Jamila studied the map, smiling, giggling a bit with wonder each time she uncovered something new.&nbsp;
“Oh wow, just wow, I didn’t know any of that,” she said.&nbsp;
The map traced out a geographic region in Africa where certain ethnolinguistic groups, or people who share a common language and culture, live today. The lines carved out a part within what is now Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo, delineating where people who are Kongo &amp; Mbundu live. Within the region, there are other groups like the Kete, Imbala, and the Tetala.&nbsp;
“I’ve never heard of any of these groups,” Jamila said. “I have so much to learn now that I know this is part of me.”&nbsp;

 <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-style-default"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="733" height="1024" src="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Jamila-headshot1_pp-733x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-29491" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Jamila-headshot1_pp-733x1024.jpg 733w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Jamila-headshot1_pp-845x1180.jpg 845w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Jamila-headshot1_pp-215x300.jpg 215w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Jamila-headshot1_pp-768x1073.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Jamila-headshot1_pp-630x880.jpg 630w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Jamila-headshot1_pp-scaled.jpg 1832w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 733px) 100vw, 733px" /></figure>
 
<h6>Ancestry Composition Update</h6>
Steven Micheletti, a 23andMe population geneticist, walked Jamila through this update of her 23andMe’s Ancestry Composition report. Steven explained that of the more than 12 million people stolen from Africa and taken to the Americas in the slave trade, almost half of them came from this region of West Central Africa. The update includes a total of <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/ancestry-reports/african-ethnolinguistic-groups/">25 new ethnolinguistic</a> groups in Africa. Jamila saw where in Africa she matched with others from this ethnolinguistic group with whom she shared a common ancestor up to a few hundred years ago.&nbsp;
But Jamila, a Seattle realtor, small business owner, and mother of eight, was seeing much more than just a map. Instead, Jamila saw a direct connection to a piece of her and her family’s history.
“This is going to mean a lot for people like me who want to know more,” she said.&nbsp;
<h6>A Richer History</h6>
February is Black History Month in the United States. But history for Black people here didn’t begin with slavery, Jamila said.&nbsp;
“Our history didn’t begin 400 years ago,” she said, referring to when the first Africans were enslaved and brought to the Americas.&nbsp;
For many Black Americans, the history of slavery erected a brick wall in their efforts to reach back and learn more about their ancestry. For many people like Jamila, simply saying that you have African ancestry isn’t enough. Africa itself is rich with cultures, ethnic groups, and languages; she wanted to know to what culture and group she connected.&nbsp;
“So I just kept asking questions,” Jamila said.
About three years ago, after using 23andMe, Jamila learned that she was primarily West African. Of her West African ancestry, about 35 percent was from Nigeria. But even Nigeria is a massive multi-ethnic place filled with different groups and cultures.&nbsp;
<h6>On a Quest to Learn More</h6>
Jamila wanted to know more.
“Where in Nigeria?” she asked.
Soon after testing, she connected with a distant Nigerian cousin. She learned that she was from a village in the Nigerian state of Anambra and was Ibo. Then, in Seattle, where she lives, Jamila began to participate in the Igbo Union group, made up of Ibo people now living in the United States. During one of the group’s meetings, Jamila met a woman from the same village as her cousin. Jamila and her new friend eventually traveled together to Anambra in August of 2019 and visited the village. She felt an immediate affinity with the people there.
&nbsp;“It was emotional and really fun,” she said. “It was life-changing.”
But she also knew there was more. Fast-forward to this year and Jamila learned through this latest 23andMe update that she is connected to ethnolinguistic groups in what is now Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
“I can never be 100 percent Ibo, or (one of these other groups),” she said. “I didn’t grow up in their culture, but it’s in my blood. It’s in me.”
She plans to learn more about these cultures and incorporate some of what she learns into her life and her children&#8217;s lives.
“It’s important that they know who they are and where they came from and that the story, our story, didn’t start 400 years ago… there’s more to it than that.”

 <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-style-default"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="512" height="338" src="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/AEG-2.png" alt="" class="wp-image-29437" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/AEG-2.png 512w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/AEG-2-300x198.png 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 512px) 100vw, 512px" /></figure>

23andMe Blog

23andMe Blog Team

Tracing Roots in Africa

Blog editor’s note: This #BlackHistoryMonth, 23andMe employees are celebrating joy and resilience in the Black and African diaspora through events, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CZ2D0Z6JKWe/">art</a>, and conversations. We’ve also curated a series of guest blogs about people who embody that joy and resilience – and are harnessing these strengths to uplift their communities and create a better future. Today, we’re highlighting Nyema Clarks work in building a urban farm to build a community around wellness and connections to the land.
By Gennette Cordova
Tucked away in the Beacon Hill neighborhood of Seattle is <a href="https://www.nurturingrootsfarm.org/">Nurturing Roots</a>, a community farm  founded by  Nyema Clark in 2016 as part of a movement to reclaim her people’s history and relationship with agriculture.
“I feel like, as a Black woman, all I hear about is ‘roots’—that&#8217;s our engagement with agriculture,” says Nyema. “I wanted to find an alternative way to visit, to view, to think about agriculture.”
Growing up in the urban, multicultural community of Seattle’s South End, Nyema’s exposure to different cultures informed her view of the world and food, in particular.
“My neighborhood was very diverse,” she says. And that diversity extended to the kitchen. &#8221; At my kitchen table I was eating just about everything. My friend across the street might be making lumpia; I could get a soul food meal from grandma; or I was able to get authentic chicken soup from my Vietnamese neighbors.”
Nyema grew up in an environment that emphasized  all aspects of “growing.” Her mother, a florist, instilled in her the vital importance of growing professionally, mentally and emotionally. Her father, who was interested in landscaping and carpentry, exposed her to the practice of building with her hands.
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 <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-style-default"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="576" src="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/23ANDME_01_15_2022_0598_2-1024x576.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-29526" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/23ANDME_01_15_2022_0598_2-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/23ANDME_01_15_2022_0598_2-300x169.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/23ANDME_01_15_2022_0598_2-768x432.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/23ANDME_01_15_2022_0598_2-880x495.jpg 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/23ANDME_01_15_2022_0598_2-1180x664.jpg 1180w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/23ANDME_01_15_2022_0598_2.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>
 
