(BPRW) AFRICANANCESTRY.COM AND U.S.-BASED AFRICAN EMBASSIES HELP DEEPEN ANCESTRAL CONNECTIONS OF DNA-TRACED DESCENDANTS OF AFRICA

– Genetics Ancestry Tracing Pioneers Serve As Cultural Resource for West and Central African Diplomats in the U.S.-

(BLACK PR WIRE) – WASHINGTON, DC (August 2013) – U.S. Based African Embassies have tapped a fertile pipeline of African Americans with interests in their African homeland countries. Through African Ancestry (AfricanAncestry.com), the pioneers of DNA-based ancestry tracing for people of African descent, newly discovered descendants enjoy ‘diplomatic relations’ with specialized trips to Africa; information exchange from their African countries of origin; and direct access to African Ambassadors in the U.S., including embassy-sponsored national celebrations of their African homelands.

“Our partnerships with African embassies are perhaps some of the most vital because they offer a well-spring of enriching resources closely linked to African ancestries,” said Gina Paige, co-founder and president of African Ancestry. “Our goal is to establish relationships with every Western and Central African embassy represented in the U.S., particularly those where there are high incidences of shared ancestries discovered such as Nigeria, Liberia and Guinea-Bissau.”

AfricanAncestry.com currently works with Cameroon, Burkina Faso and Gabon among others to strengthen connections to Africa and African American communities across the U.S. Partnering embassies gain a credible ally in AfricanAncestry.com for cross-cultural education, tourism, investments and philanthropy in their respective countries.

“African Ancestry’s commitment to helping people enhance the way they view Africa is awe-inspiring. Thousands of African-American families now zealously identify with their Cameroonian roots,” said Joseph Charles Foe Atangana, Ambassador to Cameroon of the United States. “Their pioneering work has taken a progressive role in the African diaspora and created a reinvigorated pipeline of enlightenment between America and Africa,” he added.

Through its partnership with ARK Jammers Connection, Inc., a Baltimore-based organization that is dedicated to promoting intercultural dialogue through music and kindness, African Ancestry has participated in landmark activities with the Embassy of Cameroon. Self-identified as “Camericans,” African Americans who share ancestries with the people of Cameroon have participated in programs and events with Ambassador Atangana, including special ‘welcome’ visits to the official residence.

AfricanAncestry.com is committed to transforming the misperceptions of Africa and supporting cultural and educational relations in the U.S. and Africa. After tracing his roots to Sierra Leone with African Ancestry, Award-winning actor Isaiah Washington made history by becoming the first person to gain citizenship on the African continent solely based on DNA. With ARK Jammers, African Ancestry has created the African Reconnection Program that launched in the U.S., but has since expanded to Brazil and Africa. African Ancestry contributes informative programming to The Africa Channel and participates in African Diaspora events and initiatives across the world.

For list of African embassies in the U.S. or more resources, visit http://www.africanancestry.com/africanresources.html. For more information on African Ancestry, visit www.AfricanAncestry.com.

ABOUT AFRICAN ANCESTRY
Founded in 2003, African Ancestry Inc. (AfricanAncestry.com) pioneered African lineage matching in the United States utilizing its proprietary DNA-database to more accurately assess present-day countries of origin for people of African descent. African Ancestry’s products include the MatriClan™ and PatriClan™ ancestry tests, myDNAmix Admixture tests; and customized memorabilia and informative resources. African Ancestry is African-American-owned and headquartered in Washington, DC. African Ancestry’s reveals have impacted the lives of more than 150,000 African Americans including icons such as Oprah Winfrey and Andrew Young, and marked an historic milestone by uncovering the ancestral roots of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. posthumously. AfricanAncestry.com has been featured on The Africa Channel, CNN’s Black in America series, NBC’s Who Do You Think You Are?, TIME Magazine, Essence Magazine, EBONY and the ground-breaking PBS specials African American Lives 1 and 2 and Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr. For general press inquiries, contact ntaylor@africanancestry.com.