Black people living in the UK and North America contribute much to the success of the DNA testing industry in the hope that tests can tell them where their roots are.
The industry is estimated to be worth £7.7bn. An estimated 12 million people in Britain and North America have taken a home DNA-test.
Audiences will gain an understanding of
- the extent to which DNA testing helps in determining geographical roots, race or ethnicity
- African Caribbean and African American origins.
Who Is This Talk For?
The talk is suitable for you if
- you’re new to exploring family history
- you’ve started and you’re having problems furthering your search
- you want to develop your knowledge and understanding of Black genealogy.
Premium Ticket holders
Premium Ticket holders will receive African, Irish & the Music of the Caribbean, A Research Project by Paul Crooks following the event.
How to gain access to this event
This talk will be held over Zoom. Details of how to join the session will be in your registration confirmation email.
About the speaker
Paul Crooks pioneered research into Black genealogy during the 1990s. He is the first to trace his family history from the UK, back 6 generations, to ancestors and enslaved on a sugar plantation in North America.
Paul gained national recognition for his work when his acclaimed historical novel Ancestors (based on the true story of the author’s Ancestors) was published in 2002. He appeared on Who Do You Think You Are? (Moira Stuart) as the expert in Black genealogy. His second book A Tree Without Roots is the seminal guide to tracing Black British ancestry.
Paul is credited with inspiring an upsurge in interest in Black and British ancestry. He is also recognised for having spawned an industry in Black genealogy.
Paul is first among peers being an individual advocate for helping schools figure out how to deliver empowering history that
- helps young people increase their self-esteem
- others to look at black history through a more appreciative lens