<h6>Addressing Disparities</h6>
“It’s always intrigued me. I always wanted to learn more, (about) Black folks in farming,” says Nyema. “Learning about George Washington Carver, the crazy land swaps and land grabs that happened. Identifying how structurally things are all messed up, I just dove head first into the agricultural side.”
In Seattle, like many cities around the country, health disparities such as higher instances of asthma among Black and Hispanic children can be attributed, in large part, to environmental racism. 
The evidence of racism and income inequality were evident throughout her childhood. “I don&#8217;t want to say it was a typical urban environment, because it was very unique. It was beautiful but also sucked knowing that a lot of my friends had asthma. And now I know why.”
Still, it was this environment that cultivated Nyema’s mind for business. Her entrepreneurial inclinations began with grade-school lemonade stands. That eventually led to the formation of her company, Avenue South, a small specialty seasonings shop at Seattle landmark Pike Place Market. While she enjoyed the exploration of value-added products, she became deeply invested in the idea of feeding her community with no monetary value attached. 
Nurturing Roots was the logical expansion of this investment.  The nonprofit has flourished, tended to by her commitment to “Robin Hood the system.” In this moment, where racial and social justice is under a magnifying glass, Nyema is intentional about addressing systematic oppression with an emphasis on food and environmental justice.
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 <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-style-default"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="576" src="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/23ANDME_01_15_2022_0475-1024x576.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-29525" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/23ANDME_01_15_2022_0475-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/23ANDME_01_15_2022_0475-300x169.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/23ANDME_01_15_2022_0475-768x432.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/23ANDME_01_15_2022_0475-880x495.jpg 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/23ANDME_01_15_2022_0475-1180x664.jpg 1180w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/23ANDME_01_15_2022_0475.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>
 
<h6>Claiming Her 40 Acres</h6>
“A lot of my trauma was associated with realizing we were brought here in servitude,” she says. For many Black Americans, especially those of us who grew up in cities, we naturally connect Blackness and farm work to the hundreds of years of barbaric, American chattel slavery, that confined our ancestors to coffee, tobacco, cocoa, sugar, and cotton plantations. 
Nyema is resolved to reclaim farming as a means to reconnect with  history and healcommunities. To further this vision, she has turned her focus to land ownership. She recently received funding to purchase the commercial space that currently houses Nurturing Roots, and she’s close to sealing a land transfer deal with the Seattle Parks Department to obtain 38 acres called Red Barn Ranch in a suburb of Seattle. 
“My plan for Red Barn Ranch is to create a self-sustaining ecosystem that includes Black farmers, Black healers and young people,” she says. “I wanted to be able to start a fire under the city’s ass to get them moving.” adding “You guys have land and you&#8217;re not doing anything with it? We&#8217;re paying taxes on it and the community could use it? What are you doing?” 
For Black Americans, there’s a symbolism in coming into possession of nearly 40 acres—the amount of land, along with a mule, famously promised and then denied to former slaves. 
“That&#8217;s why I tell everybody it’s all of ours,” she says. “We all are about to get our 40 acres finally.”
In acquiring this space, she aims to attain financial security, freedom to carry out her purpose and conjure a spiritual remedy for a time when our ancestors could own nothing, not even themselves. 
“Personally, I&#8217;ve seen a lot of land taken from not only our community but my family. We had a house in the [city’s historically Black] Central District, it was foreclosed,” says Nyema, touching on a shared experience for many Black people in Seattle. 
“My model encompasses everyone being able to own a piece of land even though this document says Nurturing Roots on it,” she says. “We don’t have individual plots at Nurturing Roots. Someone asked me before, ‘can I come and grow my garlic there?’ And it&#8217;s like, ‘yeah, but it&#8217;s gonna be amongst all the other garlic and then anybody who comes can pick it. Are you okay with that?’” 
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 <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-style-default"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="576" src="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/23ANDME_01_15_2022_0357-1024x576.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-29524" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/23ANDME_01_15_2022_0357-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/23ANDME_01_15_2022_0357-300x169.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/23ANDME_01_15_2022_0357-768x432.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/23ANDME_01_15_2022_0357-880x495.jpg 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/23ANDME_01_15_2022_0357-1180x664.jpg 1180w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/23ANDME_01_15_2022_0357.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>
 
