RootsTech 2017 Celebrated African Heritage Day -
"One of Most Memorable Days in rootsTech History!"
Celebrating African Heritage Day
Highlighted by LeVar Burton’s heartwarming keynote address, the inaugural RootsTech African Heritage Day was a huge success. Renowned genealogists and storytellers Kenyatta Berry, Sherri Camp, and Melvin Collier also spoke about family roots and how their African heritage blesses their lives.
Today was one of the most memorable days in RootsTech history!
Highlighted by LeVar Burton’s heartwarming keynote address, . . .
Highlighted by LeVar Burton’s heartwarming keynote address, . . .
Highlighted by LeVar Burton’s heartwarming keynote address, the inaugural RootsTech African Heritage Day was a huge success. Renowned genealogists and storytellers Kenyatta Berry, Sherri Camp, and Melvin Collier also spoke about family roots and how their African heritage blesses their lives.
Today was one of the most memorable days in RootsTech history! Highlighted by LeVar Burton’s heartwarming keynote address, the inaugural RootsTech African Heritage Day was a huge success. Renowned genealogists and storytellers Kenyatta Berry, Sherri Camp, and Melvin Collier also spoke about family roots and how their African heritage blesses their lives.
Entertaining music from the Calvary Baptist Church Choir and the Jambo Heartbeat/Africa Burundi Drummers helped carry the spirit of Africa throughout the day.
LeVar Burton
Gracing the RootsTech stage and helping kick off African Heritage Day in honor of Black History Month was keynote speaker LeVar Burton. Burton, the widely acclaimed actor and producer, spoke of his love for his mother, his time as an actor starring in Star Trek and Roots, and the power of imagination.
“It is through the stories that we tell each other that we literally create the world as a reflection of who we are,” he said. “It is our stories that have always provided the context for who we are, why we are here, where we are going, and even more importantly what our particular contribution be in the service of achieving our uniquely human destination. That upon which we focus our imagination is what we manifest in this realm.”
Following Burton’s remarks, Kenyatta Berry, host of Genealogy Roadshow, addressed the audience. Berry spoke of the power of a name and how her name serves as a reminder of her African roots.
“Kenyatta is an African masculine name meaning ‘Musician,’ and the most famous Kenyatta is Jomo Kenyatta, the first president of independent Kenya,” she explained. “My mother named me Kenyatta after Jomo because it is a powerful name. Her goal was to raise a child that wasn’t a burden to society and could live up to the power of her name. I wasn’t allowed to have a nickname growing up, and that is still true today. My name is a source of pride, uniqueness, and joy. It’s my connection back to Africa.”
Sherri Camp, president of the Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society, followed Berry and spoke of her experience connecting to Africa through food.
“Traditions like Sunday dinners and Saturday night picking greens help me to know that a part of my ancestors is still alive in me,” she said. “The traditions that we have, that are unique to our families, help keep our ancestors alive and help us trace back to find them.”
Melvin Collier, author of Mississippi to Africa: A Journey of Discovery shared his journey finding his roots through DNA research.
“Recently, my genealogical journey took an even more fascinating turn with the help of DNA technology. DNA has allowed me and many others to get a wonderful glimpse of our African roots.”