(The Root) — Monday’s New York Times article on President Obama’s roots in Southern slavery through his mother has reopened the contention that the first Africans brought to Virginia were indentured servants and not slaves. While some observers, such as writer Alondra Nelson, may contend that genealogy studies prove little beyond how closely all members…

This is a companion piece to Tracing DNA Not Just to Africa but to 1 Tribe. Advancements in DNA research have shed light on the multifaceted makeup and origins of today’s African Americans. In fact, most of today’s African-American population can trace their ancestry back to one of just 46 ethnic groups. Three large regions…

Before the advent of DNA testing, scholars relied on shipping records that listed the African ports from which slaves were exported to determine where in Africa the African-descended population of the United States originated. But these lists were quite limited because they noted only the port of departure and not the actual community from which…