<h6>Physical, Mental and Spiritual Wellness</h6>
Community is prioritized at Nurturing Roots, along with self-sufficiency and food empowerment. In South Seattle, the area’s lower income and higher unemployment predictably correlates with the sparseness of grocery stores, compared to other parts of the city. Beyond providing a much needed additional source for fresh produce, addressing a wide range of health issues from the expansion of access to nutrition-based education and fitness training to more ambitious goals like “taking control of our own sovereignty when it comes to healthcare” are on Nyema’s agenda.
<div id="attachment_29527" style="width: 250px" class="wp-caption alignright"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-29527" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/23ANDME_01_15_2022_0607-240x300.jpg" alt="" width="240" height="300" class="size-medium wp-image-29527" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/23ANDME_01_15_2022_0607-240x300.jpg 240w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/23ANDME_01_15_2022_0607-768x960.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/23ANDME_01_15_2022_0607-819x1024.jpg 819w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/23ANDME_01_15_2022_0607-704x880.jpg 704w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/23ANDME_01_15_2022_0607-944x1180.jpg 944w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/23ANDME_01_15_2022_0607.jpg 1080w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 240px) 100vw, 240px" /> Photo by Meron Menghistab </div>
Understanding how isolating many corporate spaces can be for Black workers, she sees Nurturing Roots as an opportunity to give her loved ones an alternative to more traditional working environments. So far, she’s been able to staff her operation entirely with people who are dear to her, some who she’s enjoyed decades-long friendships with. Nyema envisions a communal system with currency based on bartering, exchanging labor on the farm or some other offering, with the hope that the community she creates can detach their sense of self-worth from a dollar amount. 
With Nurturing Roots, she is intentional about centering healing and health, not just through nourishment of the body but nourishing the mind and spirit, as well. After years of feeling constantly undervalued in professional settings, with her farming project she felt her identity—as a Black person, a woman, a South Seattle native—being celebrated in a way that she’d never experienced before.
“Spiritually, it&#8217;s like I&#8217;ve been restored doing this work—almost like a baptism,” she continues, moved to tears. “Now, I couldn&#8217;t go back and work for someone if I wanted to. I needed to value myself. I needed to explore being a strong woman and have it not look like something else. It was tough to find in these artificial spaces.”
With the region boasting a wide range of agricultural products and a growing emphasis on sustainability, Nyema hopes her work will plant seeds in the minds and imaginations of her peers and younger people in the city. 
“People need to see us doing it,” she says “People need to be able to see themselves engaging in this practice.”
<hr />
Gennette Cordova is a writer and organizer currently based in Brooklyn. Originally from Seattle, she has written many times about the struggles and successes of Black women.

Gennette Cordova

Growing Community through Community Farming

By Melinda King, 23andMe&#8217;s Director of Diversity, Equity &amp; Inclusion 
Black History Month is meant to celebrate our contributions and acknowledge how far we&#8217;ve come, but for me, all that has happened in the last two years only reminds me how far we still have to go. 
I will never be able to think of this time without being reminded of the murder of George Floyd.   
As a Black woman, a mother of two sons, his brutal murder at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer shook me. It led me to move across the country for a new job and double down on my commitment to change the world where a Black man could have the life choked out of him under the color of law. 
<h6>Addressing Inequality and Injustice</h6>
I thought perhaps it also would be a moment that genuinely shook our country from its indifference to structural racism. But, a year and a half on, I’m not so sure. I fear the momentum to change is wafting away. I feel that is especially true here in Silicon Valley where so many companies make public commitments to take action to address racial inequality and injustice.
My job, the thing I get paid to do, is in part to remind, cajole and argue for inclusion in the workplace. I’m doing this work in Silicon Valley, which has its own diversity problem. There is a lot to be encouraged by but even with espoused commitments to change, it can be a lonely job. Even as I walk the streets of San Jose, I am constantly reminded of who I am and who I’m not. I’m reminded when I walk outside of my overpriced new apartment building only to be asked by the white woman crossing the street with me if it’s a low-income building. That’s because there is sometimes a disconnect between people who see and are shocked by the deaths of George Floyd, or <a href="https://www.runnersworld.com/runners-stories/a32883923/ahmaud-arbery-death-running-and-racism/">Ahmaud Arbery</a>, or <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/article/breonna-taylor-police.html">Breonna Taylor</a>, but can’t see what’s right in front of them. They can’t see how what caused those deaths connects to the structural racism that has excluded people like George or Ahmaud or Breonna, from the broader opportunities of our society. They struggle to connect all the dots that lead to Black people being in life or death situations regularly. 
<h6>The Potential for Positive Change</h6>
That’s why I came here. It’s because Silicon Valley is at the hub of innovation and opportunity.  Failing to embrace diversity here has both a moral and a business cost. We’ve witnessed the power of tech companies to profoundly transform society, both for the good and the bad. Fixing the diversity problem here could have an outsized and positive impact on the rest of the world. However, that requires real commitment. It requires making room for more diversity at the table and listening to those new voices. 
I am not naive to the complexity and history of race problems. I know what it means to be Black in America. I still remember sitting in a segregated doctor’s office as a little girl in rural Alabama. I remember having a hard conversation with my young son after someone called him the “n-word” in his grade school classroom.
<h6>It&#8217;s Everyone&#8217;s Job</h6>
But we don’t have to accept the way things are.
To quote<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/05/us/politics/05text-obama.html"> President Barack Obama</a>, “Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we&#8217;ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.”
Diversity, equity, and inclusion is my job, but it’s also your job. It’s everyone’s job. It requires each of us to be “the change we seek.”
It means more than words. It means actions. I say that even though it was words that brought me here. I heard the CEO and Co-Founder of 23andMe, Anne Wojcicki, <a href="https://www.23andme.com/black-lives-matter">call out her own company</a> for its failings on inclusion. She was willing to say her company, in the heart of Silicon Valley, was part of the problem. I reached out to her and asked if I could assist in making a change. That’s how I came to work at 23andMe.
Although it was Anne’s words that first drew me here, it’s my commitment to this community, the 23andMe employees, and this work that keeps me going. Since coming here we have brought diversity to our board, added new leaders, and continue to commit to adding more diversity to our organization. We continue to improve our product to make it more inclusive and have created employee groups to support people with different affinities, abilities, and ethnicities. 
<h6>Let&#8217;s Do More</h6>
But it’s not enough. There is so much more for us and other companies to do. We all have to do better. Leaders need to step outside their current network and develop relationships with people of different backgrounds. If you think that can’t happen, know that Black people have had to do that for generations in order to survive in corporate America. Challenge others when you see them sharing a narrative of “we are all the same.” While it’s a lovely sentiment, it’s not true. 
That brings me back to George Floyd, and my moment of clarity. It wasn’t that it reminded me of what I already know, it simply prompted me to focus on doing more to change the world that allows for something like that to happen. Tapping that resolve is what will help us keep our commitment, to do more than just talk about diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Let’s move away from all the things we say we will do and focus on actually doing the work that has an impact for the communities who have been left behind in the past.

Melinda King

The Change We Seek

23andMe’s latest update provides new ancestral connections to 25 African ethnolinguistic groups, including Ashanti ancestry, allowing people to explore connections with groups sharing common languages and cultures.



