<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-9735 size-full" title="segments" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/segments.jpg" alt="" width="357" height="221" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/segments.jpg 357w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/segments-300x186.jpg 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 357px) 100vw, 357px" />
Editor&#8217;s Note: This was first published in 2011, but we&#8217;re republishing it now after making a few updates.
Just a few thin green segments on my fourth and seventh chromosomes sent me searching.
I wanted to know more about my family history. I pestered my mom with questions about her parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents. I even went digging on my own into birth records, old newspaper clippings, and state archives.
<h2>A Glance at African DNA Through History </h2>
Eventually, I wandered into family history records on the plains of Nebraska, Iowa, and then the hills of West Virginia.
I wanted to know what those segments represented – or, more accurately – who they represented.
I’m white.
My hair, or at least the hair I once had, is blond. (That&#8217;s me on the left with my brother when we were kids.) Our heritage is solidly English, Irish, and German. I named my son after a Gaelic folk hero.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-full wp-image-9737" title="Kid Picture" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Kid-Picture.jpg" alt="" width="205" height="265" />
But those thin green segments in my 23andMe Ancestry Painting meant that one of my grandmother’s great-grandmothers, or one of her great-grandfathers, was black.
<h2>Hidden History</h2>
It’s no secret, or it shouldn’t be, that a majority of African Americans have European ancestry — on average between 20 and 25 percent. It’s one of those vestiges of America’s history of slavery.
“For anyone still naive enough to believe in the myth of racial purity, it is one more corroboration that the social categories of &#8216;white&#8217; and &#8216;black&#8217; are and always have been more porous than can be imagined,” wrote Harvard Professor Henry Louis “Skip” Gates Jr. in <a href="https://historynewsnetwork.org/article/118292">an article</a> about Michelle Obama’s ancestry.
<h2>What Does it Mean to have 1% African Ancestry?</h2>
While much has been written about European ancestry among African Americans, what’s less well known is how many Americans, like me, who consider themselves white also have African ancestry.
Researchers at 23andMe looked at the genetic ancestry of about 78,000 customers likely to consider themselves to be entirely of European ancestry. They found that somewhere between 3 percent and 4 percent of those people have “hidden” African ancestry.
The percentage of African ancestry is relatively low, with the majority of individuals having just 0.5 percent to 0.75 percent – which suggests that those people have an African ancestor who lived about six generations, or about 200 years, ago.
<h2>African DNA Explained Over 200 Years or Five Generations</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-full wp-image-9847" title="hiddenafricanancestry_chart" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/hiddenafricanancestry_chart.png" alt="" width="411" height="275" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/hiddenafricanancestry_chart.png 411w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/hiddenafricanancestry_chart-300x201.png 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 411px) 100vw, 411px" />
This is by no means meant to represent the percent of African ancestry among those who identify as of European descent across America. It is simply a snapshot of those in our database at this time. Our researchers have also excluded those with more than 5 percent African ancestry with the assumption that it’s more likely that their ancestry is known. That doesn’t mean it is known, just as it doesn’t mean that those of European descent with 5 percent or less African ancestry are unaware of it.
In addition, our database includes customers who are actually European so the percentage of Americans of European descent in our database who have African ancestry may be higher.
But we believe this is the first detailed look at the African ancestry among those who consider themselves white. It begs many questions for possible future study.
<h2>Another View of History</h2>
For instance, looking at the generational distribution implied by the percentages, most of the mixing occurred 200 years ago or more. We know that the exploitation of slavery included rape and sexual exploitation. In addition, there may have been cases where the relative isolation of people was such that the societal taboos against mixing of the races were more lax.
At the very least, these findings suggest a more complicated picture of race relations at that time.
The news has recast our own picture of who our ancestors were. My sisters and I have 1 percent African ancestry. My mother, a generation closer to the source, has more. It was a surprise for a family that thought we were a mix of Irish, German, and French. The news tells us that we were both descended from an enslaved woman and the person who enslaved her. It makes that awful part of American history much more real for us.
<h2>Generational Differences</h2>
But the surprise triggered our search to find out about our genealogical history.
Just as 23andMe’s findings offer a new narrative about American social history and race relations, the discovery provided another look at where we came from.
Somewhere in our family’s past, we had a black ancestor who was “absorbed” into white society. That story was hidden until our DNA revealed it.
This ancestor would have lived during the era of slavery. This was at a time and in a place where the “Rule of Hypodescent” held that anyone with any African ancestry was considered “black.” This was more commonly known as the “one-drop rule.”
Beyond what this might say about American history, the finding also comes when people appear more comfortable with mixed ancestry. So, what will this finding mean for other families now?
On a personal note, each generation in had a different reaction to the news of having an African ancestor.
What’s also interesting is that our evidence of  African ancestry can’t be seen in the next generation. The generation of my children and my sisters’ children don&#8217;t have measurable African ancestry. They are also the generation that seemed most excited by the news. They were also most disappointed that they didn’t have it.
<h2>Melugeons</h2>
James Larry Vick talked about his own similar discovery through 23andMe that he had African ancestors.
At first, he thought it was a mistake. He has since pieced together the link. He believes it was from his mother’s 2nd great-grandmother, who had come from the Cumberland Gap area of Appalachia. This is the home to a tri-racial population known as “<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melungeon">Melungeon</a>s.” The Melungeons are of European, African, and Native American ancestry.
“I do not think anyone in our family would have believed we could have an African segment, and none would believe we could have Melungeon ancestry,” Vick said. “I doubt anyone in my family would know what Melungeon is.”
<h2>Find out if you have Hidden African Ancestry</h2>
Our family’s search of records hasn’t led to quite as detailed of a discovery. However, it’s offered some tantalizing hints linking us to people with the same surname as my mother’s great-grandmother in the same small West Virginia town.
Using 23andMe’s Relative Finder tool, I’ve hunted for people with the same surname. I&#8217;ve also looked for those with a family history from that area. This may lead us to new clues. But the journey through this hidden family history has already taught us a lot about ourselves and America’s own hidden history.
So what about you?
With 23andMe, you can learn a lot about your own ancestry. Maybe there will be no big surprises, but often, our histories are not as black and white as we believe. Using 23andMe&#8217;s Ancestry Composition feature to explore the mix of your ethnic origins.
You can dig deeper by delving into the Ancestry Timeline to learn when certain ethnicities are &#8220;mixed&#8221; into your family DNA. (According to this tool, our family&#8217;s African ancestors likely lived between 1750 and 1810.) If one or both of your parents have tested, you can see what ancestry came from the paternal versus the maternal side of the family.
 Explore Your African DNA and all the origins with <a href="https://www.23andme.com/dna-ancestry/">23andMe&#8217;s Ancestry Service.</a>
<h2>Learn More</h2>
You can also find out if your <a href="https://www.23andme.com/test-info/genetic-health/">genetics</a> might Increase your risk for any health conditions with 23andMe.

