Grammy-winning artist Ciara received citizenship from the West African nation of Benin earlier this month.
Her decision to trace her roots and formally reconnect with the continent reflects a rising wave of African Americans seeking to bridge historical gaps, reclaim ancestral ties and rebuild a sense of identity disrupted by the transatlantic slave trade.
Ciara is one of the first public figures to be granted Beninese citizenship under a new law that welcomes descendants of enslaved Africans. The initiative aims to confront Benin’s role in the slave trade and extend a gesture of belonging to the diaspora.
“By legally recognizing these children of Africa, Benin is healing a historical wound,” said Justice Minister Yvon Détchénou at the official ceremony in Cotonou. “It is an act of justice, but also one of belonging and hope.”
Ciara joins a long list of Black celebrities who hold dual citizenship with African nations including, Dr. Umar Johnson (Ghana), Reality TV stars Yandy and Mendeecees Harris (Ghana), Stevie Wonder (Ghana), Samuel L, Jackson (Gabon) and Ludacris (Gabon).
In cities like Houston, that same desire plays out daily in quieter but no less powerful ways, at local libraries, community centers and among people determined to uncover family legacies hidden by centuries of erasure.
Genealogical researcher Sharon Batiste Gillins has spent years studying her family’s history, using records, oral history and DNA to trace lines that were never meant to be preserved. Through that work, she has identified links to West Africa, including the country of Guinea-Bissau, a discovery that shaped her understanding of herself and the legacy her ancestors left behind.
“It wasn’t just about facts or names. It was about connecting to people I came from and realizing how much they endured so I could be here.”
Genealogical researcher Sharon Batiste Gillins
Though she hasn’t physically visited the country, Gillins said knowing her ancestry connects to there has transformed her sense of self.
“It wasn’t just about facts or names,” she said. “It was about connecting to people I came from and realizing how much they endured so I could be here.”
She also emphasized that Black Americans have more resources at their fingertips than they might realize and that the process doesn’t need to start with expensive tools.
“People think you need to spend hundreds of dollars or travel across the world to start learning about your ancestry,” Gillins said. “But you can begin right here with census records, estate documents, microfilm and free consultations.”
For those who want to explore their African roots through DNA, Gillins recommended companies like African Ancestry, which specializes in connecting users to specific African ethnic groups through mitochondrial and Y-chromosome testing.
“African Ancestry has been very intentional in tailoring its database to people of African descent,” she said. “That level of specificity makes a difference when you’re trying to understand where in Africa your family came from.”
She urged people to understand the limits of DNA testing.
“DNA gives you a piece of the puzzle, not the full picture,” she said. “It can’t name your great-great-grandmother. That’s where the paper trail, oral history and traditional research methods still matter.”
At the Family History Research Center at Clayton Library Campus, Branch Manager Carl Smith is on the front lines of one of the largest public genealogy facilities in the country. He has seen a rise in interest from Black people eager to trace their roots.
The library houses more than 100,000 volumes, including compiled family histories, microfilm collections, cemetery indexes and rare regional documents. Smith’s team helps patrons navigate these tools, identify what records exist for their family’s region or time period and understand what can and cannot be uncovered.
One of the biggest hurdles, Smith says, is simply that so many records for enslaved people were never created.
“You’re often dealing with names not being listed, people recorded as property, or census entries that don’t fully tell the story,” he said. “You have to be resourceful, and sometimes creative.”
To support this, the Center also provides education around DNA testing not offering it directly, but guiding patrons through how to interpret results and use them responsibly.
Smith credits the visibility of shows like Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates Jr. for sparking greater curiosity across the community.
“People see someone like them on TV discovering their family’s story and they realize it’s possible,” he said. “That sense of possibility is powerful.”
