Posted December 8, 2011 by vanessawithoutborders 17 comments

Video: The Roots of The Roots – ?uesto and Black Thought Find Out Their African Ancestry

With a simple DNA test people of African ancestry can now trace back exactly where their ancestors came from on the continent – down to the country and even the specific ethnic group. *WILD* ?uestlove and Black Thought got cheek-swabbed and now know their real roots. Does Black Thought come from the mende tribe? Will they go back to Africa to meet their people? Check the video for the answer, and if you wanna know your real roots as well, go to African Ancestry and order your kit.

Video shot by Kevin Ornelas, edited by Allison Swank.

About the author

View Profile »

Comments

Aisha

Whoa i’m mandinka n mende too! Griots représent give us free!
ahmah

Why does the so-called negro want to be everything but what the Lord made them to be. An Israelite by nation. Africa IS your last captivity before this one but hell ask an African if you and him come from the same progenitor and HE will let you know your not african. Hell the Most High opened up the red sea and devoured those people for YOU. You know those men have NOTHING in common with you. King James brother, Damn! CHRIST…
THAT’S YOUR BROTHER, and he’s not african.
- Bro
  
  No. You have taken the bible as history, which it is NOT. It is only part history and a lot is not verifiable. You have Africa was the original birth place of man… African’s are characterised by black skin, so how can you say we came from Israel which is outside of Africa, based upon the Bible? Believe what you want, but DO NOT push your faith upon others as it is something you can only REALLY believe if you have FAITH in it (regardless of its inaccuracies and contradictions). Religions have been used as a tool to divide us, and you should be careful how you bring that mentality to a positive post regarding our brothers, its inflammatory (especially to people of African origin who do not follow all the things that you do).
  
  Peace to you.
- TheyKnow
  
  dont be an asshole. this guy is just expressing his opinion and it just happens to be religious so cool it on the preaching Bro
- preachbrotha
  
  Ahmah,
  
  Jesus was a radical Isreali Jewish prophet who did walk the earth and preach a beautiful message. However, the stories of his divinity such as the virgin birth, 12 disciples, and resurrection was taken from stories of the Egyptian god/prophet Horus. These plagiarized elements were learned by the Isrealites when they were in bondage in Egypt. Ironically, we learned about the bastardized version of Horus through our own bondage. Regardless we are in the 21st century now, with DNA testing, the internet & affordable plane tickets, we can rediscover and reconnect what was taken from us. Our heritage and our land.
  
  If you want to be Christian, Muslim, Bhuddist, cool; however, our real indigenous faiths and traditions are still thriving, such as Ifa and Vodun. African religions that are actually monotheist and whose moral framework is based upon good character and ancestor reverence (to honor those who came before, and to set an example to be honored when one passes).
  
  As I’ve said, it’s your right to chose to be a Christian and hold onto western indoctrination, but this out of ignorance of history and cowardice of finding your own way.
  
  You must learn.
- britney
  
  shut up satan dont lie about Jesus u false teachers
- john
  
  what are u driving at?
- britney
  
  he wants to be a hebrew cuz he wants to feel special those morons deny their African roots,would claim to be anything else but a African,smh
Biola

I really don’t see a problem with wanting to know your roots. @ahmah it’d be nice if you kept your ignorance to yourself.
10thPlanet

Ok, when did it become a CRIME for anyone to hold interest (and follow through on researching that interest) regarding your family’s ancestry? That’s like verbally bashing any adopted individual who wishes to know who their biological parents were, or ANYTHING of their parents’ history. Its a part of the human condition to want to have knowledge of such things…it can also potentially help you understand who you are and who you can become. So why is it that seemingly anytime an African-American makes a move, we’re highly watched and critiqued at practically any and every little thing we do, then here comes the verbal bashing. Just congratulate the brothaz (The Roots…or whomever else takes this journey) and move the f**k on to another webpage.

By the way…CONGRATULATIONS TO THE BROTHAZ QUESTLOVE AND BLACK THOUGHT ON TRACING A PORTION OF THEIR DIRECT ANCESTRY (as these DNA tests only give you a portion of the full DNA sequencing that makes up your WHOLE family) but still CONGRATS! I also took the step to trace my direct paternal and maternal lineages, finding that my maternal lineage traced back to the Mandinka of Senegal, the Kru tribe of Libera, as well as the Temne tribe. My father’s maternal lineage traced back to a haplogroup of the Middle East, while his paternal lineage traced back broadly to Portugal, Spain and the Netherlands. Yet another chapter in what it means to be an African-American. Peace & Blessings!
Anonymous

im from sierra leone too and im mende
front top

sierra leone on da map. mende is my tribe
Todd

Here is a beautiful example of SCIENCE providing genuine answers and helping people unlock their history and heritage, yet someone has to rain on the parade with their backwards brainwashed sheep-like religious dogma.

Rational adults are talking here, please take your childlike superstitions and beliefs elsewhere. It’s 2012, time to get real.
Pingback: Q-Tip, ?uesto and Black Thought Find Out Their African Ancestry « Freedom Hall
Pingback: Q-Tip Gets Swabbed & Discovers His African Roots | BLACKROCKSTAR.COM
Pingback: Don’t Call Me African…The Cries & Crisis of Lost Africans Continues « Global Fusion Productions Inc
Manneh

The Mende belong to a larger group of Mande [Mandinka] peoples who live throughout West Africa:-) You are my brothers. I am a Mandinko too.