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Note: This is a familial narrative based on documentation, family oral history, and DNA evidence. Core Family Surnames: Mitchell, Vann/Vaughn/Vaughan, Rodgers/Rogers, Watkins, Walden, English, Mumford/Munford, Stagg/Staggs, Parker, Cobb To understand why my ancestors were documented as mulatto in Virginia, we must understand the laws during that time. In “An act declaring who shall not bear office in this country,(October 1705)” passed in October 1785, the General Assembly es

A poem of resistance, “Ama: Kihú:wa” translates to “Land Back.” It speaks to the reclamation of Indigenous land, language, and identity. The Kalipona version, titled “Akuyukêtabai Wakaira,” echoes these themes in the context of the Caribbean. Both versions honor ancestral memory and call for the return of what was taken, land, culture, and voice, centering Indigenous sovereignty and survivance.

Through genetic, cultural, and archaeological evidence, I’ve traced part of my ancestry to Madagascar and the Indian Ocean slave trade, a lesser-known counterpart to the transatlantic trade. My Malagasy ancestors’ identities were reshaped by colonial erasure, but their legacy lives on through oral history, family tradition, and DNA. This article connects that story to broader themes of migration, survival, and cultural resilience.

This article is about the harms hatekeepers cause on social media to Indigenous people and communities.

The Simpa/Simpo family of Edgefield, South Carolina, represents a resilient lineage rooted in the African American experience of the South.

Using white eyeliner, I recreated the look of masonjoany, a traditional facial paste worn by women and girls in Madagascar, the Comoros,...