Along with the recent ancestor locations previously covered, this brings us to over 200 Ancestry Composition populations in Africa. This update is just one of many steps we’re taking to offer richer and more detailed information for customers with African ancestry. We are always looking to improve, and we hope to add even more granular ancestry results to our customers and better represent the depth of our genetic diversity.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-will-customers-find-in-this-update-nbsp">What will customers find in this update?&nbsp;</h2>



With this update, some customers with African ancestry, including those with Ashanti ancestry, will discover new Ancestry Composition matches to one or more of 25 new genetic groups, often called reference populations, representing present-day ethnolinguistic groups in Sub-Saharan Africa. These new groups include the Igbo, Yoruba, Kongo, Mandinka, Shona, and Ashanti peoples. Customers will also find a map marking where the people in each reference population and their ancestors have lived for generations.



&nbsp;



Customers who receive a match share some of their ancestors with that population within the last 250 to 300 years. And because of the populations&#8217; roots in these areas for generations, those ancestors likely lived in the same location and shared their communities&#8217; cultures. And in fact, the customer may have relatives who still live there today! Since cultural identity is so much more than DNA, though, keep in mind that these results alone do not say that a customer belongs to an ethnic group today.&nbsp;



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter wp-image-29438 size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="512" height="301" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/AEG-1.png" alt="A map of western Africa showing area within Nigeria where Edo and Ijaw people live." class="wp-image-29438" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/AEG-1.png 512w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/AEG-1-300x176.png 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 512px) 100vw, 512px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Here is an Example Ancestry Composition result for a customer with 3.6% Nigerian ancestry, which matches the new population, &#8220;Edo and Ijaw peoples.&#8221;</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-where-are-the-new-groups-nbsp">Where are the new groups?&nbsp;</h2>



Some customers may now receive matches to genetic groups (reference populations) that reveal shared ancestors and connections with present-day ethnolinguistic groups, including Ashanti ancestry. The regions below depict where the people in 23andMe’s reference populations, such as the Ashanti people, and their ancestors have lived for generations.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter wp-image-29437 size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="512" height="338" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/AEG-2.png" alt="A map of Africa showing all the new Ethnolinguistic Groups covered in this update." class="wp-image-29437" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/AEG-2.png 512w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/AEG-2-300x198.png 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 512px) 100vw, 512px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A map of the ancestral regions associated with each new genetic group is included in this update. For a full list of Sub-Saharan African populations represented, scroll down to the list at the bottom of the page.</figcaption></figure>



Matches to these regions represent ancestors who may have lived anywhere from now to approximately 250-300 years ago. These represent modern-day and historically recent ethnolinguistic groups and their ancestral regions. Previous events, such as migration, war, and earlier decades of the transatlantic and intra-African slave trade, may have led to major movements and mixing of people, so a customer’s African ancestors from 400+ years ago may have lived in different regions.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-did-we-develop-these-ancestry-insights-nbsp">How did we develop these ancestry insights?&nbsp;</h2>



Listening to our Black customers and broader communities, we heard clearly that people seek more specific connections beyond regions to people in Africa. These ties are often hard to discover, as few people of African descent in the Americas have genealogical records from before the Civil War (1861-1865), primarily due to the transatlantic and intercolonial slave trades.&nbsp;



Before now, 23andMe&#8217;s Ancestry Composition report revealed specific African countries and sub-country regions where evidence of a person&#8217;s recent ancestry is found. However, modern country connections, including these, often reflect how colonialism shaped borders within Africa and not how African people identified historically or prefer to identify today. We knew we needed to help people connect to their ancestry in additional ways to better reflect African people. So how did we do it?&nbsp;&nbsp;



<ol class="wp-block-list">
<li>For many years, 23andMe has partnered with our community of research participants and other researchers to study genetic, language, and cultural group data from people in Africa and people with families from Africa. These efforts, including the <a href="https://www.23andme.com/global-genetics/">Global Genetics Project</a> and <a href="https://research.23andme.com/populations-collaborations/">Populations Collaborations Program</a>, first improved Sub-Saharan African ancestry insights in 2018.</li>



<li>From 2019 to 2020, the 23andMe team worked with scholars of African history and African American studies to develop and publish one of the <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/23andme-research/transatlantic-slave-trade-paper/">most comprehensive investigations</a> of the transatlantic slave trade ever conducted. </li>



<li>From this research, we identified 25 unique genetic groups of reference individuals in Africa. </li>



<li>Using the information we previously collected on language, geographic location, and culture, we found that these genetic groups corresponded with particular ethnic groups and spoken languages.  </li>



<li>Finally, we developed an algorithm to determine if customers with African ancestry have shared ancestry with these groups. </li>
</ol>



Now, thanks to our collaborators and community of research participants, we can provide our customers with more meaningful information about their connections to people and places in Africa. With the addition of these new ethnolinguistic groups, we now offer insights to over 200 African regions. And as our database expands and analyses improve, we will continue providing new insights like this to better represent our genetic diversity.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter wp-image-29436 size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="512" height="478" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/AEG-3.png" alt="" class="wp-image-29436" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/AEG-3.png 512w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/AEG-3-300x280.png 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 512px) 100vw, 512px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Here is some example information on the Nigerian detailed ancestry report page. Nigeria&#8217;s population is the largest in Africa and one of the most diverse, with over 250 ethnic groups. 23andMe&#8217;s new ethnic group reference populations are just a first step to helping people with African ancestry rediscover their connections to ancestors and modern-day relatives across the Atlantic.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-updated-list-of-populations-in-sub-saharan-africa">Updated List of Populations in Sub-Saharan Africa</h2>



African Hunter-Gatherer



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Mbuti people — NEW</li>



<li>Baka &amp; Biaka people — NEW</li>
</ul>



Congolese &amp; Southern East African



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Angolan &amp; Congolese 
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Congo (the Democratic Republic of the)</li>



