I REACT: Italian American 23andMe Results

[@nytn]

🟢Watch AD FREE on Patreon: www.patreon.com/NYTN ▶Sign up for the e-mail list here! nytonashville.com/connect 🟢Send me a coffee!: ko-fi.com/nytn13#linkModal ▶Download the first section FREE of my "Be a Good ancestor" course here: nytonashville.com/shoplola/be-a-good-ancestor-course-digital-download-videos-bjks6 ▶Get the full course to save your family history here: nytonashville.com/shoplola/be-a-good-ancestor-course-digital-download-videos 7

[@nytn]

Yes! I had someone check my raw dna and it said I matched with the Sally Hemmings descendants! I have done zero work on that yet. I’m going to write this down so I don’t forget

[@kingkush8201]

Danelle ,I suggest you read "The Willie Lynch Letter",if you haven't already. Very essential read. And if you ever really witnessed the brutality lashed upon the slave,then you can for sure understand why families able to "pass",did so. We appreciate your work so much,and sharing your journey with us🙏

[@nytn]

I have not read this, thank you so much for sending the rec to me!

[@kingkush8201]

@@nytn so welcome 🙏!

[@bluetinsel7099]

With this story the family may have been brought up culturally Italian, Spanish or southern European. Over time they may have considered themselves those cultures above things based on the culture they were raised in. It still happens today where people may come from another country to America, and after a number of generations they just call themselves American, even though they may be something completely different. Or if you take a couple from Kazakhstan and they move to Brazil and have children who have children for generations to come, by the time those generations pass by, those descendants of the Kazakhstan couple would most likely consider themselves Brazilian and not Kazakhstani also they may have mixed in with the local population over time so the initial dna make up could also change, unless there is a community there of the same people that mix among themselves. So if when mixes take place, the people don’t keep up with the changes then over time the history gets skewed and it can cause confusion with lineage. Italians were also known to be mixed back in the day especially being in the Mediterranean where it’s in between Africa, Europe and West Asia. They used to use the one drop rule also where if a person was known to have 1 drop of “black” blood then they were considered to be black. So there is quite a bit to this.

[@vblake530530]

We care Professor . Your Great-grandmother just shed a tear through your eyes. Not tears of pain. TEARS OF JOY. I said some time ago that YOU ARE your ancestors. Don’t you see . She can’t tell her story, but you are doing it for her. She can’t cry, but you cry for her. You’re the vessel to give her peace. Roll with it Professor.

[@nytn]

I just saw your other comment!Fam I can’t tell you how much I appreciate you here.

[@joecutro7318]

Vblake530530 .....Very beautifully and well-said.

[@niecylanae33]

Yes to all of this.

[@katiefountain2407]

I'm not even into ancestry like that. But your comment was beautifully put and brought tears to my eyes... So many people had to live without a voice. Their personhood was basically illegal and they had to live in the shadows 😢

[@ojaysss]

You couldn't have said it better. A lot of us are being guided towards this path of self discovery because our anscestors need to heal these experiences through us. It is safe enough to be ourselves now. Your ancestors must be very proud.

[@tbrown4080]

Italian and Native American are sometimes a front for mixed with black in the past.

[@frankonolfi7328]

Like Johnny Cash's first wife

[@JasonMuex-s5k]

That realization of anti-blackness is real and when you find out how close it is to home 😢

[@darthdooku6483]

​@@frankonolfi7328Johnny Cash was a Gangster and kept it real.

[@jg3000]

Sicily is one of the most invaded places in history. If you say your sicilan and you show a little something else. You're probably still sicilian.

[@chuckdeuces911]

No were a front, now a badge of honor and a special card to play

[@tiredoftrolls2629]

Don't worry about being emotional. We are all descendants of survivors. They did what they did to survive and sometimes we just can't comprehend it.

[@primategaberocco]

Mrs Romero is all class.

[@catlady6165]

I don’t understand why you don’t comprehend it. Knowing Jim Crow south of course they protected themselves, if they could pass. The funny part about white ppl finding out about their African DNA is; why is any southern white person surprise they have African DNA.? White slave owners were raping African slaves from day one and often. African American history matters because it impacts white ppl as well. Your family members who could pass for white lived in fear.and most who could pass left their family members who couldn’t. They went out on their own with no family never to see them again. Johnny Cash fought like crazy claiming his wife was not blk. She claimed she was Italian but pictures gave her away. There are stories of ppl interviewing ppl who are passing they are full of fear of getting caught. Some of these ppl are married into wealthy white families.. .

[@komiczar]

Learning the art and science of essential compassionate empathy in our inner/over/understanding leads to the path of comprehening the Human matters that consider time, place, circumstance, and situation.

[@insearchofYAH]

All facts. I think about that very reality frequently. We’re the descendants of survivors. Blows my mind.

[@saylorgirl799]

Absolutely THIS!

[@0kitten00]

I am always so touched when I watch your videos. I started watching you a while ago quite by accident when I was looking up something on ancestry on KZbin, I was drawn in by the way that you explained things and the depth and the research that you did. Please try not to feel bad. You are not in anyway of fraud. Your life, your heritage, your information, is out there in a way and format, which most people would be frightened of. I for one applaud, your courage , you transparency and your sensitivity. ❤

[@brenkelly8163]

Yes, she’s no fraud but genuine. But her ancestors were “forced” to feel like frauds by passing. Thanks much.

[@AmyC28713]

Imposter syndrome is the first thing most of us often feel when we piece together our family trees and roots. But know two things: you are no fraud and you are not alone (the thousands of ancestors before you, they got your back)

[@artstation707]

She doesn't have thousands of ancestors. She derives from pairs of ancestors numbered at or around a hundred.

[@chet1921]

What’s “imposter syndrome”?

[@artstation707]

@@chet1921 I suppose its something people feel when they realize they're not who they pretend to be.

[@chet1921]

@@artstation707 Ty. I figured. Too busy to look it up. Thank for the feedback.

[@bruceblocker1545]

A fraud is someone who pretends to be something they KNOW they are not. Erase the geographical names and it becomes easier to understand that we come from all over the world. What we biologically share is far more amazing than the few things that differentiate us. SIMPLY AMAZING !!! 😏😏😏

[@gazoontight]

Happy Birthday. Don't feel like a fraud. You're not. The use of DNA for genealogy is an evolving field and your story is an evolving story. This has been a fascinating channel to watch. I do hope that you will continue. A few years ago, I read something (I don't remember where) about how it is important to distinguish between your job and your work. Your job is how you earn your money. Your work is what gives your life meaning, what your life's purpose is. I believe that this research is your work, your contribution to the world. Thank you and keep it up.

[@creoleladisallthatjazznblu6952]

Happy St Patrick’s Day!!! ☘️☘️☘️ From the Black Catholic that found out she’s 30% Irish a year ago. 😂😊😂

[@t-four446]

Type in Kurimeo Ahau- The black Irish, that video taught me a lot ❤️

[@andymullins84]

That's so cool! Happy St. Patrick's Day! We found out we have a bit of Angolan on my Dad's side that most likely came from Atlantic Creoles (Virginia)

[@rumpoleonthehilloldchap]

yes celebrate your Irish/atlantean history.