23andMe Blog

23andMe Blog Team

Learn About Hidden African DNA & Ancestry

A heat map showing not just where living genetic relatives of the Catoctin Furnace are in the United States but also the ancestral contributions from Africa and Europe.

Roslyn Curry

Ethics and the Study of Historic DNA of African Americans Buried at the Catoctin Furnace

Myriam Raber, a dentist in northeastern Ohio, is often mistaken for what she is not.



“I let people label me sometimes,” Myriam said. “I go the hospital, and they look at my husband or my kids and then me and, without asking, they check ‘white.&#8217;”



An immigrant from Haiti, Myriam often butts up against the labels used in the US.&nbsp;



“I don’t feel like I have to fit in any one box,” Myriam said. “I think there are more and more people like me, and there will be even more people like me in the future.”



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="267" height="300" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Myriam-head-shot-267x300-1.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-33678" style="aspect-ratio:1;width:375px;height:auto"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Dr. Myriam Raber, DDS</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-your-ancestry-and-your-health">Your Ancestry and Your Health</h2>



But Myriam also knows that there is a difference between how you culturally identify and what your genetics might say, and that difference could impact your health.



“I know what I am culturally — I’m Haitian,” Myriam said. “But genetically, I’m just a mix; I’m a Caribbean mix.”



While she isn’t bothered by being mistaken for being white, or Hispanic, or Jewish, she understands that, at least in medicine, it’s essential to know a person’s ethnicity. A person’s ethnicity plays a role in their risk for certain conditions or how they respond to certain medications.



Knowing about these differences is also the reason why she is participating in 23andMe’s research. Improving the diversity of research participants will help scientists learn new insights into conditions that affect people with African ancestry or mixed African and European ancestry, like Myriam.



“Obviously, I’m in healthcare, and I believe the future of healthcare is in DNA,” she said.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-covid-19-s-uneven-impact">COVID-19’s Uneven Impact</h2>



Everybody responds a little differently to medicines or illness. Myriam believes that a person’s genetics — along with things like their diet and exercise — holds the key for researchers trying to better understand those differences.&nbsp;



The impact of COVID-19 offers perhaps the most vivid example of that, Myriam said. African Americans and Latinos are more likely to be hospitalized or die from the virus when compared to white patients. Poverty and access to adequate healthcare may explain some of it, but not all.



“I believe it’s probably in the DNA, and that’s the same for cancer or anything really,” Myriam said.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-people-like-me">People Like Me</h2>



In dentistry, she has seen issues created by the lack of research among people of non-European ancestry. For example, during a lecture on tooth development when she was in dental school, the instructor told a class about when different teeth came into the mouth.&nbsp;



“Well, I knew that for a Haitian child, that tooth often comes in a whole two to four years earlier,” Myriam said. “This (data from the instructor) was more relevant for a white child from the midwest than a black child in Haiti. This has had serious consequences for many. I know it affected how Haitian children were being classified and processed by the United States immigration services.”



There were other examples, whether the timing for puberty or some medications were more or less effective depending on a person’s ethnicity. Myriam knew that the science was often incomplete for those with African ancestry, for instance, because those populations weren’t included in the research.



“So basically, there were no good studies for people like me,” she said.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-participating-in-research">Participating in Research</h2>



In 2018 researchers found that about&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(19)30231-4">78 percent of genome-wide association studies</a>&nbsp;were done in European populations alone. That means that these studies’ findings are often not as relevant for people of African or Asian or Latino or Indigenous&nbsp;<a href="https://www.23andme.com/dna-ancestry">ancestry</a>. Leaving those populations out of research also impedes a fuller understanding of the genetic architecture of disease.



For Myriam, it just makes sense to improve the diversity of research participants.



“As a mixed-race healthcare professional, I believe that medicine will rely heavily on genetics for custom-made preventive and curative programs,” she said. “Traditional research used to lump people into racial groups with minorities being underrepresented.”



For Myriam, changing that by participating in research may open up genetic discoveries that have the potential to benefit everyone and perhaps instill the same sense of wonder at the uncovered insights.