<li>Shona &amp; Nguni peoples — NEW</li>



<li>Luba &amp; Kete peoples — NEW</li>



<li>Kongo &amp; Mbundu peoples — NEW</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>



Southern East African



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Kenya (2+ regions)</li>



<li>Rwanda (3+ regions) </li>



<li>Kikuyu &amp; Kamba peoples — NEW</li>



<li>Luhya &amp; Luo peoples — NEW</li>



<li>Maasai people — NEW</li>



<li>Rundi peoples — NEW</li>



<li>Hadza &amp; Sandawe — NEW</li>



<li>Broadly Congolese &amp; Southern East African</li>
</ul>



West African



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Ashanti Ancestry in Ghana, Liberia &amp; Sierra Leone 
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Ghana (7+ regions)</li>



<li>Liberia (6+ regions)</li>



<li>Sierra Leone</li>



<li>Ashanti people — NEW</li>



<li>Ewe, Fon, Ga-Dangme, &amp; Fante peoples — NEW</li>



<li>Mende people — NEW</li>



<li>Temne &amp; Limba peoples — NEW</li>



<li>Peoples of Liberia  — NEW</li>
</ul>
</li>



<li>Senegambian &amp; Guinean 
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Guinea (3+ regions)</li>



<li>Cape Verde (7+ regions)</li>



<li>Gambia</li>



<li>Senegal</li>



<li>Mandinka people — NEW</li>



<li>Fula &amp; Wolof peoples — NEW</li>
</ul>
</li>



<li>Nigerian 
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Nigeria (18+ regions)</li>



<li>Edo &amp; Ijaw peoples  — NEW</li>



<li>Igbo people  — NEW</li>



<li>Yoruba people — NEW</li>



<li>Esan people  — NEW</li>



<li>Bamileke &amp; Kom peoples  — NEW</li>
</ul>
</li>



<li>Broadly West African 
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Cameroon (3+ regions)</li>



<li>Mauritania</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>



Northern East African



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Ethiopian &amp; Eritrean
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Ethiopia (6+ regions)</li>



<li>Eritrea (4+ regions)</li>



<li>Peoples of central and western Ethiopia — NEW </li>



<li>Tigrinya speakers — NEW </li>
</ul>
</li>



<li>Somali (9+ regions)</li>



<li>Sudanese
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Sudan (7+ regions)</li>



<li>South Sudan</li>
</ul>
</li>



<li>Broadly Northern East African </li>



<li>Broadly Sub-Saharan African</li>



<li>‡Khomani San — NEW </li>
</ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-most-common-ethnolinguistic-group-connections-among-23andme-customers">Most common ethnolinguistic group connections among 23andMe customers</h2>



Of 23andMe customers who receive a match to a new group, the most common matches are with the Igbo and Kongo and Mbundu people. Both of these groups are matches for around 30 percent of customers. The next most common group is the Fula and Wolof people, who match around 13 percent of customers. 



These proportions likely reflect the impact of the transatlantic slave trade in which the majority of the 12.5 million enslaved Africans were taken from ethnolinguistic groups residing in the mid to southern Atlantic coast of Africa and forced into the Americas. Each of the remaining ethnolinguistic groups is a match for fewer than 5 percent of customers.



&nbsp;



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="446" height="512" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/AEG-4.png" alt="" class="wp-image-29435" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/AEG-4.png 446w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/AEG-4-261x300.png 261w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 446px) 100vw, 446px" /></figure>

23andMe Expands Ancestry Composition with Ashanti Ancestry and Other African Ethnolinguistic Groups

What stories and breakthroughs shaped the year in science and genetics? 
That was the question we asked a group of 23andMe leaders who are experts in everything from human genetics to product science to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Their wide-ranging responses span disciplines. You’ll find biology breakthroughs, public health declarations, illuminating visualizations, AI technologies, and rigorous scientific debates. 
COVID-19 is well represented in their answers, too, including new gains in scientific literacy as we continue to add terms like “spike protein” and “T cells” to the lexicon. 
The result is a list that collectively embodies our <a href="https://www.23andme.com/about?bst=pff">core value</a> of scientific discovery and captures a year of progress. 
<h2>Virology, Variants, Vaccines: A New Era of Scientific Literacy </h2>
<a href="https://mediacenter.23andme.com/press-release/23andme-announces-the-appointment-of-joseph-r-arron-m-d-ph-d-as-chief-scientific-officer">Joe Arron</a>, Chief Scientific Officer

 <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-style-default"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="477" src="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/COVID-Image-1024x477.png" alt="" class="wp-image-29418" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/COVID-Image-1024x477.png 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/COVID-Image-300x140.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/COVID-Image-768x358.png 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/COVID-Image-880x410.png 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/COVID-Image-1180x550.png 1180w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/COVID-Image.png 1394w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>
 
“Any way you slice it, the biggest story of the year — genetic or otherwise — is the coronavirus pandemic. The global scale of COVID-19’s effects on health, politics, economics, and culture is staggering, but observing biology plays out in real-time has been equally staggering. 
I have been struck by the dramatic rise in scientific literacy across our society. This is partly because scientists, journalists, and politicians have worked to understand and explain rapidly changing developments in viral variants, vaccines, antiviral therapies, epidemiology, and public health guidelines. These explanations often use technical molecular terms that have become part of our everyday language. 
For example, soon after the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV2 was discovered and sequenced, you could find visualizations of a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/12/14/science/omicron-variant-science.html">molecular model of the spike protein</a> mutations in the media. As an immunologist, it’s gratifying to see both the public’s interest in such things as antibodies, T cells, and viruses, as well as the patience and enthusiasm with which my colleagues endeavor to explain these complex processes in accessible language. 
While we all hope that this pandemic will soon recede into memory, I also hope that our society will remain engaged in seeking a deeper understanding of science, medicine, and the power of genetic technology to benefit human health.” 