[@creoleladisallthatjazznblu6952]

@@andymullins84 That is cool! I am Louisiana Creole! I’m familiar with the Creoles from the Carolinas already, because I used to live in Savannah, Georgia. Not familiar with those from Virginia though. Nice!

[@creoleladisallthatjazznblu6952]

@@rumpoleonthehilloldchap Yes! 30% Irish and 9% Italian. 39% Lol I’m 38% Black. So, I guess I’m just as Irish and Italian as I am Black. 😂 So bizarre to me.

[@tams9019]

Hi! I remember that a few years ago I was researching racial mixtures in America and there was an interview with a family who was both Cajun AND Creole. And they said that the census in the 1800s used to have "mulatto" as a racial category. In fact, that is how my great great grandparents are listed on the census of that tie. But in the census in either 1910 or 1920, they dropped mulatto as a designation. According to this Cajun/Creole family, overnight their family was split. THe more white looking people started checking White and the darker sides became black. And that many families were split like this. But these guys said that most Cajuns had some black and most Creoles had white blood in them. I have not been able to find this article since, but I found it quite interesting.

[@whoahna8438]

Mulatto was just used for how a person looked, even tho it said race, it was just how someone looked. I have ancestors in the same household of parents and children and the parents and children are often listed differently. Some are listed as Mulatto on one census and then Black on the very next census just like surnames are spelled differently sometimes, sometimes William is spelled Guilliame. I and my ancestors are and were from Louisiana from Cajun and Creole families and I am Black.

[@markoredano9141]

No, no, no it can't be so simple! She had to have "seen or gone through something REALLY BAD!" /s.

[@bluetinsel7099]

Many Créole people were fathered by Cajun men. So créole is a type of mix just as Mulatto is a type of mix etc. so when you get into the mixes and what they mean it can help with clarity. Créole especially in Louisiana used to be fathered by a French or Spanish man and later included other ethnicities like English or German etc. ethnicities are types of mixed. Haplogroups get into who people descend from through their moms, moms, moms, line all the way back or their dads, dads, dads all the way back or even the dads, moms, moms, moms line going back.

[@Visionary0001]

Your Great-grandmother saw enough lynchings that she KNEW she had to do everything possible to escape the perpetual FEAR she had to deal with. To her, being anything other than Black was a golden ticket to a better and safer life, period.

[@komiczar]

Just the hearsay and news reports of lynchings would be more than enough to confuse the "fight or flight" response to enable a person to take the necessary measures to survive with whatever limited knowledge they had at the time.

[@babynblue2723]

I hope she held a deep compassion for the people and families that had been lynched.

[@markwilson5967]

I never looked at it that way! That's so true! I just saw it as self hate but when you mention the aspect of lynchings and all the other obstacles blacks faced it makes sense to try and pass for white.

[@ronaldpalmore570]

​@@markwilson5967coward. Fight or leave but I ain't gone ever try to pass.

[@markwilson5967]

@@ronaldpalmore570 back in the day just having a disagreement with a white Person could get you lynched.

[@craigreynolds2641]

Its about time we all accept who we are with no shame. Diversity makes us more interesting.

[@erics9213]

Hey Danielle, your work is incredibly important so don't think that it is all a waste because of someone's else's issue with race. Even within my African American family, there were many secrets that died with my grandparents and great grand parents. I didn't have the nerve to ask my grandmother on my father's side why her skin was so light and her hair so straight. Her husband, my grandfather was a very dark man from Austin TX. Then, my mom is dark like me but her sister looks like Marilyn Monroe. She didn't even know that my grandfather wasn't her father until she went and got her birth certificate for a passport. These were family secrets that nearly died with my grandmother. My cousins from Harrisburg and Philadelphia PA look like that have some native American blood in then from their facial features. I think there was a lot of shame that was better buried back then for obvious reasons. That's one positive in this day and age; liberation of the mind. Have a good day!

[@rasiris9006]

There is something spiritual in the way you speak truth. Blessings. Love it.

[@ossasjn477]

Watching you work it out live, helps all of us. Tk you. Really dig this channel

[@LIL-MAN-THE-OG]

sista...I have been with your channel since the beginning. You a real one and I like seeing all the stones you pull to better understand the tapestry that is your family story. Me and my family have been on a similar path and we gotta keep putting these stories out there

[@philipfraietta3422]

Another great video...I just want to say you are super intelligent, caring, sensitive and beautiful...Your parents must be very proud, I know I would be

[@marcosmaisterra4477]

Once again, I am drawn into your story so beautifully told. Thank you for sharing this with us. Blessings and peace to you.

[@narcissismrehabilitation]

I appreciate you. Today is my 23rd wedding anniversary. 🎉I think 💭 about my family history and their stories and track a lot of behaviors. There are many stories of trauma that are embedded there and that is why it’s hidden. There is so much shame involved, which you have discussed before. Happy St. Patty’s Day ☘️ and no, you’re not a fraud. You’re coming on board and learning every single day and sharing with everyone what you learn. It’s OJT. 😊 You got this!

[@SpanishEclectic]

Finding out something you believed your whole life is not true can hit you to your core. Families kept quiet about the past for various reasons. After my Mom passed away, I learned why her father rarely talked about his family, other than his favorite sister and younger brother; his oldest brother had undiagnosed mental illness and had terrorized the family. This is certainly the reason Granddad left Ohio in the 1920s. A friend of mine had a different story; his father was Ojibwe, and had joined the Canadian Army during WWII to escape the poverty on the Reservation. When my friend moved to Toronto as a young man in the 1970s, his father said to tell people he was Italian, 'because it would make everything easier'. I have not done DNA yet, but while my mother's mother's family are documented as born in either "the German States" or Prussia in the 1800s, the family story is that these dark-haired, dark-eyed ancestors were Huguenots who escaped France in the 1500s. I have a suspicion they might actually have been Jewish.

[@debismith6239]

Our ancestry tree and dna go back to Channel Islands. We are also supposed to be French Huguenot, among others. We keep wondering where our deceased dad got his dark complexion and hair but no Jewsh, African, or native American shows up. He is our bio father. One of these days maybe the Ancestry DNA adjustments will catch up.

[@thumbstruck]

Anywhere in the world, humans mix. They always have. My uncle was from France - part German, with some Russian ancestry. My family is from northern Scandinavia - Swede, Norwegian, with Finn mixed in, possibly Sami, and way back some German/Danish. We are what we are. We have all survived and, hopefully, learned. We all cook good things, have stories, and make friends.

[@psaddler2426]

It’s my first time watching one of your videos. I have have no idea of how much you know about the history of race in America or the current racial climate. In current day, it’s hard for Black people to be treated like human beings in every institution that exists in this country- the justice system, education, healthcare, etc. Your Black ancestors would have been treated with less respect back then than a blacks are treated with today. That dehumanization would have been on them anytime they stepped outside of their home and in their face daily. It is sad and hard to comprehend. People who have always been treated with dignity and respect often can’t imagine it. I wish you the best as you continue to unravel and process your family heritage.