Research for People Like Me

As a family medicine doctor Abayomi Jones has seen disparities in healthcare firsthand — the lack of access, or insurance, or poverty, or all of the above contribute to poor outcomes, but there’s also more to it than that.&nbsp;
“Yeah I see it and I understand why there’s mistrust in the (Black) community around research or science in general. It’s hard not to,” said Dr. Jones.
&nbsp;

 <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-style-default"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="731" src="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/jones-abayomiPhoto-1024x731.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-28806" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/jones-abayomiPhoto-1024x731.jpg 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/jones-abayomiPhoto-300x214.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/jones-abayomiPhoto-768x549.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/jones-abayomiPhoto-880x629.jpg 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/jones-abayomiPhoto-1180x843.jpg 1180w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>
 
<h6>Unequal Outcomes</h6>
Racism plays a role, she said. Some of it is historical, such as the infamous Tuskegee Syphilis Study. But some of it is happening right now, such as<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4843483/"> how pain medication is administered</a> differently between Black and white patients. In other cases, it might be less obvious but even those subtle differences result in unequal outcomes.&nbsp;
And the pandemic has only “exposed the racism and equity gaps in healthcare that were already there, to begin with,” Dr. Jones said.&nbsp;
You see it in the vastly different outcomes for between Black and white patients with COVID-19, for example.
<h6>A Need for More Inclusive Research</h6>
But despite those problems with the current system, Dr. Jones sees value for her and other African Americans to participate in research. Right now, not enough <a href="https://www.23andme.com/research/">genetic health research</a> includes people from the Black community, leaving them less likely to benefit from the insights of that research. She’s also seen this firsthand in daily medical interactions in the clinic.&nbsp;
For example, oftentimes doctors take BMI as a total number, instead of looking at body distribution and body types, she said. And they use this “average” as a general metric for all populations.
“That feels like an insult,” Dr. Jones said. “I don’t think people take it that way but the data that was used to derive that table was taken from people who do not look like me or that doesn’t take into account people who look like me.”
It’s the idea that so much of health research talks about the “average population” but that in many cases that average isn’t from all populations.&nbsp;
“And I think a lot of times in healthcare (average) is a synonym for “normal” and I think that’s the unspoken bias,” Dr. Jones said. “It’s that the average is ‘normal,’ but what if you are not a part of that average? What does that make you?”
<h6>The Motivation to Participate</h6>
That’s part of her motivation for participating in 23andMe research. She also believes that if more African Americans participate in research, whether with 23andMe, or the National Institutes of Health, there will be more relevant data around conditions that are so much more prevalent within the African American community.
“Which are all the diseases that have some of the highest mortality rates like diabetes, heart disease and weight-related conditions like hyperlipidemia,” Dr. Jones said.
Dr. Jones is also interested, not just in how the healthcare system treats people differently depending on their race, or how health research has left out the Black population, but in the health effects of racism itself.
“How stress affects your health, and the post-traumatic stress of racism specifically,” she said.
By participating in research Dr. Jones hopes to contribute to research that will benefit the Black community.
“The biggest thing is transparency,” she said. “I want to know who is profiting from this research and how will it be used? I think there is a lot of interest in how this research&nbsp; can help us and other people too.”