<h2>Racism is a Public Health Crisis for Black Americans</h2>
<a href="https://blog.23andme.com/articles/melinda-king/">Melinda King</a>, Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and People Business Partner

 <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-style-default"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="536" src="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/DEI-Blog-1024x536.png" alt="" class="wp-image-28515" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/DEI-Blog-1024x536.png 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/DEI-Blog-300x157.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/DEI-Blog-768x402.png 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/DEI-Blog-880x461.png 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/DEI-Blog-1180x618.png 1180w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/DEI-Blog.png 1200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>
 
“I read an article from 60 Minutes on CBS News recently that shared what most healthcare professionals already know: there is a healthcare disparity gap for minorities compared to their white peers. There are many reasons for this gap, many of which are rooted in the by-products of systemic racism. However, Dr. David Williams, a professor and chair at Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health, has spent his career researching and sharing information on what the CDC now recognizes: racism itself can be a killer.
Dr. Williams classifies the various levels of mistreatment using an <a href="https://scholar.harvard.edu/davidrwilliams/node/32397">Everyday Discrimination Scale</a>, which includes nine elements designed to assess an individual’s daily experience of discrimination. The scale tries to gauge well-being by asking questions like: 
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">How often are individuals treated with less courtesy than others? </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">How often are individuals treated with less respect than others? </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">How often do they receive worse service in restaurants or stores? </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">And how often do people act as if they’re afraid of them?</li>
</ul>
Individuals with a high score tend to also have adverse health outcomes. A high score is associated with high blood pressure, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and poor mental health.
Dr. Williams’s research also demonstrates that the health of Black Americans suffers whether they are rich or poor, well-educated or not. For example, Black women with college degrees are more likely to see their babies die as infants than white women who didn&#8217;t finish high school. Even when they are treated in the same healthcare settings, Black Americans receive worse care. 
While there is nothing new for me from this article, this has been my ancestors&#8217; journey. And I appreciate the research that supports what we know — racism is a killer. To improve the health and well-being of minorities, we have to spend an equal amount of energy on eliminating racism. 
As a company that leads with science and is focused on improving the health outcomes for everyone, this provides us with another angle to help close the healthcare gap. As we work to conduct research and develop therapeutic solutions, we should also focus equal time and resources to eradicating racism.” 

<h2>Predicting Protein Structures with Atomic Accuracy</h2>
<a href="https://investors.23andme.com/corporate-governance/leadership">Adam Auton</a>, Vice President, Human Genetics

 <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-style-default"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="400" height="266" src="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/dnaoragami.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-5013" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/dnaoragami.jpg 400w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/dnaoragami-300x200.jpg 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px" /></figure>
 
“The<a href="https://deepmind.com/blog/article/alphafold-a-solution-to-a-50-year-old-grand-challenge-in-biology"> AlphaFold publication</a> is likely the most impactful research of the year regarding our ability to accurately predict protein structure. 
Understanding protein structure is critical for understanding biological function; knowing how a protein folds allows us to understand its shape and the protein&#8217;s function following that shape. 
However, predicting protein structure from the DNA sequence has been challenging for decades. As a result, only a relatively small number of proteins have had their structures &#8220;solved&#8221; by experimental means. 
This year, the DeepMind team released their AlphaFold technology, which used Machine Learning techniques to make tremendous strides in improving protein structure predictions. This technology has now been used to make structure predictions for every protein in the human genome and really opens a door for understanding biology in a way that wasn&#8217;t possible before.

<h2>The Past – and Future – of mRNA</h2>
<a href="https://www.lemonaidhealth.com/meet-our-lemons">Paul Johnson</a>, CEO, Lemonaid, and Vice President, General Manager Consumer
“The Fast Company article, <a href="https://www.fastcompany.com/90664662/how-biontech-created-a-new-delta-focused-covid-vaccine-in-just-a-few-weeks">How BioNTech created a new delta-focused COVID vaccine in just a few weeks</a>, described how creating some vaccines has become almost as easy as updating software code using mRNA. That was unheard of until recently and is critical as we encounter future viral illnesses and variants. It also lets us re-imagine how we might retool existing vaccines.<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-full wp-image-29419" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Vaccine.png" alt="" width="164" height="168" />
Much like software, it&#8217;s now possible for biology to be sequenced and programmed using a &#8220;platform technology&#8221; so that if you change a sequence of the code, it is stable enough that everything else remains the same.  What used to take years now takes weeks. Like many breakthroughs, this discovery of mRNA as a potential platform in care delivery was not an overnight success. It was a consequence of risk-taking, personal sacrifice, and resilience. 
This <a href="https://www.statnews.com/2020/11/10/the-story-of-mrna-how-a-once-dismissed-idea-became-a-leading-technology-in-the-covid-vaccine-race/">background article</a> written before the approval of the mRNA vaccine is equally inspiring. It details the bold vision of Hungarian-born scientist Katalin Karikó, who spent the 1990s getting rejected for her grants for mRNA. 
In 1995, she was demoted when her bosses thought the pursuit of mRNA was a dead end. Yet, she persisted, and the foundational science behind her work is the pillar to our mRNA vaccines today.” 