[@nytn]

Welcome! And thank you for this ♥️

[@dpeasehead]

@psaddler2426: So, yet another family was broken up and yet another identity concocted to in order to avoid the "contamination" and the costs and the serious risks tied to being black in "the land of opportunity..." This is a very old American story and one which has been repeated, buried, and then resurrected, or not, countless times. Threads like this expose the amount of denial which is practiced in the US when it comes to dealing honestly or seriously with the long history of legitimizing anti-black bigotry in the US and with the ongoing consequences and human costs of that behavior. Anti-black racism is one of the key elements of American identity, and, in spite of lots of feel good mythology to the contrary, it is also deeply embedded in lots of other cultures. No one ever asks who kept the ideology and warped racist values of the slave masters alive in a so-called nation of immigrants for generations after the original slave masters were dead.

[@GenericUsername1388]

Growing up i always knew my ancestry and felt pretty jealous of people with more ambiguous families being able to learn more about it through modern dna tests/genealogy, but now I'm aware for a lot of people who thought they were one thing their whole life only to learn they are something totally different could cause severe identity issues. So i feel for them too

[@richardrobinson4159]

Thank you for sharing your experience and your journey. Thank you for helping others share their journey and struggles, as well. You are very inspirational. You are helping many others way more than you realize. Keep up the great work.

[@johnhurt4792]

This is extremely common in the south. I’m a pale redheaded man , you would never know I’m 6 percent African. My grandmother always told us we were Native American, I think she knew the truth because she always wore long sleeves and stayed out of the sun. So I dna tested my mom and she is 14 percent.

[@jhoward5722]

Once again DNA test are only for entertainment purposes read the small print. I call it white folks playing with your mind

[@peachygal4153]

Not that long ago really pale skin was considered prized. Sunbathing to darken your skin I am guessing became popular around the 1930's. I grew up in the 60's. We all wanted to get a "nice tan." My mom grew up in the late 1930's/ early1940's and her generation was like that too, but my grandmother found that "faddish." she was born around the turn of the 20th century, and she prized keeping her skin pale. Now we know sunbathing causes skin cancer. So people use self-tanners. anyway, my point, tanning or keeping your skin pale were different fads for different generations and was not always about hiding racial roots. Now my mother-in-law grew up in the 1940's. She's a bit younger than my mom, and she was very proud she tanned easily and was a natural blond with green/gray eyes. Her looks were what Hollywood prized as beauty and how most young white women wanted to look in the 1940's. Thanks to genealogy and the release of census records we discovered her great grandfather was biracial and passed as Cherokee. His wife was white. She grew up believing that her family was just white with some Cherokee ancestry. My sister-in-law in the late1990's doing genealogy discovered differently. Of course, there was always a guess that perhaps be a census taker called her ancestor "mulatto" when he really was Cherokee; so we had that question until DNA tests became more affordable. She took one around 2014 and discovered she was 6% West African, Nigerian and Cameroon, so around the same as you.

[@AfroFogey]

Why would 6% is so minor why would it change anything?

[@babyboy562]

@@AfroFogeywithout that 6% “Black” person or persons they wouldn’t exist numb nuts lol

[@nounnoun]

@@AfroFogey My friend! Have you heard of the infamous 'one-drop' rule? 1% or 6%, for white southerners that 'minor' amount meant that as far as they were concerned you were damaged and tainted for having African ancestry. The one-drop rule was arguably more draconian than the Nazi's Nuremberg race laws in its application.

[@goldcountryruss7035]

The populations surrounding the Mediterranean have always been fluid. A family from Gibraltar could have started anywhere. Add in the seafaring nations of England, Spain, France, Italy, and Portugal, shake, stir well, and you have today.

[@giorgiodifrancesco4590]

This is a little bullshit, that Americans love very much. Then when they come to Europe, they look desperately for Africans and they meet only newcomers.

[@doctorwhy8781]

This is Joe Manganiello. Always thought he was Italian. Proud of his last name. Came out his grandfather was a part black/part Irish man whose grandmother had an affair with during the time she was married to a man with the last name Manganiello. He is also about 10% Sub-Saharan African and never knew.

[@artstation707]

What is Sub-Saharan African? Did you know that back in day the British rounded up black London natives and deported them to the African west coast? No such thing as Sub-Saharan African exists. You're naming a place, not a race.

[@tundakyat457]

@@artstation707 I agree with you it about time we stop using that racist term and eradicate it. Sub-Sahara would actually be the middle sea area people. We should replace it with Greater Africa, Upper Africa., Super Africa.

[@artstation707]

@@tundakyat457 No. I don't mean replacing it with another version. I mean abolishing it. Instead people should be called Israelites, or Gentiles.

[@tommytom201]

Thank you for everything you do. You have one of the most beautiful hearts on the internet.. truly. God bless you and your lineage. With love and respect. ✊🏾

[@nytn]

Wow, thank you, what a generous thing to say!

[@jayqbratt6101]

Thank you so much . Today’s my birthday and This video was a gift ! The work you do matters deeply . We are all on this journey together : these results goes to show how truly connected we all truly are!

[@nytn]

Happy birthday! This is awesome. Thank you

[@culturalobserver8721]

I agree that the extreme interest that Americans have with dna tests is because so many of us have several different ethnicities within our genetics! People who live in other countries such as Scotland, Poland, Japan, etc are probably not as surprised (generally speaking) and as obsessed with their dna results as folks from the USA are. But, in a sense, we have good reason to be. 😂👍

[@elleanna5869]

Everybody is mixed as heck. The reason Europeans or Africans or Asians in their continent care less is not genetical. It's that we give priority to our culture. Having 3℅ of African dna won't make someone Polish for generations suddenly "black" or African. He will remain a proud 100℅ Polish dude. It's about being a young nation craving for identity , people who know who they belong aren't much impressed by dna accidents

[@artstation707]

@@elleanna5869 What is African DNA?

[@elleanna5869]

@@artstation707 you should ask to dna tests companies, it could shift according the technology and attribution they use.

[@ronaldmadziro5679]

I live in Australia,I work with a guy who is Greek and Italian. His mother is Italian Australian. He took a DNA test and it came out with a percentage Senegalese. He asked me how that could have happened ,I told him back in 1446 the Portuguese fought in War against Senegal,when they captured Senegalese troops and took them to the Mediterranean,that’s how the captives intermarried . Since his mother is Sicilian,it’s where many Senegalese warriors were taken by the Portuguese. It’s likely how his mother got Senegalese blood and it showed in his DNA test.

[@therealmcgoy4968]

Sometimes those are mistakes in dna tests. Small percentages should be taken as a grain of salt as they could be a mistake. Iv taken afew tests just to see my results and how different each site is. At one point 23andme said I had like 3% Jewish ancestry but then it disappeared after afew updates. I would only take larger percentages seriously and if you get genetic communities (these are more based off of genealogy).

[@ronaldmadziro5679]

@@therealmcgoy4968 Yes those small percentages must be taken with a grain of salt. However one can verify by looking back at family history generations back to see any events that might have linked them to such results. If no events happened,then it’s likely a mistake. However when events took place,it’s worth looking deeper to find any extra information.

[@Bluesapphire59]

Thank you for sharing your ancestry journey.