Participating to Improve Representation in Research

By Elliot Aguilar, Ph.D.*
For nearly all its existence, America has not only been a multiracial nation but a nation of mixed-race people.
The truth is rarely acknowledged despite the evidence being easy to find. In the nineteenth century, famed antebellum diarist Mary Chesnut remarked on the mixed-race children in “everybody’s household.” At the same time, her contemporary, Fanny Kemble, made a note of some enslaved children who bore a striking resemblance to the white overseer of her husband’s plantation. From 1850 to 1920, the category of “Mulatto” appeared in multiple US Censuses.
And there are many other examples, from old newspaper advertisements for ‘bright mulatto’ runaway slaves to popular songs like The Yellow Rose of Texas, that celebrate the pivotal role of a mixed-race woman in the fight for Texan independence. Each is a testament to the truth of our country’s history.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright wp-image-28805 size-medium" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Diary-Feature-Image-Wide-300x137.png" alt="" width="300" height="137" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Diary-Feature-Image-Wide-300x137.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Diary-Feature-Image-Wide.png 395w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
<h2>History is Personal</h2>
While the historical evidence can tell us that racial mixing happened, the advent of DNA testing from 23andMe and other companies has helped to bring to light America’s complicated racial history on an individual level. The science of population genetics now allows us to quantify—and appreciate—the scale of past mixing and its effect on the ancestry of contemporary Americans.
My own family&#8217;s recent origins are in Central and South America where racial mixing is a more openly acknowledged fact of our history.  As a population biologist and a first-generation American, I am fascinated by how science can teach all Americans about our shared, intertwined history.
However, this history will come as no surprise to many African Americans, whose family lore often retains the memory of interracial unions, as well as the often traumatic circumstances that gave rise to them. Even then, science is illuminating and validating those family histories. As poet Caroline Randall Williams, the author of the acclaimed NYT op-ed, My Body is a Confederate Monument, has put it, “the science has made it easier to…claim and reframe” those family traditions.
<h2>DNA Reveals</h2>
A 2015 study by 23andMe senior scientist and population geneticist Kasia Bryc and colleagues in the <a href="https://www.cell.com/ajhg/fulltext/S0002-9297(14)00476-5">American Journal of Human Genetics</a> found that, on average, self-reported African Americans in a dataset of 23andMe customers had about a quarter European ancestry.  <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosgenetics/article?id=10.1371/journal.pgen.1006059">Another study </a>— this one by researchers at McGill University published two years later — showed a lower, but still very significant average level of European ancestry, about 17 percent.
But both studies vividly illustrated not just the historical intermixing of people of African, European, and Native American ancestry, but also the regional differences of that mixing within the United States. Both studies also found a measurable number of self-identified European Americans had one percent or more African ancestry. Though far lower than the European contribution to African American genomes, these findings show that the direction of genes flowing between the groups was not exclusively one-way.
Another telling finding in both of these studies is that African Americans’ European ancestry was more often than not traceable to Northern Europe, the source of most early European settlers in colonial America. This finding points to intermixing from our nation’s earliest history.  It is also a testament to the centuries-long residence of African Americans in this country, stretching back long before the founding in 1776.
<h6>What that Means</h6>
The levels of European ancestry among African Americans can give us some idea of how often interracial unions — whether forced, coerced, or consensual — occurred. Using estimates from computer simulations of African American population history by anthropologist Jessica Gross based on g<a href="https://www.23andme.com/dna-ancestry">enetic data and historical records</a>, I calculated that an African American, randomly selected from any point in American history, had a nearly 17 percent chance of having at least one white grandparent.
<div id="attachment_28800" style="width: 235px" class="wp-caption alignright"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-28800" class="wp-image-28800 size-medium" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Elliot-A-225x300.jpg" alt="A photo of the writer Elliot Aguilar." width="225" height="300" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Elliot-A-225x300.jpg 225w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Elliot-A-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Elliot-A-660x880.jpg 660w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Elliot-A-885x1180.jpg 885w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Elliot-A-scaled.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px" />Elliot Aguilar, PhD</div>
Put another way, if you could travel to any time between 1619 and today and poll an African American person randomly, there would be a one in six chance that he or she had at least one white grandparent. And this number is likely an underestimate as Gross’s models assumed that the European contribution per generation to the African American gene pool has been constant throughout American history. It was likely significantly higher during the time of slavery when some Americans held total dominion over the bodies of others.
<h2>Out of Many, One</h2>
The findings from these studies, and the results of individual genetic ancestry tests, undermine the long-held binary classifications of black and white.  This notion is the legacy of the so-called ‘one-drop rule,’ by which a person with a single known ancestor of African descent was considered black. This rule had its earliest origins in colonial-era legislation, but it wasn’t until the Jim Crow era that it became a fixed legal and social reality. The fact that race has been assigned according to laws and social definitions, as opposed to one’s actual ancestry, underlines the fact that race is a social construct and not a biological reality.
Ever since the 2000 US census allowed Americans to select multiple races, a lot of articles have been written about the increase of the country’s mixed-race population.  As the evidence above demonstrates, we have always been a nation with a sizable mixed-race population. What is new is that Americans can now claim their multiple ancestries without shame or discrimination.
America has endured centuries of social division based on race, despite our shared genetic ties. The challenge of our future is to make our famous motto ‘E Pluribus Unum’— out of many one — a social reality, just as it has been a genetic reality all along.
<hr />
*This post comes to us from a friend of 23andMe. Elliot is a scientific advisor for the Africa Center in New York City. He has an undergraduate degree in physics from Harvard and a Ph.D. in Evolutionary Biology from City University of New York. He did post-graduate work in mathematical biology at the University of Pennsylvania. Elliot’s day job is as a data scientist with an e-commerce company.