<h2>Polygenic Scores Enter the Mainstream</h2>
<a href="https://blog.23andme.com/articles/be-fascinated-for-womens-history-month/">Shirley Wu</a>, Director, Product Science

 <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-style-default"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="155" src="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Polygenic-Risk-score-1024x155.png" alt="" class="wp-image-29420" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Polygenic-Risk-score-1024x155.png 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Polygenic-Risk-score-300x45.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Polygenic-Risk-score-768x116.png 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Polygenic-Risk-score-880x133.png 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Polygenic-Risk-score.png 1026w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>
 
“While there have been many compelling genetics stories related to the COVID-19 pandemic, one theme in genetics that I’ve found very interesting this year was the conversation around polygenic scores. 
Polygenic scores are statistical models that combine the effects of potentially thousands or millions of genetic factors, sometimes alongside other factors, to predict the likelihood of a disease or trait in an individual. These started to become part of the academic sphere about five to eight years ago, but this year it became clear that they’ve entered the mainstream. 
Biotech and pharmaceutical companies are leveraging them to improve drug development, healthcare systems are beginning to apply polygenic scores to patient populations, and companies (including 23andMe) are offering them to consumers and healthcare providers. 
With that comes all the <a href="https://genomemedicine.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13073-021-00829-7" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://genomemedicine.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13073-021-00829-7&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1641313460594000&amp;usg=AOvVaw09nnlrAHzEpbAqzEBbQVE3">challenges and debates</a> around ensuring validity, demonstrating utility, and ethical questions. Also, are models that predict traits like intelligence or neurodivergence <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/09/13/can-progressives-be-convinced-that-genetics-matters" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/09/13/can-progressives-be-convinced-that-genetics-matters&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1641313460594000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0TZiNtUsOxzKUYVlMWq8HN">appropriate</a>? And how do we address health disparities, given that most of the data underlying these models are from samples of European descent?
A common thread that ties this discussion to what we do at 23andMe is figuring out how to broaden access to the benefits of the genome in a responsible, science-driven way. I’ll follow closely where this conversation goes in the next year and beyond!”

Helping Expand Diversity in Genetic Health Research

23andMe scientists recently shared some encouraging preliminary findings with participants in our Black Representation in Genomic Research study. The study is meant to help accelerate scientific discoveries and medical insights that directly benefit the Black community.
The scientists digging into the data believe these early findings offer encouraging signs that their work will indeed help alleviate some of the massive disparities in health and genetic research in non-European populations. The study itself is part of an on-going effort by 23andMe to improve diversity in research. That’s crucially important, according to speakers during the webinar.
“It’s knowledge that could help level the playing field,” said John Carpten, Ph.D., a Professor and Chair of Translational Genomics, as well as the Director of the Institute of Translational Genomics.
<h2>The Important of Diversity in Research</h2>
Professor Carpten was one of three outside scientists participating in the webinar. The other speakers included <a href="https://profiles.stanford.edu/carlos-bustamante">Carlos Bustamante</a>, Ph.D., a professor at Stanford University. He is an internationally recognized leader in applying data science and genomics technology to problems in medicine, agriculture, and biology. Also among the speakers was <a href="https://icahn.mssm.edu/profiles/eimear-kenny">Eimear Kenney</a>, Ph.D., the founding Director of the Institute for Genomic Health and Associate Professor of Medicine and Genetics at Mount Sinai. She leads research at the interface of genomics, medicine, and computer science.
They each noted the importance of diversifying genetic research and participation to ensure that all people, no matter their ethnicity, benefit from medical and scientific breakthroughs.
<h2>A Lack of Representation in Resarch</h2>
There is still much to be done, however. One <a href="https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(19)30231-4">estimate in 2018</a> found that 78 percent of genome-wide association studies contained data from people only of European descent. The lack of data from non-Europeans, especially those of African descent, leads to less effective treatments for members of the Black community. Over the last decade, 23andMe has taken steps to improve the diversity of our research. Whether through the<a href="https://www.23andme.com/roots/"> Roots into the Future Project</a>, the<a href="https://www.23andme.com/africa-project/"> African Genetics Project</a>, or<a href="https://blog.23andme.com/23andme-research/african-american-sequencing-project/"> African American Sequencing Project,</a> each project was meant to enhance the diversity in our research and our product.
23andMe’s Black Representation in Genomic Research is another step in that journey. It will offer a way to include underrepresented populations in crucial medical research so that they too can benefit from those breakthroughs.
<h2>The Black Representation in Genomic Research Study</h2>
As part of this study, 23andMe recruited more than 1,000 people with African ancestry who consented to participate in research. The median age of participants is 37. Most of those who participated were in New York, California, Texas, Georgia and Florida. In addition about 69 percent were women, and most of those who participated had West African ancestry. The study involved using whole-genome and RNA sequencing data to study gene expression in people with African ancestry. This kind of “functional data” is crucial for understanding the significance of genetic variants identified through genome-wide association studies that, in turn, can help in developing treatments for diseases.
Unfortunately, because of the lack of representation in current research, there is not much gene expression reference data for people of African ancestry. The Black Representation in Genomic Research study is an effort to change that. And ensure that the Black community can benefit from scientific discoveries and drug development. The anonymized data from this study will help not just 23andMe researchers but also other academic researchers through the National Institutes of Health’s dbGaP.
<h2>Sharing Preliminary Study Findings</h2>
The webinar held earlier this Fall was an effort to share with those participating in the research some of what our scientists have learned so far and to answer their questions.
<div id="attachment_29289" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-29289" class="wp-image-29289 size-large" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/BRGR-ASHG-Poster-Kipper-1024x576.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/BRGR-ASHG-Poster-Kipper-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/BRGR-ASHG-Poster-Kipper-300x169.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/BRGR-ASHG-Poster-Kipper-768x432.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/BRGR-ASHG-Poster-Kipper-880x495.jpg 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/BRGR-ASHG-Poster-Kipper-1180x664.jpg 1180w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />Kipper&#8217;s poster presented during  <a href="https://www.ashg.org/meetings/2021meeting/">American Society of Human Genetics,</a> showing some of the preliminary data from the BRGR study.</div>
23andMe computational biologist Kipper Fletez-Brant, Ph.D., one of the 23andMe scientists working on the study, also spoke during the webinar.
23andMe now has one of the largest genetic research datasets for people of African ancestry in the world. While we still need to improve representation in our research data, that large dataset allows 23andMe to bring new insight into research specific to people of African ancestry.
The effort is important for a number of reasons, and Kipper gave the example of how different conditions — certain cancers, diabetes, and asthma, for example — impact people of African ancestry differently. Some of those differences are due to environmental and social differences but genetics may also play a role, Kipper said. In addition, certain medications may also be more or less effective in people of African ancestry because of those differences. He said that studies like the Black Representation in Genomic Research that look at functional data will help better understand those differences.
A description of the BRGR study will also be presented at the upcoming annual meeting of the <a href="https://www.ashg.org/meetings/2021meeting/">American Society of Human Genetics</a>.