[@nytn]

THANK YOU for being here

[@rickrussell4900]

Please don't feel like a fraud because you are most definitely not! I admire you for being brave enough to share your journey with the world. There will always be surprises as you dig into a mystery like family history especially in the USA, with our history of racial identity being woven into almost all of our culture. I stumbled upon your channel while i was trying to figure out how to start and you have provided so many insights and a wealth of information. Thank you for giving me some tools and sharing your experience. I'm sure your ancestors are watching and are proud of you!

[@komiczar]

I know I am proud of anyone who contributes to the Human Imperative. Changing one's thinkingthat involve mental and emotional risks fortified by the virtues of courage and bravery to seek out the facts and connections that lead to the truth..

[@joecutro7318]

Hey Danielle, beautiful grief work on this post. We grieve because so much of a beautiful culture was lost or more aply stolen by the fearful and short-sighted holding unqualified power. Power to the peaceful. It's long overdue. ❤☮️🙏

[@nytn]

Americans shy away from experiencing grief, I think we really ought to embrace it and see what happens. I think lots of healing

[@manatarmsslaps]

I feel for you sis. I've been doing my family history stuff since i was about 17 years old and it's been long journey as I'm 49 now. The thing that keeps me going with all of this is that EVERY TIME I find a new person on that tree, I find a new story that is revealed. FOR ME, I've grown to realize that each person has a story that is never really told and in some instances, never known or shared but I'm finding it with the hopes of sharing and keeping it alive. I've watched so many history documentaries of other people that I have new personal connectin with but have been facinated with not realizing there are some stories in my own family that need to be told. Like my grandfather being WWII and being a chaplin in the ARMY but most importantly he was a blackman who served and had photos of all the black troops who segrated into their own divisions etc. i have photos of them playing baseball and communing together etc. That's his story.. I've come across others that have been confirmed by my mother etc. i've found long lost lines of my family that all across the country. I have people that my has never met or heard of who can cooberate stories that she has told me but they've never met. Be it bad or good sis, be encouraged as it's a journey. Hell I've found indirect relatives that came by way of SA which led to finding out about a cousin that was seemingly disowned by his own family but has a family of his own which I found from the other person that I found. It can get ugly but also can forge new relationships as well. Again be encouraged 🙏🏾

[@beaujac311]

In the last month I have been searching the family tree. I recently found that my paternal great grandad had a brother. My great grandad died before I was born. He was born in the early 1870's and his brother who may have been a half brother was born in the early 1890's. My dad was really close to his grandad (my great grandad). My dad talked about him all the time and I never recall him ever saying that his grandad had any siblings. Anyway I found the sibling (Floyd) living with his father (my great great grandad). I could not find Floyd in the 1910 census but I did find out he got married in 1912 in Tennessee and he and his spouse moved to Chicago. As I searched I came across Floyd's death certificate. He died in Chicago in 1915 and they brought him back to Tennessee to be buried. That peeked my interest because I wanted to find out how he died in Chicago at age 24. Since we are African-American I need to get access to the Chicago Defender newspaper and see if there is anything in there about his death.

[@LostNFoundASMR]

I was adopted that’s why I wanted to know. I think it’s a privilege for ppl to have grown up knowing their ethnicity and families stories.

[@komiczar]

Thank you for contributing this importantly relevant comment, that shares a perspective that few have considered.

[@LostNFoundASMR]

@@komiczar you’re welcome - ty for caring.

[@komiczar]

@@LostNFoundASMR It is my pleasure to share the inner/over/understanding given to me that was just waiting to be delivered to you. It could be that our Mother is Nature and our Father is Time.

[@portnoithegroundhog]

I keep meaning to post some appreciation for your willingness to take so much push-back on these touchy topics, but I'm always on the wrong computer when I see your vids. I've been fighting these false identities, which have been pushed down my family's throat for generations, since the 1970s. In daily interactions I still run up against these issues and I'm continually reminded that most people aren't quite ready yet to have that much of their world view pulled out from under them. Here you are, chipping away at little bits here and there as they become known to you, very patiently, as if you're uncovering a fresco underneath a sewer. You are an agent of divinity. I was especially impressed by the last video about the thing in Virginia. This is very nice work. Thank you.

[@nytn]

Thank you so much for being here, its so appreciated! And you made my day!

[@m.s9146]

Another way to pass was to pretend to be Jewish. We are in my generation between 16% - 30% Ashkenazi Jew, depending on the test. I’m missing 1/4 of my family that passed. All of my grandmother’s siblings have disappeared. We did manage to find one, after his death, he became white and served in the army, he is buried in Arlington cemetery. My grandmother could have easily passed, as well as my father but they preferred to play it straight. Though I can remember driving through the south during segregation and my father leaving my mother and me in the car to hide and my white passing brother and father buying food for all of us.

[@halfnorfolk5310]

I’m a little confused. You said your family member was Ashkenazi Jewish. The Ashkenazi people are considered Caucasian (white) yet you say “passed for white”. I’m a bit confused. How can someone “pass for white” if they’re already white? I must be missing something.

[@canesugar911]

​@@halfnorfolk5310 I don't think Jews in that time were considered white

[@kevingillard5474]

Jewish people were not 'considered White' UK n the main until the late 1800's to early 1900's. DOHHHHHH!!!!!

[@leenam.4578]

When my late mother and her late blonde sister traveled to the South (after their mother's passing), their father purchased train tickets in the white section of the train. He told them to say they were Jewish if questioned about their background. No one did. This was in the 1930s.

[@m.s9146]

@@halfnorfolk5310 he passed for a white Jew, my great grandfather was Eastern European Jew and my great grandmother was mulatto. So their children were mixed race and very white looking. That DNA passed to my generation. In the US a single drop of African blood makes you black. That’s what passing is all about. You have a Caucasian phenotype but a drop of black African ancestry. When my father, who was a graduate of a HBCU in Alabama, began his Master’s degree in a nearly all white University in Lincoln, Nebraska, on seeing him admissions assumed he was white and as a partially segregated school had him boarding with the white students, it was only when he had black visitors from his black alma mater that they realized he was a white looking mulatto. They moved him. Just like this KZbin creator, many people are shocked by their DNA results because they have a small percentage of Black African admixture. Maybe you are confusing Sephardic Jews who are dark skinned, often Moroccan, with Ashkenazi Jews who are white Europeans..

[@DjinnDesinja84]

No need to feel that way. You are you be proud of that.

[@jeffreymassey5541]

It is very courageous for anyone to go back and find out who your ancestors you really come from. Especially if you were born in North or South America.

[@artstation707]

You'll be lucky to find out who your ancestors were. Some populations adopted the names and lineages of others, relegating entire groups of people to meaningless labels such as "African heritage." In some cases, children got taken from their parents and shipped off to unwanted lands and regions, losing their identities in the process. People have returned to their homelands as unwitting immigrants, believing they derive from some place else.

[@rettawhinnery]

As a note, other channels that cover history are also getting flagged. One of the channels, called GeneaVlogger by Jarrett Ross, a genetic genealogist, mentioned that whenever he covers topics such as the Holocaust or other aspects of history, his videos are flagged for content. Keep up the good work. I find your videos very informative and interesting.

