http://blackbusinessownership.com 
What is your name and what do you do?
My name is Gina Paige. I am the President and Co-founder of AfricanAncestry.com. We are the African American owned company that pioneered DNA-based ancestry tracing for people of African descent in the U.S. Why did you start your company and what do you deem to be most valuable about the service you provide to the black community?
We founded AfricanAncestry.com because African Americans want to know where they are from and DNA is the only way to find out. We are the only group in the U.S. that cannot point our roots to a country of origin. During the Transatlantic Slave Trade, we lost everything: our names, our languages, our religions, our families, and many of us lost our lives. But, we did not lose our DNA. When the community found out that my co-founder, Dr. Rick Kittles, could provide the answers based on DNA, he was inundated with requests to make the technology available.
Current genetic technology allows us to use DNA to answer the important identity question, "Who am I?" Knowing where you are from is a critical component of knowing who you are. We are able to transform the way people view themselves and the way they view Africa by using DNA to identify their country of origin. What if someone traces their lineage and finds that they have significant amount of European blood. How does that change their perspective on what it means to be black in America? Does this happen often?
It is actually common for paternal lineages (father's line) of African Americans to trace to Europe. Approximately 35 percent of results are European, not African for males that take our PatriClan(R) test. Much of this can be attributed to the number of white male slave owners fathering children with enslaved African women. On the other hand, 92 percent of results trace back to Africa when we trace the maternal line (mother's line) using our MatriClan(R) test. Both males and females can take this test, which has an increased probability for achieving African results. People may be surprised but the information does not change their perspective on what it means to be black in America. Race is a social construct, not a biological one. The African American community is a genetic melting pot, but historically, as long as you have "one drop" of African blood, you're black. Find out more here. What does it cost for someone to use your service and where can they go to get it done?
The cost to find the present-day country in Africa and ethnic group that your family shares ancestry with ranges from $275 - $349. Tracing ancestry is a family project. The results of one test are shared by everyone in the family on that branch of the family tree: children, brothers, sisters, mother, aunts, uncles, cousins, and so on. This means that a family would only need to purchase one kit to reveal the entire family history, so it's very economical. When you think of what we spend on gifts such as clothes or the latest technology trinket - which are only as good as the latest trend - why not consider a gift that is truly life-enhancing and can unlock a world of knowledge and self-appreciation that never expires. Our kits are available online at www.africanancestry.com. What's been the most difficult thing about building your business?
There is nothing easy about building a business! However, there are two areas that are significant challenges for us: 1. One of the most significant challenges has been consumer misperceptions about the product itself, which are perpetuated by competitors and detractors. Larger, general market companies say they offer tests at lower prices. However, consumers are unaware that these companies can only determine whether or not your ancestry is African - not which country or ethnic group you're from in Africa. We don't compete on price. As a black woman, I have a personal stake in every test we process. It is with this passion that we focus on quality, accuracy and authenticity of results - which for us results in 99 percent accuracy for each sample tested. 2. While we pioneered genetic ancestry tracing for African Americans nearly eight years ago and have remained the leaders in the industry, we're still a small, African American owned and operated enterprise with all the inherent challenges that comes along with that. We're thankful for the community network of partners and supporters that we've built across the country. However, we're resourced-strapped and not able to advertise like we'd like to and educate people more on DNA-based ancestry tracing.
What projects are you working on now and what are your plans for the future?
We are planning our Second Annual "We Are Africa, Know Your Roots" road tour for 2011. We traveled to 14 cities from New Orleans to New England last summer to celebrate our historical, cultural and genetic connections to Africa. It was an awesome experience that we hope to grow next year. We are also planning a major youth education initiative for 2012. For more on what we're doing and what's coming up, visit our calendar of events periodically and follow us on Facebook. Is there anything else you'd like to share with our AOL Black Voices audience?
I'd just like to thank AOL Black Voices for your interest in AfricanAncestry.com and for being a catalyst for delivering informative, responsible news to your readers each day.
