Former 8th Ward Ald. Devon Reid calls himself “a proud Evanstonian, a proud Illinoisan and a proud American.” However, he said his family’s origins have been a lingering question.
Now, by participating in a state-funded DNA testing program, he will be able to trace his family’s history beyond American soil.
The Illinois Family Roots Pilot Program officially launched this summer. With recognition of the disruption that enslavement caused African families, the project aims to connect African American residents in Illinois to their heritage and people who share their African ancestry.
The project provides free DNA kits to participants, and a genealogical analysis is done through The African Kinship Reunion research project at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
The Evanston Reparations Committee has partnered with the program to distribute 250 DNA kits to residents.
“Some of them have started the journey to see where their family roots come from, and they want to gain a sense of completion in finding out more about the African diaspora and cultural standpoints,” said Kayla Smith, the city’s community health specialist. “Some people don’t know anything about their family background, so they’re trying to gain a better understanding of who they are and where they come from.”
The city now has less than 20 kits left, Smith said.
Project leaders have distributed DNA kits at various community events throughout the summer, starting with the city’s Juneteenth celebration. Residents can also schedule an appointment with Smith, who facilitates the project locally, to pick up a kit at City Hall.
Participants in this project must be 18 years of age or older, reside in Illinois and have proof of residence.
No residents have received their results yet, Smith said, because the project’s researchers need to reach a quota of collected DNA kits before they are able to send the tests for analysis.
Smith said the TAKiR research team has guaranteed the collected data will only be used for this project and will not be shared with other sources, addressing some community concerns.
In the past, Reid said, he was worried about privacy, security and how his data would be used when he considered participating in other DNA testing opportunities.
However, he felt this was a “worthwhile project to give up (his) DNA to” because it is not-for-profit and focuses on connecting Black Americans with their African lineage.
“I am interested in learning more about where I come from, where my family comes from,” Reid said. “It’s a privilege that many other Americans have.”
Second Ward resident Vanessa Johnson-McCoy said she is looking forward to getting her results and potentially reaching out to identified family members.
“If I’m comfortable with it, then I would probably start looking up the people that are my relatives,” McCoy said. “And of course, I wouldn’t pressure anybody, but there might be some people just as eager as I am to meet long lost relatives.”
McCoy is an active member in reparations work in Evanston — she’s part of two reparations subcommittees and works for reparations organizations FirstRepair and Reparations Stakeholder Authority of Evanston. She called the DNA project a component of reparations and said she is “all for it.”
Reid said he identifies “first and foremost” as an Evanstonian, but as a curious person, he is interested in learning more about the culture his people come from.
“I know who I am at this moment,” McCoy said, “But it would be nice to know (my ancestry). I think knowing your history can give you a better sense of who you are.”
Email: [email protected]
Related Stories:
— With $1 million raised, RSAE turns to Black residents to shape reparations allocation plan
— ‘Poetic justice’: How cannabis fuels Evanston’s reparations