[@nytn]

He is such a nice guy. He told me that, it's terrible!

[@rettawhinnery]

@@nytn He did a reaction video about your Finding Lola videos, which is how I first found your channel. I really enjoy your research and presentation.

[@2neetoon]

What you're doing is noble; too many ppl take the culture and butcher it by learning our *glory not our story* smh. It's painful seeing ppl get the culture, butcher it by acting crazy and get away with it too. So keep doing your thing. Great video.

[@nytn]

So kind of you thanks

[@vinnyfalcone]

As someone who has Italian/Sicilian heritage, Cabrini is a must watch. I know from my dad that Italians were treated terribly during the immigration during the late 1800s through early 1900s. It’s a wonderful and informative story. God bless you, my dear.

[@gloriathomas3245]

Sicilian is not a heritage. That like saying that Catalonian is a heritage

[@scaringclaring5240]

@@gloriathomas3245 Why is Catalonia not an heritage?

[@artstation707]

@@scaringclaring5240 If it's a toponym (place name) then it can't be a mark of heritage. It has to be a patronym, or ancestral name.

[@gloriaortiz1227]

Hi Danielle! I do not believe in these ancesstral DNA tests. If your a European born in North or south America or India say, I, European, can have ancient lineages. These companies can come up with all kinds of mixtures. These people do not know who you are! They might have data information about you a n d even know if your married or single and know your ethnicity somehow. I don't have total faith in these companies. They are making money! It's best to get info from relatives regarding family history.

[@Paula-133]

Yes we care about this, Because I DID have a house fire. about 20 years ago. And in no time at all relatives are getting things wrong. dates and who was who, who did what etc. We do have a family member that s trying to piece all the parts together. But being African American at some point the trail goes cold. So I've learned a lot and gotten a lot of hope from all your hard work. Thank You So Much.

[@beaujac311]

Yes I ran into that wall. Just as I was enjoying finding who my ancestor were I hit that wall of the enslaved. That's when you start to realize 200 years is no time at all.

[@muddyhotdog4103]

Sorry to hear that.. A house fire is very devastating. Not as much for the things you can replace, but for the things inside that can't be

[@ronwinkles2601]

Melungeons have always claimed to be Portuguese for over 230 years of recorded history and long before that. Why? The greatest trading partners the English ever had were the Portuguese going back to 1200 AD by treaty and before then back to the Romans being in England. They principally traded in wine with England called Port. This was short for Portuguese Wine. While this trade did not occur in the Plymouth Colony, it certainly did in the Jamestown Colony. The colonies did not trade with Spain or Italy, but they did trade heavily with the Dutch. All these counties desired Jamestown's tobacco.

[@307cavalier5]

Spain was too busy sinking your ships hahaha

[@unncommonsense]

@@307cavalier5 Elizabeth I has entered the chat

[@George-nc4yc]

Another great and informative presentation from you! You have restored my faith in America's youth and America's future. You are a gift and a treasure to us all and we can't thank you enough for these posts!

[@nytn]

Wow, thank you! And calling me youth just made my day ahaha

[@estherstephens1858]

Belated happy birthday, Danielle!! I think we ALL want to know who we are, where we came from and simply to learn stories about our ancestors. To not want to know or even be curious is being in denial. Sure, we watch finding your roots but who do you think you are is a similar version.

[@meeranaam]

I’m a mutt too. Mom’s side is from the mountains of West Virginia; lots of admixture in Appalachia (and remains so to this day). My cousins ARE the rainbow….an amazing blend of hair, skin, and eye colors. I’ve heard the stories of “passing” and relatives never being able to go back home. We all know of a great grandparent or cousin who left everything they knew to assume a new identity. I cannot imagine the fear and loneliness these souls endured. Sister, your story is the American story. It’s our collective story.❤❤

[@cynthiagale6794]

Thank you for your continued research and discussions on these matters. Racial identity and ancestral knowledge are complex issues that go far deeper than skin color and nationality. I know several people who look White but identify as Black. One of them was a green eyed redhead whose family were founding members of the Links, as well as, Jack and Jill of America Inc. Many, many people of color chose to "pass" in order to get out from under the oppression. Just as others had to shed their ethinc identities to assimilate into parts this country that wouldn't accept their differences. These stories are important and must be shared so that we're able to better understand ourselves and each other.

[@Richard-vx9io]

I love the PBS program 'Finding Your Roots' where Henry Louis Gates ( a Black Harvard professor) traces geniology following the paper trail, and the DNA trail. My sister was black as he is ("we have the same Father". I'm pointing up as I write this) :)

[@artstation707]

That's all a waste of time. At some point you'll run into made up facts. Consider DNA services and online surname searches specious. They're just the latest ways to control the narrative. For example, no such thing as "African" genes exist. The people who live in Africa derive ultimately from Eurasia. The whole "Out of Africa theory" is completely disingenuous. Furthermore the words, Africa, Europe and Asia are Greek! Truth be told, your best bet is to research family name origins from old documents.

[@komiczar]

There is nothing fraudulent if one is seeking facts and connections that reveal the truth. Thank you for being the truth seeker that you are and for sharing the best version of yourself by contributing to the Human Imperative.

[@richardwilliamswilliams]

Good evening one and all, from Copperhill Tn.

[@SuiteVII]

Even ONE ancestor in your lineage has such an impact on you.

[@iworkharvey4103]

Thanks for sharing. Keep telling your story and the story of ALL your ancestors and relatives.

[@devondevon4366]

People are not as concerned about those details today as in the past. And this will continue, especially in a world where wealth and power are moving towards emerging nations.

[@kingnick6260]

He's more Nigerian than Italian, my distant brodda 🇳🇬💪🏾

[@raulrambome]

Viva Italia 🇮🇹

[@richardcruz1325]

Happy birthday 🎂 🥳 🎉 🎈 🎁 🎊 ❤

[@bgilmore62]

The genetic numbers are just a beginning though. These numbers just direct you to an area of the world where your ancestors probably originated. That does not tell you what they look like or their cultural and religious traditions.

[@lazarushernandez5827]

And as more people take these tests, the results get recalculated/refined.

[@solomonessix6909]

Happy Belated Birthday 🎉

[@PrincesSarah70]

Enjoyed watching. It’s definitely something else when you find out things while researching your ancestry. I’ve found out a lot that would rock my family’s world on one side if I shared the information.

[@nytn]

Ohhhhh you are too kind to not share it yet, I went razed earth on my fam LOL

[@PrincesSarah70]

@@nytn 😂

[@lLeon44-g7j]

Another GREAT show Danielle. TY for your bravery!!! TY for keeping it real cuz!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@nytn]

you are so sweet, thank you x100

[@dcummings336]

It's like Great Grandad Uncle Ruckus gave you your family history and passed it down to future generations 😢

[@saylorgirl799]

10:15 Oh WOW! I didn’t hear this part until my second time listening through! That EXACTLY describes my paternal grandmother (the one that told us she was adopted, Oh! And she changed her birthday too!) I remember when I was a child, she was very racist in her views, which I of course denounced when I was old enough to understand and to know better. I kind of wrote it off as her just being “a product of her generation and the time in which she was raised.” BUT THEN… when I found out about our family’s mixed heritage, I was TOTALLY CONFUSED! I kept thinking “HOW could she have been so racist, when she married into this “mixed-race” family in the 1920’s?? Her POV has been a COMPLETE MYSTERY for me! But now that you mentioned this at 10:15, I guess that that could explain things to a certain degree. WOW! These families of ours seem to have SO MUCH in common! And I’m certain that it’s impossible for us to understand NOW, what they were living through back THEN! I can’t even begin to imagine! We just have to extend a lot of grace to our ancestors and to give them credit for doing whatever they had to do to survive. 😢

[@lamarwade2753]

Thank you for your transparency, sharing your facts and showing your heart throughout your research. Much respect too you.

