Uncover the stories your ancestors never had the chance to tell. This African American genealogy book helps you do just that—through research, records, and resilience.

Black Ancestry: Tracing Your African American Roots is a step-by-step African American genealogy book designed to help you reclaim the histories that were hidden, fragmented, or erased. Drawing on Paul Crooks’ pioneering research and decades of experience, this essential resource empowers African Americans to chart a path back through generations—sometimes all the way to Africa itself.

Why This Book Matters
The legacy of enslavement, segregation, and systemic injustice means that many African American families were denied the chance to preserve records of their past. Yet the records do exist—sometimes in overlooked archives, hidden collections, or unexpected places.

This guide shows you how to find them.

• Inside You’ll Discover:
  How to use vital records, census data, and Freedmen’s Bureau archives to build your family tree
• The role of the 1870 Brick Wall—and how to break through it
• How to interpret and use the 1817 Slave Registers and other transatlantic records
• Strategies for connecting with African origins through DNA testing
• Case studies of real families who traced their lineage further than they ever imagined

More Than Genealogy—A Journey of Empowerment
This book isn’t just about research. It’s about reclaiming identity, honoring your ancestors, and understanding how personal history intersects with broader movements for freedom, resilience, and self-determination.