next one is the World. It's a beautiful woman
and she's an only a sky with flutes flying in
the air, and it's completion, integration, accomplishment, travel, the World card. Wait,
let's see I described it. When the World card appears
in a tarot reading, you're glowing with a sense of wholeness, achievement, fulfillment,
(51:44):
and completion. A long term project, period of study, relationship,
or career has come full circle, and you're now reveling
in the sense of closure and accomplishment. This card could
represent graduation, a marriage, the birth of a child, or
achieving long held dream of ass inspiration. You have finally
accomplished your goal or purpose. Everything has come together and
(52:04):
you're in the right place, doing the right thing, achieving
what you have envisioned. You feel whole and complete. Now
the World card invites you to reflect on your journey.
Honor your achievements and tune into your spiritual lessons. Celebrate
your successes and bask in the joy of having brought
your goals to fruition. All the triumphs and tribulations along
your path have made you into the strong, wise, more
(52:27):
experienced person that you are now. Express gratitude for what
you've created and harvested, and finally, make sure you don't
rush into the next big project. Celebrating your journey will
set you up for success when you are ready for
your next challenge.
Speaker 3 (52:42):
Take your time.
Speaker 2 (52:42):
I'll received that my birthday is going to be in
a few days, and just easeon. End thirty six, Just float,
float accomplishment.
Speaker 4 (52:54):
Yes, stayed alive, You're healthy, You're successful, kept a baby alive.
Speaker 2 (53:01):
How about that, Barley Barley ce, Oh my god, what
was she saying?
Speaker 3 (53:10):
What was the thing she was yelling at?
Speaker 2 (53:12):
I'm legally blind?
Speaker 3 (53:13):
She said, like six she was She was like shouting
out a gang or some ship. She said something like.
Speaker 2 (53:19):
It wasn't a streets sometime.
Speaker 3 (53:20):
What she was saying, what was it?
Speaker 2 (53:23):
Po? Po, P put it down, put it down, pop.
I'm legally blind. I don't even do it I can
barley see. I need to check on her where she at,
Probably in jail because she could barely see.
Speaker 3 (53:36):
Bitch could see? Please pop put it is not legally
blind nothing.
Speaker 2 (53:40):
I hope she got off. I hope YopE got her
ship together.
Speaker 3 (53:42):
Oh my lord.
Speaker 4 (53:44):
Anyway, anyway, y'all, y'all know where to find us at
Good Mom's Underscore Bad Choices on Instagram. Make sure you
go rate and review this episode. Join our Patreon because
we have a lot of bonus content there. We've been
posting full episodes there during our off season, so I
know y'all think we're off season, but we are sort of,
but not for the tribe. On Patreon, we also have
(54:06):
our Discord community there where hundreds and hundreds of people
are communicating and talking every single day. We're announcing our
retreat and if you didn't get to come to Costa
Rica last year, now's your chance. We have other locations too,
which I'm really excited about. So make sure you go
to Good Momsbad Choices dot com and check out our retreat,
(54:27):
or go to the Good Vibe Retreat and see the vibes. Anyway,
I love you, love you, and I love you love you.
Speaker 3 (54:36):
Bye bye.
Speaker 5 (55:00):
Record the lollas
Speaker 2 (55:01):
And then they asked
Hosts And Creators
Erica Dickerson
Jamilah Mapp
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