[@nytn]

I appreciate that

[@Me2Lancer]

Thanks for your post. I see an interesting parallel between some of your comments and my situation. My family oral history on my paternal grandfather's side stated his parents came from Nashville, TN and that his grandmother was Cherokee. Turns out, my DNA shows 100% European.

[@primategaberocco]

Colour me shocked, Italians like me have African, Jewish, Middle Eastern, Scandinavian, Nigerian, Sierra Leone and German blood. The crime here isn't us Mrs Romero , but the ruling Elite classes in Italy,, endless monarch's, convincing us we weren't Italian enough, so shame made us hide it. Shame was an anvil around our forebears necks. Shame. My grandad (Pasquale Giovanni) never forgave Italy for treating him so poorly, he left in 1948. And he never ever returned. Superlative episode and never despair, we all adore you. 😎🤣🥃

[@Jenjen-qc5eq]

I understand why you are moved to tears, I am a Black British of Jamaican descent. I grew up believing that being a descendent of slaves we no longer spoke our original African languages, ie we spoke patois, then I discovered that within the Jamaican patois, we still used many African words which I was completely unaware of, I even tested these words on my African friend and he understood what I was saying, it felt like my soul had come home...☺

[@nytn]

I really felt this story! That is beautiful. Language is so powerful, and it’s such a loss when we are disconnected from it I think

[@artstation707]

That's interesting, but you need to look more closely. The majority of West Indians derive not from Africa, but from Britain and Ireland, and even from France. Those supposed slave names turn out to be actual family names derived from clans, and tribes from Ireland and Scotland, transported "political prisoners" and indentured servants. During the English Civil War period and after that, native black Irish and Scots, as well as black Englishmen, were systematically rounded up and deported to North America and the Caribbean. The same thing happened during the French Revolution. We even have evidence of their surnames and complexions written in shipping logs. People from Africa are more prevalent in South America, and while some might have arrived in the Caribbean and the North, they make up only a tiny percentage there. Consider for example that of the 50+ million blacks in North America, only 894,499, less than one million (according to the 2015 census) speak an African language. The rest speak mainly English, some Spanish and French. Where is the memory of so called African languages which should have developed over the past several hundred years in North America?

[@MsJay-cr1id]

Cut it out.

[@artstation707]

@@MsJay-cr1id Cut what out?

[@lillybart-s9i]

@@artstation707 wrong. They actually had records of the African voyages to the West Indies and the Portuguese and the British shipped MILLIONS of African captives to the Caribbean for slave labor and also to North America in the Trans Atlantic slave trade and from the Caribbean to North American in an Intra colonial slave trade. This was the largest forced migration of people in the history of the world. The Language was the first thing the enslavers suppressed with the captives. They demanded they speak English, not their native tongues. The captives' names were changed--often beaten off of them. Tribal groups were mixed up so that no one tribe or language could dominate. Drums were initially banned because they could be used to organize and communicate. Still, some African words survive--gumbo, banjo,etc. As to so called slave names--they were European because the so called slave owners were European! Once freed, the Black people often just kept those names. In the US, some people did pick new names. Many Black families picked Freeman or Freedman as their last name after slavery. And last but not least--the vast majority of Black Americans and Black Caribbeans do have majority West African and Central African ancestry. I am posting FACTS. What you were posting is fiction

[@napguy9951]

In terms of the DNA results I would recommend Gedmatch to see a more in depth view of the Continental percentages, but generally speaking though the ethnicities often change in these DNA results the continental percentages tend to have much consistency between updates. I would say that though a person should definitely take the continental percentages of any test with a grain of salt I would venture to guess that Ancestry and most Gedmatch calculators would place his overall Sub Saharan DNA at around ~10% not accounting for any margins of error.

[@creex7118]

11.4% is equivalent to a great grandparent. It's not a small amount at all.

[@jake-qn3tl]

​@Armyofjesus-wc2ksnah

[@rayeannebrewer1458]

I was shocked when I did my DNA! A lot was explained by the way my ancestors acted.

[@ToxiCisty]

Happy Birthday🎉

[@EvanTateMusic]

A very touching video among your videos. I'm always surprised how many people are still hung up on Ancestral DNA tests. They only contain a very small piece of the picture. According to my 23andme test that I'd done a few years ago, not only am I about 24% Europe (Quadroon, silly word) but somehow I've only become "Black" in the last 2 or 3 generations (Long explanation on that). Some DNA was (still) not able to be identified (?). I am well aware of my past "White" ancestors (German on both parents sides, as well as English on my mother's side), as well as my indigenous American ancestors (by all grandmothers!). I only identify with being "Black" (whatever that means) because that is the culture I grew up with and I am the most familiar. Especially, in American society, there is no social advantage of a black man claiming to be ¼ white. (LOL) Genealogy according to Civil Records and speaking with relatives is the BEST proof of one's heritage. Hands down! Keep making your videos! They are very educational and inspiring!

[@arialindsey1811]

Your results are not atypical. According to 23 and me, the average African American has about 18-25 European DNA….

[@RogerDuly]

Southern Italians, especially Sicilians are said to have African blood. I worked for an Italian family and they and their friends joked about it all the time.

[@thx1168]

Not true

[@gloriaortiz1227]

When you say African, you mean black DNA! That is not true. Southern italians have mainly dna connections to greece; same thing with Sicily. Now if you see a real swarthy southern Italian or in particular a Sicilian with nappy or curly hair, that's due to a certain moor print that they left behind wh e n they ruled Sicily for like 2 or 3 hundred years. The moors were not Black race. The moors did have black slaves with them, but those slaves did not marry Caucasians. Very very few of them got together with non slaves.

[@Wisdomslight]

My dear sister when I saw your video pop up I had to see because you look like we could be related, family… I’m Multi Race as well and blessed to be so. Both of my Grandparents on my Father side were from Louisiana looking at the census back in the early 1900s I found my grandparents names and they were listed as Creole, then later changed to Negro. Interesting found that Creoles were related to native Americans. I’m also 39% Sub African, maybe more because I also have Portuguese. More interesting facts that I have found was that in 1400’s there were black Portuguese Jew living there until the diaspora and many where sent to West Africa. Then on my search in West African there was a map that I saw where the “Kingdom of Judah”was clearly written then until colonialism. For those who have DNA from West Africa, you have a rich heritage within you. If you seek it out, you will find it. It’s been an enlightening experience 🕊️ Blessings to you dear sister 🙏🏼

[@Christian80806]

To be creole is cultural not racial. Meaning it’s something you grow up being no matter your race. It means to be born in new louisiana

[@breakthroughnow]

Ancestry DNA classifies creole as an ethnicity but is also a culture. And you don't have to be racially mixed to be ethnically creole. There are also white French and Spanish people who are creole. As far a black creoles, think of it in terms of Nigerians and Kenyans, they are no doubt black, but are different ethnically.

