There is an interesting article by Diana Yates published in the University of Illinois web site:

Some political figures seek to remove references to slavery from the study of American history, adding to the vast knowledge gaps that stem from the transatlantic slave trade. To better understand these histories, scholars and individuals are turning to genetic genealogy to discover and retrace descendant-family lineages. In a recent paper published in the journal American Anthropologist, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign anthropology professor LaKisha Daviddescribed these efforts. She spoke about the work to News Bureau life sciences editor Diana Yates. 

 What is genetic genealogy and how can it help people trace their family histories? 

Genetic genealogy combines DNA testing with traditional family history research to help people discover ancestral origins and living relatives. Autosomal DNA tests from consumer companies like 23andMe and AncestryDNA can identify shared genetic segments that indicate cousin relationships going back several generations. By finding and connecting with genetic matches, individuals can extend their family trees beyond the limitations of historical records.

This technology is particularly valuable for descendants of ancestors who left little or no documentary trace due to social, political or economic marginalization. By engaging with distant cousins who share specific ancestral lineages, people can recover lost branches of their family trees and gain a more complete sense of the histories that may have impacted their lives.

What special genealogical challenges arise for the descendants of those who were enslaved in the U.S.? 

For African Americans descended from enslaved ancestors, genealogical records alone are often insufficient to trace lineages prior to 1870 when the U.S. census began recording African Americans by name. Sometimes the names of ancestors may be listed as property within bills of sale and estate inventories. This makes it incredibly difficult to trace family lineages through documentation alone. Moreover, slavery systematically fractured African American family structures through the domestic slave trade and forced family separations, leading to huge gaps in knowledge about ancestral identities, homelands and kinship ties. So, descendants today often lack a cohesive family narrative extending back prior to slavery. Genetic genealogy offers a way to restore some of these lost connections.

How might these explorations of family history connect people living today? 

Finding living African relatives who descend from the same pre-slavery ancestors in Africa provides meaningful validation of family roots and a transnational network of contemporary relatives. It opens the door for African Americans and Africans to connect and learn from each other’s family histories and lived experiences. These connections can forge a new sense of identity rooted in specific ancestral lineages and homelands.

You can read more at: https://news.illinois.edu/view/6367/1703765585.