DNA Reveals America’s Mixed-Race History

February marks a time to remember and celebrate people of the African diaspora. To kick off a Black History Month of reflection, we’d like to highlight some of the projects 23andMe has been working on to specifically address disparities in biomedical and genetic research for people of African ancestry.
Research shows that <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-019-1310-4">genetic studies that include diverse, multi-ethnic participants</a> have a higher chance of discovering important genetic variants associated with diseases. Those associations would have been missed in studies that focus only on one homogenous group.
<h6>We Need to Do Better</h6>
Despite this, as of 2019, <a href="https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(19)30231-4">only two percent of participants in genome-wide association studies</a> around the world were people of African ancestry. Additionally, <a href="https://www.23andme.com/dna-health-ancestry">genetic risk prediction</a> scores, which will be instrumental in the future of personalized medicine, need to take ancestry into account. A risk score developed for one population may not be as accurate for another, exacerbating already existing health disparities for African Americans.
But it’s not enough for us to wait for others to fix the problem. As our <a href="https://www.23andme.com/black-lives-matter">CEO Anne Wojcicki stated last June</a>, “We absolutely have the potential to be better. Despite our efforts, I have to honestly say that we are also part of the problem.”
<h6>Some History</h6>
Over the years, we have made an effort to ensure our product and research are relevant to those of African ancestry. Here is a snapshot of our progress over the last decade:
2011: We launched our <a href="https://www.23andme.com/roots/">Roots into the Future</a> project to recruit 10,000 African Americans to participate in research.<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-9427" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/RootsLogo-300x300.png" alt="" width="300" height="300" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/RootsLogo-300x300.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/RootsLogo-150x150.png 150w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/RootsLogo-768x768.png 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/RootsLogo-1024x1024.png 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/RootsLogo-880x880.png 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/RootsLogo-271x271.png 271w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/RootsLogo-372x372.png 372w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/RootsLogo-574x574.png 574w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/RootsLogo-980x980.png 980w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/RootsLogo.png 1050w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
2013: We launched our first African Ancestry Project, which recruited people with four grandparents from Sub-Saharan Africa.
2014: With this additional data from people of African ancestry, we published <a href="http://www.cell.com/ajhg/abstract/S0002-9297%2814%2900476-5">the first large-scale study of genetic ancestry in the United States</a> that reflects historical migrations.
2015: Using external research, we launched our Health service with a report for sickle cell anemia and a report for beta-thalassemia and related hemoglobinopathies, among others. Both of these conditions are highly relevant for people with African ancestry.
2016: We reached the milestone of 45,000 African Americans participating in 23andMe research.
2016: We <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/articles/23andme-scientists-improving-diversity-in-genetic-research/">received a National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant</a> to help us develop a new analysis pipeline that may alleviate disparities in research.
2016: We launched the <a href="https://www.23andme.com/africa-project/">African Genetics Project</a>, further recruiting individuals with ancestry from one of 16 African countries, expanding our recruitment outside of Sub-Saharan African ancestry.<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-25259" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/05242016_ig_ad_3-300x300.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="300" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/05242016_ig_ad_3-300x300.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/05242016_ig_ad_3-150x150.jpg 150w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/05242016_ig_ad_3-768x768.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/05242016_ig_ad_3-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/05242016_ig_ad_3-880x880.jpg 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/05242016_ig_ad_3-271x271.jpg 271w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/05242016_ig_ad_3-372x372.jpg 372w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/05242016_ig_ad_3-574x574.jpg 574w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/05242016_ig_ad_3-980x980.jpg 980w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/05242016_ig_ad_3.jpg 1080w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
2016: We launched the <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/articles/african-american-sequencing-project/">African American Sequencing Project</a>, which also received funding from the NIH, to create a genomic reference panel that was shared with the broader scientific community for research.
2017: We launched the <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/articles/global-genetics-project/">Global Genetics Project</a>, further recruiting individuals underrepresented in genomics research, including 45 countries in Africa.
2018: We launched our <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/articles/23andmes-populations-collaborations/">Populations Collaborations Program</a>, which partners with academic researchers working across the globe to genotype people in communities who are underrepresented in genetics research, including Angola, Madagascar, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
2018: Thanks to contributions from our African Genetics Project and Populations Collaborations Program, we <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/articles/new-african-east-asian-details/">updated our Ancestry Composition report</a> to now reflect nine additional ancestry regions within Africa.
2018: Using external research, we developed a health report for G6PD deficiency, a blood disorder that can affect one in 10 African American men.
2019: We reached the milestone of 295,000 African Americans participating in 23andMe research, which is six times our cohort size just four years prior!
2019: The de-identified data from the African American Sequencing Project was made available to qualified researchers through the <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/">National Center for Biotechnology Information’s database of Genotypes and Phenotypes (dbGaP)</a>, allowing other qualified researchers to improve the accuracy of their genetic research on people of African descent.
2019: Using external research, we developed a report for TTR-related hereditary amyloidosis.  About one in 28 African Americans is estimated to have a gene variant that predisposes to this heart condition.
2020: We expanded our Global Genetics Project to specifically recruit from subregions within Nigeria.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-27481" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/GGP-face-asset-1-300x300.png" alt="" width="300" height="300" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/GGP-face-asset-1-300x300.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/GGP-face-asset-1-150x150.png 150w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/GGP-face-asset-1-768x768.png 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/GGP-face-asset-1-1024x1024.png 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/GGP-face-asset-1-880x880.png 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/GGP-face-asset-1-271x271.png 271w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/GGP-face-asset-1-372x372.png 372w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/GGP-face-asset-1-574x574.png 574w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/GGP-face-asset-1-980x980.png 980w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/GGP-face-asset-1.png 1080w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />2020: We launched our Black Representation in Genetic Research study, which will conduct RNA sequencing that will also be made publicly available to qualified researchers when complete.
2020: Our <a href="https://research.23andme.com/research-innovation-collaborations/">Research Innovations Collaborations program</a> made a specific call for proposals that are of high significance for underrepresented populations, including groups with African ancestry, in order to further address health disparities.
2020: Using external research, we developed a report for APOL1-related chronic kidney disease. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is common and underdiagnosed, and the risk for severe disease is about three times higher in African Americans. About one in eight African Americans has a genetic predisposition for CKD due to variants in the APOL1 gene.
2021: 23andMe now has one of, if not the largest research cohort of genotyped and phenotyped people of African ancestry, with hundreds of thousands of individuals consenting to participate in research.
<h6>Studies Relevant to the Black Community</h6>
Because of these recruitment efforts, 23andMe has already been able to conduct health-related genome-wide association studies specific to people with African ancestry for example around <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00439-017-1836-1">uterine fibroids</a> and <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41588-018-0307-5">alcohol and tobacco use</a>. This research may also help us develop more health reports that are particularly important for this group. Foundational studies like these are key to reducing disparities in health care in the future.
Thanks to this research, we have also learned more about human history and migration, and can now match customers to over 150 subregions within Africa. We also r<a href="https://blog.23andme.com/articles/transatlantic-slave-trade-paper/">ecently published one of the most comprehensive investigations of the genomic consequences of the transatlantic slave trade</a> ever done in the American Journal of Human Genetics.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-30848 size-full" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/DEI-Blog-1024x536-1.png" alt="" width="1024" height="536" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/DEI-Blog-1024x536-1.png 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/DEI-Blog-1024x536-1-300x157.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/DEI-Blog-1024x536-1-768x402.png 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/DEI-Blog-1024x536-1-880x461.png 880w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />And this is only the beginning. With all this new data, the next few years should see a slew of new studies of particular interest and relevance to those of African ancestry. In addition to improving the inclusivity of our research and product, we are also committed to Diversity Equity and Inclusion across the board. That includes our hiring practices and employee experience, as well as community impact. And as Anne said, we’re asking that our customers hold us accountable. So keep checking back to make sure we’re advancing genetic research for all people, regardless of their ancestry.
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*The 23andMe PGS test uses qualitative genotyping to detect select clinically relevant variants in the genomic DNA of adults from saliva for the purpose of reporting and interpreting genetic health risks and reporting carrier status. It is not intended to diagnose any disease. Your ethnicity may affect the relevance of each report and how your genetic health risk results are interpreted. Each genetic health risk report describes if a person has variants associated with a higher risk of developing a disease, but does not describe a person’s overall risk of developing the disease. The test is not intended to tell you anything about your current state of health, or to be used to make medical decisions, including whether or not you should take a medication, how much of a medication you should take, or determine any treatment. Our carrier status reports can be used to determine carrier status, but cannot determine if you have two copies of any genetic variant. These carrier reports are not intended to tell you anything about your risk for developing a disease in the future, the health of your fetus, or your newborn child&#8217;s risk of developing a particular disease later in life. For certain conditions, we provide a single report that includes information on both carrier status and genetic health risk. For important information and limitations regarding each genetic health risk report and carrier status report, visit  <a href="https://www.23andme.com/test-info/">https://www.23andme.com/test-info/</a>.