[@zigm7420]

The extent that families went to in order to hide their heritage was intense, and very sad. My own mother never met her grandmother who didn’t even live very far away, and was still alive when I was born, in order to keep things secret. So she honestly can’t tell me anything about the woman who gave us our mtDNA.

[@Christopher0632]

The derogatory name for Southern Italians were "Guineas" because they had West African roots, which is why there's a country called The Republic of Guinea in West Africa. My family's roots are from New Orleans and the Italian people were treated the exact same way as the black people. There are pictures of my Great Great Grandfather next to Italians that were almost the same complexion. There were many Creole people that simply said they were Italian or French, especially very fair skinned black women.

[@jackieblue1267]

Italians don't have West African roots. Italians might get some North African/Middle Eastern percentage but they don't normally get SSA. I'm not Italian so I'm just stating what I have observed as someone very interested in dna studies and tests.

[@Christopher0632]

@@jackieblue1267 Southern Italians (Sicilians specifically) were largely NOT considered actual Italians by most in the country because it was known that they had African blood from the Moors. You can easily find articles of Southern Italians being called black and even being hanged in the US like black people. The term "Guinea" for Southern Italians came from the West African country name Guinea. There was an article published in the New York Times in 2019 (which you can find online) titled "How Italians Became 'White," which confirms exactly what I posted, along with images showing obvious dark skinned Southern Italians.

[@Christopher0632]

@@ColdandRain202 African Moors occupied Sicily in the 8th century and were dominant for over 200 years. That is a fact that is heavily documented. If you google "Moors of Sicily" you can easily see an exhibit done by Mario Badagliacca that shows the African influence through pictures even on the current population of today. You can also find images of Black Moors as well as the "Black Madonna" all across Italy, so the notion that this obvious African woman was an Italian with a "tan" is laughable. Are you really saying Africans were not in Sicily and Southern Italy, lol? Please answer this- why didn't Northern Italians view the Southern Italians as the same?

[@ColdandRain202]

​@@Christopher0632😅 I know you are waiting for me to respond. Just saw your message, sorry, I have to get my glass of water. Heeee heeee hee Be right back, give me two minutes.

[@Christopher0632]

@@ColdandRain202 I have no control of anything being deleted on this post. There are obvious images of African Moors across Italy and Europe. You can obviously see images of the African Saint Maurice of Thebes, Egypt throughout Italy and Rome. These Moors mixed with Sicilians over 200 years. Why are you trying to act like it didn't happen? You had Northern Italians that would threaten to disown their daughters if they married a Sicilian. That was a racial threat that existed into the 1900's. Stop it, lol.

[@peterp8911]

Its not uncommon for peoples of Mediterranean heritage to have North African DNA, particularly if of Sicilian ancestry. Historically, most of the North African DNA comes from the Arab Moorish occupation of Southern Europe from about 700 AD thru 1100 AD, and in Spain, until about the mid-1400s AD. In ancient times it would have come from Cartheginian conquests and invasions of the Roman Empire until Hannibal's defeat. If our educational system did a better job of educating students on ancient history people would be less hung up on skin color.

[@gloriaortiz1227]

Agree

[@pete6300]

I felt the same way about the amount of Sephardic Jew I had. I had very little Spanish DNA. After looking into it I found out that Spain forced a lot of Sephardic Jews to convert to catholicism after driving out the Moores. A lot of the newly converted Sephardi traveled to the America's to escape the watchful eye of the inquisition. Eventually I would like to find a way to look into the catholic conversion records to see if anything lines up.

[@giorgiodifrancesco4590]

A lot of gypsies escaped too. A lot of all minorities. America was a sanctuary.

[@ak5659]

Have you heard of the 'crypto-jews' of the southwest? They were officially Roman Catholic but kept Jewish traditions. IIRC, it started with a bunch of historians, anthropoligists, or whatever at some conference and someone brought up 'grandma's strange cooking habits'... many of the guys said 'mine did that too'.... Sorry, it's really vague in my memory. But it might be helpful.

[@pete6300]

@@ak5659 I have never heard of "crypto-jews" specifically. Yes I heard of Latinos all over South America that kept many Jewish traditions despite being catholic.

[@mfenderson2714]

You aren't a fraud cariña! Don't feel that way! My dad used to always say he was the blackest black in America. When i thought about it it never made much sense to me. He was just Dad lol. But he looked like the typical richly tanned Cuban man with curly hair thay down South USA everyone would say he's black because he is a little too brown and his hair is too wooly to be considered Mexican by most people. We knew we had some Latino heritage and assumed to have that mix (Spanish, African and indigena). Both his parents considered themselves to be black from the South but his dad definitely looked 100% Cuban with that naturally silky conched wavy Spanish dark black hair. But he was a tad lighter than my Dad. Well he took the DNA test and he was almost 30% European heritage with Irish, Spanish, French, Latvian mix. He was a small percentage indigenous Colombian and Venezuela and a the rest was Nigerian, Cameroonian, Senegelese all west African. It was not shocking to us the mix but he was a very shocked that he was so....white! Lol he definitely looks like a person of color. I just kind of chuckle and smh but it is totally ok. The point is that you know your heritage and are proud of it regardless of the terrible things that may have happened surrounding it. You trying to honor your ancestry etc is a good thing. And even if something is there thay cant be honored you can still reject that but still respect and love yourself. (I had to do something similar because on my dad's mom's side there was a lot of rape and incest down her line. I had to process that and it was not fun.) God made you you and He thought your mix was the best combination to make you you! So be encouraged and God bless you!

[@leroybrownjr]

There are FBAs who support your journey, as well. Our stories are intermeshed with similar lineage to yours.

[@TheOfficialNpcMosskit]

I greatly respect and admire you and your work. Beautiful soul

[@mind_of_a_darkhorse]

No one should have to hide their ancestry! Unfortunately, people tend to be small-minded and like to divide people up and put them into categories!

[@SpiritandTruth72]

Sis don't cry. Your doing a great job, and many people appreciate watching, and partaking in your journey. All praises. Question though can you comment on who you truly feel like you identify with unapologetically. Perhaps you answered this, but if not I'm curious. Take care.

[@nytn]

Thank you! I dont check anything now, but when people ask, I usually say Sicilian Irish and Creole roots!

[@SpiritandTruth72]

@@nytn Thanks.

[@307cavalier5]

It's an interesting study. My Grandpas DNA test showed a 40% on SW native, the rest being Spanish, Scot, Basque.

[@KAH-7]

Happy Birthday‼🎂 👏🏾

[@frankonolfi7328]

The numbers do change.

[@sportsfisher9677]

You are not a fraud. Hold your head up. Also, different DNA companies get slightly different results, but 100% of the time they reveal we are all fully human. :)

[@pkmcnett5649]

You are NOT a fraud. Finding the TRUTH is emotional. I get emotional seeing photos of people I never knew.