Black Representation in Genomic Research Study

This week, Anne Wojcicki, 23andMe’s CEO, and Co-Founder signed a letter, along with dozens of CEOs, making a commitment toward advancing equity and inclusion for employees and customers with disabilities. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright wp-image-30848 size-larger" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/DEI-Blog-1024x536-1-880x461.png" alt="" width="880" height="461" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/DEI-Blog-1024x536-1-880x461.png 880w, 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.png 1024w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 880px) 100vw, 880px" />
The move deepened the company’s ongoing commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion through participating in the Disability Equality Index. The index offers a way to gauge the company’s policies and practices for employees and customers with disabilities in the coming years.
Administered by the non-profit group, <a href="https://www.aapd.com/about/">American Association of People with Disabilities</a> and <a href="https://disabilityin.org/who-we-are/about/">Disability:IN</a>, the index will offer the company — and those outside the company — a benchmark assessment for measures of inclusivity for those with disabilities. It will allow 23andMe to better see how inclusive our products and working environment are for people with disabilities. The benchmarking will begin next year.
As a company that prides itself in celebrating the shared humanity of all people, diversity, equity and inclusion are at 23andMe’s core. People who feel empowered to be their authentic selves make better employees and bring broader perspectives to the work they do. That, in turn, helps the kinds of products we make and ensures that what we do serves all our customers, no matter their ability.
“The world really can change. But the world changes because there are individuals who drive forward that change,” Anne Wojcicki said in <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctMLKTXqsmM&amp;t=194s">a discussion recently</a> about why making and following through with commitments toward diversity, equity, and inclusion are so important for the company.
“And so that’s the responsibility of 23andMe as an activist brand,” she said. “We have an opportunity, and frankly a responsibility, to lead. And there is absolutely this opportunity to drive forward a different, better, and more inclusive world &#8230;we’re going to try and lead by example.”
While 23andMe has made diversity, inclusion, and equity a priority, using the index in the coming years will allow 23andMe to deepen that commitment and it will offer ways of measuring our success and identifying areas for improvement.
For more information about the Disability Equity Index go <a href="https://disabilityin.org/what-we-do/disability-equality-index/">here</a>.

Equity and Inclusion at 23andMe for People with Disabilities

Editor&#8217;s Note: This post was updated 1/5/2022 with video comments from some of our customers. 
We’ve made some important updates to give customers greater control over tailoring their product experience so it more accurately reflects their gender.
23andMe now allows customers to distinguish between their sex assigned at birth and their gender. This allows all customers, but especially our transgender and/or non-binary customers, to have their gender accurately reflected in relevant product features, during their interactions with other customers they choose to make connections with, and if they choose to participate in DNA Relatives.
Current customers can take advantage of these updates by adding their gender and preferred relationship labels in their <a href="https://you.23andme.com/user/">Account Settings</a>.
<h6>Why have we made these changes?<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright wp-image-29099 size-full" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/account-gender-settin-page.png" alt="" width="236" height="512" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/account-gender-settin-page.png 236w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/account-gender-settin-page-138x300.png 138w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 236px) 100vw, 236px" /></h6>
As part of our commitment to <a href="https://www.23andme.com/diversity-equity-inclusion">diversity, equity, and inclusion</a>, we are continually improving our product to reflect the diversity of all of our customers. This particular update was in response to customers who want their 23andMe profiles to more accurately reflect their gender. Not only that, but it&#8217;s the right thing to do. Our trans and non-binary customers have every right to see themselves reflected accurately in their 23andMe experience. And we want them to be able to participate in all of the features 23andMe offers safely and as their full, authentic selves.
<h6>What has changed?</h6>
After consulting our 23andMe LGBTQ+ Employee Resource Group and a focus group of transgender customers, 23andMe has added the option for customers to provide their gender (including a non-binary option), in addition to their birth sex, during account registration and in their Account Settings. 
If a customer chooses to opt in to research, their gender may be included, but it is always de-identified from their genetic information. Additionally, if they indicate their gender is not the same as their birth sex, they will receive additional messaging about their health reports.
Customers can also now decide if they would like to have masculine, feminine, or gender-neutral relationship labels (e.g., brother, sister, or sibling) shown to their connections and DNA relatives (if they choose to opt into these features).
23andMe will continue to use a customer&#8217;s birth sex as a part of our laboratory quality control steps. This is because if someone’s self-reported sex doesn’t match what we’ve determined from our analysis of their DNA, we want to make sure there wasn’t an error in processing. We will also continue to use a customer&#8217;s birth sex to help us deliver or interpret results for certain health, wellness, and traits topics.
All of this information can be changed at any time in a user&#8217;s Account Settings.
We hope these changes will start to make our product more inclusive for our transgender and non-binary customers. As more research becomes available, for example on how hormone replacement therapy may affect risk estimates, we hope to keep improving our product so that it is more relevant for these customers. We also know we have more work to do (for example, for our intersex customers) to make sure everyone has the opportunity to access, understand, and benefit from the human genome.
More reading:
<ul>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://customercare.23andme.com/hc/en-us/articles/360010964373-How-23andMe-uses-your-self-reported-Sex">How 23andMe Uses Your Self-Reported Sex</a></li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://blog.23andme.com/23andme-research/how-was-your-sex-determined-it-might-be-a-lot-more-complicated-than-you-think/">How was your sex determined? It might be a lot more complicated than you think</a></li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://blog.23andme.com/articles/diversity-equity-inclusion">23andMe’s Commitment to Diversity, Equity &amp; Inclusion</a></li>
</ul>


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<iframe loading="lazy" title="For Every Me" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0VbKLmkeVSc?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
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