Reflecting on Improving Diversity in 23andMe Research for Black History Month

Today, 23andMe added a new Genetic Health Risk report on APOL1-related chronic kidney disease that has particular relevance for customers with African ancestry.
<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/kidneydisease/basics.html">Chronic kidney disease</a> is when the kidneys stop working properly over time. It&#8217;s estimated that at least 40 percent of adults in the U.S. will develop chronic kidney disease during their lifetime [1]. If left untreated, chronic kidney disease can lead to complications, including heart disease or stroke, anemia, bone problems, a weakened immune system, and kidney failure. Because chronic kidney disease often has no symptoms at first, up to 90 percent of people with the condition aren&#8217;t aware they have it [2].
<h2>Two Variants in the Report</h2>
The Chronic Kidney Disease (APOL1-Related) Genetic Health Risk report* includes two variants in the APOL1 gene that can increase the risk of developing chronic kidney disease. These two variants — called G1 and G2 — are most common in people of African descent: about 13 percent of African Americans have two APOL1 risk variants, which puts them at increased risk for chronic kidney disease and several types of end-stage kidney disease (also called kidney failure). In addition, kidneys from donors with two APOL1 risk variants tend to survive for a shorter time after transplantation [3].
&#8220;We hope that this report can help guide conversations with a healthcare professional so that customers can work with their doctor to help manage their risk for chronic kidney disease,&#8221; said 23andMe Product Scientist Ruth Tennen.
<h2>Chronic Kidney Disease in African Americans</h2>
In the U.S., African Americans are about three times as likely to develop end-stage kidney disease as Americans of European descent [2], and it&#8217;s thought that the APOL1 G1 and G2 variants account for a large proportion of this excess risk.
Although there is currently no evidence that particular interventions are more or less effective at reducing chronic kidney disease risk in people with two APOL1 risk variants, studies have reported support in the African American community for offering APOL1 testing. In these studies, participants have highlighted that such testing could increase awareness and knowledge about kidney disease, motivate a healthier lifestyle, provide insight into potential risks for family members, and provide opportunities for future research that could help eliminate racial disparities in end-stage kidney disease [4].
<h2>Other Factors Also Influence Risk</h2>
Despite the impact of the APOL1 G1 and G2 variants on chronic kidney disease risk, most cases of chronic kidney disease are not caused by these two variants. In addition to genetics, many other factors can influence the chances of developing chronic kidney disease, including age, family history, and lifestyle factors. Diabetes and high blood pressure are two of the biggest risk factors for chronic kidney disease in adults [5] [6].
The Chronic Kidney Disease (APOL1-Related) Genetic Health Risk report is available to 23andMe Health + Ancestry customers who are genotyped on the V5 version of our chip. Not yet a customer, find out more <a href="https://www.23andme.com/dna-health-ancestry">here</a>.
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[1] McMahon GM et al. (2017). &#8220;Residual lifetime risk of chronic kidney disease.&#8221; Nephrol Dial Transplant. 32(10):1705-1709. [<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27358274/">https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27358274/</a>]
[2] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. &#8220;Chronic Kidney Disease in the United States, 2019.&#8221;
[3] Freedman BI et al. (2018). &#8220;APOL1-Associated Nephropathy: A Key Contributor to Racial Disparities in CKD.&#8221; Am J Kidney Dis. 72(5 Suppl 1):S8-S16. [<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30343724/">https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30343724/</a>]
[4] Umeukeje EM et al. (2019). &#8220;You Are Just Now Telling Us About This? African American Perspectives of Testing for Genetic Susceptibility to Kidney Disease.&#8221; J Am Soc Nephrol. 30(4):526-530. <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30858224/">https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30858224/</a>]
[5] American Heart Association. &#8220;Kidney Disease and Diabetes.&#8221; [https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/diabetes/why-diabetes-matters/kidney-disease&#8211;diabetes]
[6] American Heart Association. &#8220;How High Blood Pressure Can Lead to Kidney Damage or Failure.&#8221; [<a href="https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/high-blood-pressure/health-threats-from-high-blood-pressure/how-high-blood-pressure-can-lead-to-kidney-damage-or-failure">https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/high-blood-pressure/health-threats-from-high-blood-pressure/how-high-blood-pressure-can-lead-to-kidney-damage-or-failure</a>]
*The 23andMe PGS test uses qualitative genotyping to detect select clinically relevant variants in the genomic DNA of adults from saliva for the purpose of reporting and interpreting genetic health risks. It is not intended to diagnose any disease. Your ethnicity may affect the relevance of each report and how your genetic health risk results are interpreted. Each genetic health risk report describes if a person has variants associated with a higher risk of developing a disease, but does not describe a person’s overall risk of developing the disease. The test is not intended to tell you anything about your current state of health, or to be used to make medical decisions, including whether or not you should take a medication, how much of a medication you should take, or determine any treatment. The Chronic Kidney Disease (APOL1-Related) genetic health risk report (i) is indicated for reporting of the S342G and N388_Y389del variants in the APOL1 gene, which define the G1 and G2 haplotypes, respectively and (ii) describes if a person has variants associated with an increased risk of developing chronic kidney disease. The variants included in this report are the most common and best studied in people of African descent.
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23andMe Offers a New Report on APOL1-Related Chronic Kidney Disease