Dr. Boyce Watkins is the founder of the Your Black World Coalition and the author of the bookBlack American Money To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here. To suggest a subject for a Dr. Boyce Watkins Spotlight, please click here.
via BV on Money by Boyce Watkins, PhD on 1/4/11
Filed under: Careers, Dr. Boyce Money
What is your name and what do you do? My name is Gina Paige. I am the President and Co-founder of AfricanAncestry.com. We are the African American owned company that pioneered DNA-based ancestry tracing for people of African descent in the U.S. Why did you start your company and what do you deem to be most valuable about the service you provide to the black community?
We founded AfricanAncestry.com because African Americans want to know where they are from and DNA is the only way to find out. We are the only group in the U.S. that cannot point our roots to a country of origin. During the Transatlantic Slave Trade, we lost everything: our names, our languages, our religions, our families, and many of us lost our lives. But, we did not lose our DNA. When the community found out that my co-founder, Dr. Rick Kittles, could provide the answers based on DNA, he was inundated with requests to make the technology available.
Current genetic technology allows us to use DNA to answer the important identity question, "Who am I?" Knowing where you are from is a critical component of knowing who you are. We are able to transform the way people view themselves and the way they view Africa by using DNA to identify their country of origin. What if someone traces their lineage and finds that they have significant amount of European blood. How does that change their perspective on what it means to be black in America? Does this happen often?
It is actually common for paternal lineages (father's line) of African Americans to trace to Europe. Approximately 35 percent of results are European, not African for males that take our PatriClan(R) test. Much of this can be attributed to the number of white male slave owners fathering children with enslaved African women. On the other hand, 92 percent of results trace back to Africa when we trace the maternal line (mother's line) using our MatriClan(R) test. Both males and females can take this test, which has an increased probability for achieving African results. People may be surprised but the information does not change their perspective on what it means to be black in America. Race is a social construct, not a biological one. The African American community is a genetic melting pot, but historically, as long as you have "one drop" of African blood, you're black. Find out more here. What does it cost for someone to use your service and where can they go to get it done?
The cost to find the present-day country in Africa and ethnic group that your family shares ancestry with ranges from $275 - $349. Tracing ancestry is a family project. The results of one test are shared by everyone in the family on that branch of the family tree: children, brothers, sisters, mother, aunts, uncles, cousins, and so on. This means that a family would only need to purchase one kit to reveal the entire family history, so it's very economical. When you think of what we spend on gifts such as clothes or the latest technology trinket - which are only as good as the latest trend - why not consider a gift that is truly life-enhancing and can unlock a world of knowledge and self-appreciation that never expires. Our kits are available online at www.africanancestry.com. What's been the most difficult thing about building your business?
There is nothing easy about building a business! However, there are two areas that are significant challenges for us: 1. One of the most significant challenges has been consumer misperceptions about the product itself, which are perpetuated by competitors and detractors. Larger, general market companies say they offer tests at lower prices. However, consumers are unaware that these companies can only determine whether or not your ancestry is African - not which country or ethnic group you're from in Africa. We don't compete on price. As a black woman, I have a personal stake in every test we process. It is with this passion that we focus on quality, accuracy and authenticity of results - which for us results in 99 percent accuracy for each sample tested. 2. While we pioneered genetic ancestry tracing for African Americans nearly eight years ago and have remained the leaders in the industry, we're still a small, African American owned and operated enterprise with all the inherent challenges that comes along with that. We're thankful for the community network of partners and supporters that we've built across the country. However, we're resourced-strapped and not able to advertise like we'd like to and educate people more on DNA-based ancestry tracing.
What projects are you working on now and what are your plans for the future?
We are planning our Second Annual "We Are Africa, Know Your Roots" road tour for 2011. We traveled to 14 cities from New Orleans to New England last summer to celebrate our historical, cultural and genetic connections to Africa. It was an awesome experience that we hope to grow next year. We are also planning a major youth education initiative for 2012. For more on what we're doing and what's coming up, visit our calendar of events periodically and follow us on Facebook. Is there anything else you'd like to share with our AOL Black Voices audience?
I'd just like to thank AOL Black Voices for your interest in AfricanAncestry.com and for being a catalyst for delivering informative, responsible news to your readers each day.
Dr. Boyce Watkins is the founder of the Your Black World Coalition and the author of the bookBlack American Money To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here. To suggest a subject for a Dr. Boyce Watkins Spotlight, please click here.
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