[@nytn]

same!

[@rcafmaintainer3723]

Love your research; very educational and we need that on this side of the pond. There is a divide that seems to be re-emerging.

[@rettawhinnery]

Don't put too much weight on the ethnicity estimates of any DNA company. Estimates, by definition, cannot be precise. Originally, the ethnicity estimates were intended to tell where your ancestors lived 500 to 1000 years ago, before inter-continental travel. Since there are no living people that old, each of the DNA companies create reference panels of living users. They each have different databases and use different geographic areas. For example, 23andMe puts British & Irish together, but AncestryDNA tries to separate them. On AncestryDNA, they are expressed as a percent and are given a range. On 23andMe, you can change the confidence level from the default of 50% to, say, 95%, and the estimates will change.

[@saylorgirl799]

Your g-grandmother’s photo reminds me very much of my own grandmother, also born around 1900-1902. They had a similar sense of style for that era (at least from what I can glean from the photo). I discovered our melungeon roots about 20yrs ago while researching our family tree on my father’s side. We were raised thinking that we were just a typical, run-of-the-mill “white” family, with a couple of Native American g-g-grandmothers. We were also told that we were related to the Thomas Jefferson family and Robert E Lee. However, my father NEVER met ANY of his grandparents, nor any cousins or extended family UNTIL one day in his late 30’s when a bunch of his father’s siblings from Philadelphia just showed up on the doorstep of their eldest brother (my grandfather) in VA. I was about 10yo at the time, and I remember that it was like this glorious, joyful family reunion. I also remember thinking at the time that all these “newfound relatives” from Philly looked Hawaiian or Polynesian to me. I just dismissed it as the “Native American” ancestry appearing more prominently in those family members. This was around 1970. Fast forward about 30-40 years and I am researching our family tree on Ancestry. I find the digital copy of my grandfather’s Draft card to the Merchant Marines for WWI, and find that under “Race,” he wrote in his own handwriting “mulatto.” Well, that sent me down a 20yr rabbit hole of researching, which led me to the melungeons….read many books, tons of research online, talking to relatives… trying to glean some family lore and stories. You are correct in saying that there’s usually not a lot of info available from family. But I NEVER really put ALL of the pieces together, UNTIL I WATCHED YOUR VIDEO about your g-grandmother! All of a sudden (in my 50’s by then), I had this EUREKA moment of realization that that’s EXACTLY what happened in MY family too! The ones that “could pass” moved north! Some stayed together, some separated (my grandparents), but that TOTALLY explains our lack of family connections and lack of family history on my father’s side! That’s why my father never met his grandparents, was told that his mother “was adopted,” and he never knew that he had all of this extended family… 11 Aunts/Uncles and many cousins in Philadelphia & NC, until they finally tracked down their eldest brother (my grandfather) in 1970 when my father was in his 30’s! I have really enjoyed going down this rabbit hole for the last 20yrs or so… discovering whatever I could about our family history. And I did find the connection to Thomas Jefferson. Our story was nearly identical to the story of Sally Hemmings and her descendants. We are descendants of BOTH an African slave AND a wealthy white property owner in VA whose ancestors go all the way back to the English royal Plantagenet family (King Henry II & King Edward I). It’s been a WILD RIDE discovering all of this stuff!! THANK YOU for helping me to put the final pieces of the puzzle in place with your video about your g-grandmother! And may you be blessed in your own journey in trying to find your ancestral roots! Isn’t it something what our ancestors did to survive in a dangerous and threatening world?!? It gives me FAITH and HOPE in the RESILIENCE and STEADFASTNESS of humanity. Love your channel! 💙

[@saylorgirl799]

👆 OH! I almost forgot to say that the picture of your g-grandmother, Lola, in her wedding dress looks nearly identical to my favorite Aunt Pat (Dad’s sister, passed away now)! She was the ONE family member who was able to give me the MOST information about our family history. It was almost like she “wasn’t allowed” to talk about it UNTIL I told her of my discovery of my grandfather’s “mulatto” classification, and then she suddenly OPENED UP to me and told me everything that she knew about our “darker skinned” cousins in NC! She also told me that they have a family reunion every Labor Day in Halifax Co, NC. I haven’t made it to one yet… don’t have any contacts to get the info from… but I’d love the opportunity to go one year and see what else I can learn about our mysterious family roots.

[@bevswright]

Sending a big virtual hug

[@kl.9649]

I'm an Italian woman and I absolutely love Black men

[@jhoward5722]

Hi

[@raamyasharahla535]

❤️

[@Breyionna]

I remember your first dna reveal that you did years ago. As soon as I saw you, I immediately thought "I wonder how much African heritage she has?" Then you said something to the effect of "My grandmother has a significant amount of Indigenous ancestry," and I knew then that you were in for a shock. I still remember the look on your face when you saw the African ancestry. I had the same look when I first saw my Indonesian ancestry and Iranian, Iraqi, and Mesopotamian ancestry. I even have DNA relatives. lol Like, how did that even happen!? It just goes to show that our Louisiana Creole ancestries aren't always as simple as we think.

[@creoleladisallthatjazznblu6952]

Right!!! When you’ve been shielded from your family history, you really don’t know. It’s insulting to ask why we’re so “obsessed with our genealogy”!!! Bc as Americans, we want to know!!!

[@CT-uv8os]

3 things: 1 YOU ARE NO FRAUD! GET THAT OUT OF YOUR HEAD :) 2. I am tired of everyone assuming that people who "passed" did so like they wanted to or it was a grand and glorious thing. It was forced most the time and still is today. Example both my daughters are half East Asian I appear white even though I am tri racial. My daughters birth certificates born in the 1980s have them listed as white. They do not look white. They look east Asian or FBI ( Full blood Indian- ) I tried to put down Asian. I was told both by medical and legal staff that though they were more Asian and that I was not fully white I could NOT do this. I told them I was part Native ( I didnt know about the African heritage at the time) but since I wasnt recognized by the fed i had to list as white. My daughters are listed as white because I was listed as white, and that was the law. So it's still going on. 3. I refuse to fit inside anyone's box nor am I going to do so to make anyone else happy. Such people are racist not worth denying ALL of myself to satisfy them. Keep doing what you are doing. God bless you. Peace.

[@mfenderson2714]

Thank you for saying this! Many people don't realize that people were passing in part because they forced people to list themselves as white or the administrators/officials there would automatically do that if the person standing in front of them looked white without realizing the relationship to others who may be present who they would not mistake for white. I had a cousin who could pass for white (she was black or technically mulatto down the line but never said she was white but knew most white people would think that) but she married a very dark skin black man. She was able to buy them a home because originally they would not sell it to her husband. When the previous owners found out they tried to kick her husband and their family off the property as they were moving in until she came out the house and showed them the deed and that's when they had to leave them alone. I'm pretty sure other people have done the same to help their families and I can't fault them for that. I'm saddened that some people thought they had to pass and marry into another white family that would not have accepted the real person. But we just don't know fully what people had to go through.

[@CharlesDaniels-u3l]

People think you lie please tell them your not lying you got the proof ma'am