<figure class="wp-block-image alignright"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="275" height="300" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Jeremiah-1-275x300.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-27997" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Jeremiah-1-275x300.jpg 275w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Jeremiah-1-768x839.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Jeremiah-1-938x1024.jpg 938w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Jeremiah-1-806x880.jpg 806w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Jeremiah-1-1081x1180.jpg 1081w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 275px) 100vw, 275px" /></figure>



“Where are you from?” 



It’s a question, Jeremiah struggled to answer most of his life. His home was in Oakland, California, but for Jeremiah simply saying “Oakland” wasn’t enough. All his life he longed to be able to say more about his African heritage.&nbsp;



“I was a tree without roots,” Jeremiah said.



<h6 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-where-paper-records-fail">Where Paper Records Fail</h6>



Seeing his 23andMe results, gave him that extra bit of information about his African ancestry that he’d always wanted to know, said Jeremiah.



Paper records and family lore could take Jeremiah back only so far. Like most African Americans, the scourge of slavery meant he could never trace back to where in Africa his ancestors were stolen from before they were shipped off into bondage. His parents and grandparents were unsure about their ancestry beyond a few generations. An entrepreneur and motivational speaker, Jeremiah’s driving purpose is his teenage daughters, but despite how far he had come, he still felt like a stranger to himself. 



<figure class="wp-block-image alignright"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="300" height="254" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/map_of_africa-300x254.png" alt="" class="wp-image-26483" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/map_of_africa-300x254.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/map_of_africa.png 697w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></figure>



That changed four years ago when he received his 23andMe reports. He hoped DNA testing would offer him some of the answers he’d been searching for most of his life. He also wanted to give his daughters a better understanding of their ancestry. He wanted them to have the confidence that comes with truly knowing who you are.



<h6 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-connections-to-africa">Connections to Africa</h6>



Opening his results for the first time, “meant everything.” Jeremiah learned that he is a descendant of the Ghanaian people, with ancestors also in Nigeria, the Congo and other areas of Africa. In that one moment, he felt connected.



“I finally felt at peace with who I am,” Jeremiah reflected. “People often walk through life wanting to have others understand and know them, but they don’t always understand and know themselves. Getting to know the stranger within each of us will better arm us to assist the strangers we encounter in life.”



Jeremiah always felt an affinity with the rich cultural heritage of Ghana, so it thrilled him to learn of his ancestral connection to the region.&nbsp;



<h6 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-sankofa">Sankofa</h6>



To capture what his discovery has meant, Jeremiah mentions the word, “Sankofa.” In the Twi language of Ghana, it means “to go back and get.” The phrase embodies the concept that for humans to better understand what’s happening now and what is possible in the future, they need to go back and comprehend what happened before. That’s what Jeremiah is trying to do, he said.



To mark the 400th anniversary of slavery in America, the government of Ghana sponsored in 2019 something called the Year of Return. An estimated half a million people who are part of the African diaspora visited Ghana. Jeremiah is determined to make his own pilgrimage there “to go back and get.”



There is a rite of passage in Ghana where African-Americans can return and surrender their American name to receive a new African name. Jeremiah was never given a middle name, so he plans to participate. Only he won’t be surrendering his American name. Rather he will “go back and get” the name Kwame as his middle name. Kwame is the name traditionally given to men born on a Saturday, just like Jeremiah was.



“I’m looking forward to taking my daughters to Ghana so they can see for themselves where we come from,” Jeremiah said. “They’re still young so they don’t fully understand what I wrestled with for decades. We all have to figure out who we are, but I hope that knowing more about their Ghanain heritage will help them in that process.”



Not everyone will have the opportunity to travel back to where their ancestors came from, engage in the culture of their ancestors, and ensure their future generations know more than they did. For Jeremiah, his 23andMe kit wasn’t just enlightening, it was life-altering.&nbsp;



Now he knows where he comes from.



&nbsp;

Learning About Yourself With 23andMe

As we celebrate <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/news/african-american-scientists/">Black History Month</a>, we want to raise awareness about some of the conditions 23andMe reports on that are more common in people of African descent. 
 
<h6>Sickle Cell Anemia<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Sickle-Cell-fact-452x586_x2-231x300.jpg" alt="" class="alignright wp-image-27924 size-medium" width="231" height="300" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Sickle-Cell-fact-452x586_x2-231x300.jpg 231w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Sickle-Cell-fact-452x586_x2-768x996.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Sickle-Cell-fact-452x586_x2-790x1024.jpg 790w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Sickle-Cell-fact-452x586_x2-679x880.jpg 679w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Sickle-Cell-fact-452x586_x2.jpg 904w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 231px) 100vw, 231px" /></h6>
About 1 in 13 African Americans have the genetic variant in the HBB gene that causes sickle cell anemia. Sickle cell anemia is characterized by anemia, episodes of pain, and frequent infections. Being a carrier does not mean you have the condition. A person must carry two variants in the HBB gene to develop this condition.
  
