Editors note: A previous version of this post incorrectly stated the name of Mrs. Obama’s maternal great-great grandfather. The correct name is Henry Wells Shields.
A story in Sunday’s New York Times about first lady Michelle Obama’s distant white relatives echoes some of what we’ve seen more and more of at 23andMe – Americans, both black and white, using DNA to uncover unknown histories through their ancestry.
Much like what Prof. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. did in his most recent PBS series, Finding Your Roots, the Times was able to use DNA samples, paper records and family stories to piece together Mrs. Obama’s complicated family tree. The report found that Mrs. Obama’s maternal great-great-grandfather was the slave owner Henry Wells Shields.
While most African Americans know that they have some European ancestry because slave owners often forced themselves onto their slaves and fathered children by them, finding connections to living distant white relatives who are the descendants of those slave masters can be complicated. The Times notes that the widespread use of DNA testing has made some of these discoveries that much more common.
We’ve had several posts that touch on these issues. Take a look if you haven’t already seen them.
Customers can look at the breakdown of their ancestry with 23andMe’s Ancestry Painting tool here.
Not yet a customer? Visit our store or learn more.
