Genealogy—the study of families, their lineages, and histories—has been around for centuries. As technology has advanced, it has become more accessible and easier to do. In the United States, which hosts an African diaspora that is eager to know more about its origins, prominent African American figures—such as US Congressman Gregory Meeks and US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield—have recently shared their ancestry through DNA testing, highlighting the importance of genealogy and DNA testing to understand one’s identity and culture.

World Genealogy Day is on March 11 this year, and it serves as a reminder that genealogy is important for any individual or family. Yet, it is perhaps even more important for societies and communities that have been shaped by forces that have taken them far from their roots. For global Africans, like me, genealogy is a valuable resource that can promote greater insight, connectedness, and cultural preservation.

‘Global Africa’—as defined by various academics and scholars like W.E.B. Du Bois, Henry Louis Gates Jr., Robin D.G. Kelly, and Kwame Anthony Appiah—refers to the concept of a transnational and interconnected African diaspora that exists beyond the continent of Africa. It acknowledges the cultural, economic, and social ties that connect people of African descent around the world, including those in the Americas,…