Why retracing our African roots is so difficult

One of the most difficult challenges in African American genealogy is to positively identify the last slave owner. This is essential for researching the slavery period. Unfortunately most researchers assume they are looking for an owner with the same surname as their ancestor. That led me astray for 20 years. It was only after I realized the name was probably different that I finally located the right person.

Tavis Smiley and Nationwide Insurance Announce 2009 On Your Side® Tour Stops

The survey of 1,200 participants reveals 58 percent of African-Americans expect their household finances to improve a year from now, compared to only 30 percent of the general population sharing similar optimism. The survey also reveals the majority of African-American respondents acknowledge they are not taking deliberate actions to better their financial circumstances.