<h6>G6PD Deficiency</h6>
About 1 in 10 African American men have<a href="https://www.23andme.com/topics/health-predispositions/g6pd-deficiency/"> G6PD deficiency</a>. People with this condition usually don’t develop symptoms unless they are exposed to certain triggers, including certain food, medications or infections.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/G6PD-fact-452x586_x2-231x300.jpg" alt="" class="alignright wp-image-27925 size-medium" width="231" height="300" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/G6PD-fact-452x586_x2-231x300.jpg 231w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/G6PD-fact-452x586_x2-768x996.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/G6PD-fact-452x586_x2-790x1024.jpg 790w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/G6PD-fact-452x586_x2-679x880.jpg 679w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/G6PD-fact-452x586_x2.jpg 904w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 231px) 100vw, 231px" /> 
<h6>Hereditary Amyloidosis (TTR-Related)</h6>
It is estimated that about 1 in 28 African Americans carry a variant linked to <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/health-traits/a-new-23andme-genetic-health-risk-report-brings-to-light-underdiagnosed-condition/">TTR-related hereditary amyloidosis</a>. This little-known genetic condition is caused by the buildup of a protein called<a href="https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/gene/TTR"> transthyretin</a> (TTR). This protein buildup can damage the nerves, the heart, and other parts of the body. Because the symptoms vary widely, the condition is often misdiagnosed.
<h6></h6>
<h6>Beta Thalassemia and Related Hemoglobinopathies</h6>
<a href="https://www.23andme.com/topics/carrier/beta-thalassemia/">Beta thalassemia</a> is a genetic disorder characterized by anemia and fatigue as well as bone deformities and organ problems. Among those who are most impacted are people of North African descent. 
&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.23andme.com/dna-health-ancestry/">23andMe Health + Ancestry Service</a> customers can learn more about these conditions by viewing their <a href="https://you.23andme.com/health/">health reports</a>.* <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/TTR-fact-452x586_x1-231x300.jpg" alt="" class="alignright wp-image-27926 size-medium" width="231" height="300" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/TTR-fact-452x586_x1-231x300.jpg 231w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/TTR-fact-452x586_x1.jpg 452w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 231px) 100vw, 231px" />
&nbsp;
African Americans continue to be underrepresented in genetic research, but 23andMe is working to change that with initiatives to improve the diversity in the science we do.  
 
Our mission has always been to help people access, understand and benefit from the human genome. We want to make sure that we&#8217;re doing that for all people. That means broadening the diversity and including populations that are not now well represented. 
&nbsp;
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<h6>Diversity in Research</h6>
 
For more than a decade now, 23andMe scientists have undertaken efforts to improve diversity in our research, particularly among African Americans and people of African descent. Some of those efforts include programs like our<a href="https://blog.23andme.com/news/announcements/roots-into-the-future/"> Roots Into the Future</a> study, the <a href="https://www.23andme.com/africa-project/">African Genetics Project</a>, and the recently completed <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/23andme-research/african-american-sequencing-project/">African American Sequencing Project</a>. 
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/AA-card-image-452x586_x4-150x150.jpg" alt="" class="alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-27922" width="150" height="150" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/AA-card-image-452x586_x4-150x150.jpg 150w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/AA-card-image-452x586_x4-271x271.jpg 271w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/AA-card-image-452x586_x4-372x372.jpg 372w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/AA-card-image-452x586_x4-574x574.jpg 574w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/AA-card-image-452x586_x4-980x980.jpg 980w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" />23andMe now has one of the largest, if not the largest, cohorts in the world of genotyped and phenotyped African Americans who have consented to participate in research. This offers incredible potential to make new findings relevant to people with African ancestry. It has already allowed our scientists to conduct genome-wide association studies specific to people with African ancestry into such things as <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00439-017-1836-1">uterine fibroids</a> and <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41588-018-0307-5">alcohol and tobacco use</a>. 
 
But we want to do more, so beyond the work, we and our collaborators have done, 23andMe is also working to improve research diversity more broadly.
 
Last year, we have made available the de-identified data from 23andMe&#8217;s African American Sequencing Project through the<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/"> National Center for Biotechnology Information’s</a> database of Genotypes and Phenotypes (dbGaP). Participants in this project were asked for an additional layer of consent beyond 23andMe’s normal research consent process. 
 
We’ve made great strides but we still have a long way to go. Learn more about 23andMe’s research <a href="https://www.23andme.com/research/">here.</a>
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*The 23andMe PGS test uses qualitative genotyping to detect select clinically relevant variants in the genomic DNA of adults from saliva for the purpose of reporting and interpreting genetic health risks and reporting carrier status. It is not intended to diagnose any disease. Your ethnicity may affect the relevance of each report and how your genetic health risk results are interpreted. Each genetic health risk report describes if a person has variants associated with a higher risk of developing a disease, but does not describe a person’s overall risk of developing the disease. The test is not intended to tell you anything about your current state of health, or to be used to make medical decisions, including whether or not you should take a medication, how much of a medication you should take, or determine any treatment. Our carrier status reports can be used to determine carrier status, but cannot determine if you have two copies of any genetic variant. These carrier reports are not intended to tell you anything about your risk for developing a disease in the future, the health of your fetus, or your newborn child&#8217;s risk of developing a particular disease later in life. For certain conditions, we provide a single report that includes information on both carrier status and genetic health risk. For important information and limitations regarding other genetic health risk reports and carrier status reports, [visit  <a href="https://www.23andme.com/test-info/">https://www.23andme.com/test-info/]</a> [click <a href="https://www.23andme.com/test-info/">here</a>].

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