And I found out that no part of this brown body is Native American, about 18% of this body is British (Britain, Ireland, Scotland and Wales), 76% of this body is of the Motherland (Africa, duh), and sporadic portions of me belong to Germany, Asia, Italy, and Greece.
Most of this lines up with stuff I was told as a kid by my parents, who always informed me I was a bit mixed in some ways, though they always put strong emphasis on "being proud to be black." I always was but I was curious too. It has been a roller coaster ride each day, discovering cousins, many of whom are White as the driven snow popping up in my tree. My most monumental finding was definitive proof that my 3rd great grandfather was a slave who was fathered by someone in his owner's family, as that family matched "very high" with my dna.
I am still waiting to solve some other mysteries, like the one of my maternal great grandad who has remained an elusive figure in our family. It is also, so strange to see people who share no common last names with you popping up as 2nd, 3rd, and 4th cousins. The only thing we have in common is the color of our skin. I ponder over these relationships and realize that through them, I see my ancestors; our kinship more often than not is the result of families being separated during slavery...some who's names were changed when they were sold to new masters and bonds broken when they were forced to start new families.
I have also been taken aback by the kindness of a few of my White cousins. One even messaged me and said "Hi Cousin!" Others, whom I messaged when finding the connection, still haven't responded...maybe they are busy, maybe they don't want to know.
Either way, knowing exactly what I am and who I am, has really enlightened me. Through this test, I validated my reasons for loving Irish bands, speaking with British accents, connecting heavily with Yaa Gyasi's book The Homegoing, and so much more. I can't wait to see what else I find along this journey and who else I will meet!
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