If you are based in the states most of you have probably heard about the Grey's Anatomy star... Isiah Washington. He was recently in Sierra Leone filming a documentary which will be aired on ABC at some point soon. It turns out Isiah had a DNA test last year which revealed a maternal lineage to the Mendé people of Sierra Leone.
This follows the recent Priscilla's homecoming celebration when Mrs. Thomalind Martin Polite, an African American woman from Charleston, South Carolina, made an extraordinary and historic journey back to Sierra Leone. Thomalind is known to be a direct descendant of a 10 year old girl who was kidnapped from Africa in 1756, placed aboard the slave ship Hare in Sierra Leone bound for Charleston, South Carolina. Oprah Winfrey also had her DNA tested. This genetic test determined that her maternal line originated among the Kpelle ethnic group, in the area that today is Liberia (apparently she earlier thought - or hoped she was Zulu).
Anyway, what does this mean for Sierra Leone and other African countries? It means great opportunties for greater cooperation between Africans their brothers and sisters scattered around the globe. This is one to follow with great interest as we will hear more stories such as those mentioned above in the coming years and will probably play a huge part in Africa's tourism industry in years to come.
9 comments:
i've always believed that in partnership with blacks in the diaspora that we could acheive great feats on both fronts. However with the many social problems facing african americans in this country i feel like getting your DNA tested is a luxury and that the average black person in America is more concerned about whats going on in the hood....and i cant blame them. So though i think its great that celebrities can help with tourism and publicity etc....i'm not sure is muhc will come from it. Also I most say that from personal experience that the majority of african americans in this country still hold the most negative stereotypes of Africa/Africans. Africans and African Americans struggle to unite in this country....immigrant vs. citizen....and everything that comes with that
Greetings,
The idea of African Americans finding their linkage to Sierra Leone is not relivant. Not that I don't respect the African Americans, but what culture do we have as a country to be pround of. Most of us come over to the US just to dump and trash our heritage for something our great grand parents paid for in sweat and blood. Why is it that we don't have a union in North America that will bring all Sierra Leones together that other countries do? Reason is simle. selfishness! selfishness! and unpatriotism!
Clean your backyard and come together as one b4 we invite others to join us.
LONTA!
Sorie Jawara
Maryland
Greetings from another African American woman who has discovered her maternal lineage leads to the Mende Tribe.
One of my goals is to travel to Sierra Leone and hopefully learn more about the culture and do at least one dance with them ....I will always cherish this memory. Pray for me. ....that I make this journey in this lifetime.
This is really exciting for me because my mother passed when I was seventeen. She was fifty-five. Now I am fifty-five and feel blessed that I have the DNA results that I can share with other family members as well as with my sisters in Sierra Leone!!!
Like so many other african americans, I just received the results of my mtdna test. My maternal lineage has very strong matches in Sierra Leone. It appears my dna is linked to the Mende and Temne tribes. I am so excited about this information. I suspected that my roots would be from west africa because of the slave trade. Now I know where. If anyone shares my dna haplogroup L2c, or have any info on the mende and temne tribes, please post it.
Peace,
I was also tested by AA and it was determined that i share ancestry with the Mende now living in Sierra Leone
my match was 99.7% i would like to know more about this group who are also indistinguishable from the wolof in mtdna. Also clustered in the haplotype l2a 1beta3 if im not mistaken which the fulani also cluster with and other groups.
I am very happy to hear all this good news about my brothersa nd sisters coming back to their homeland. We need to aware that we are all one from our shared history.I hope that one day all african desendants will be united as in one nation. Africans You need to open you your eyes and push away your oppressor. We wanna go home we have been on trail for too long. Every African should be proud to be an african.I love Sierra Leone till I die
This is so true. I had always known the connection between us born in Africa, particularly Sierra Leone and here. My grand uncle always said that his parents told him we came from Nova Scotia and here I am in Canada after several generations. Maybe I should ask the Canadian goverment for my ancestors land (laugh)
I am new to blogging and have started writing some things I hope my fellow Sierra Leoneans will read www.deliusamaneus.blogspot.com
Sierra Leone is only one of the tribes that my maternal dna has connected with. I also have Fulani, Wolof, Malinke and Hausa. The major group appears to be Senegal however. I am trying to learn about Africa from Africans, that is the best way because the West only shows the negative, we must go straight to the source.
I have been haunted by my ancestors, yes I am serious I could not forget them, and I could not forget an untold story about my roots and where ot began I feel so blessed today to share with you all here that I am Mende my family ancestery is from Sierra Leone....I am blessed to have this information, thanks to African Ancestory doing a DNA match I am blessed recently I was able to settle a discrimination case due this I was fortunate enough to dig deeper and find out who I be....Next I will visit Africa, hopefully one day i will be able to write a book about my struggles peace N blessings be upon you.
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