My Journey into Y-DNA, Identity, and African Ancestry
By Deron Harris
Like many people in the African diaspora, I took a DNA test hoping to reconnect with my roots—to find that thread tying me back to the land, the people, and the story that was taken through time and history.
I used a Y-DNA test to trace my direct paternal line. This test goes deep—father to father to father—unchanged for hundreds, even thousands of years. I expected to find markers that would connect me to a specific African group or region. But instead, my results came back… European.
That moment hit hard.
The markers aligned with a haplogroup called R1b, one of the most common in Western Europe, particularly in Spain and Portugal. How could this be possible for someone who knows they are African by culture, community, and lived experience? That question launched me into a deeper investigation—one that led to more questions than answers.
The Problem with Limited DNA Testing
The test I used focused on just 8 Y-DNA markers without providing a clear haplogroup, origin breakdown, or even the raw data to verify anything. It left me with a name and a vague suggestion but no science to stand behind it. This experience reflects a broader issue within the DNA testing space, especially for people of African descent:
Results are often oversimplified.
Haplogroups may be left out, especially when the answer isn’t “African.”
Customers aren’t always given the tools to interpret their own data.
In short, many people are being told a version of their history but not the full story.
The Legacy of R1b: A Colonial Echo
The presence of R1b in African-descended people isn’t new or rare—it’s a direct reflection of colonization, slavery, and forced assimilation. Spanish and Portuguese men (and later, British, French, Dutch, etc.) fathered children with African women, both on the continent and in the Americas. Those lineages persist today—often invisible until uncovered by a test. That’s why it's not uncommon for African Americans, Afro-Caribbeans, and others in the diaspora to have European paternal haplogroups, even if the rest of their ancestry is overwhelmingly African. This doesn’t make the African identity less real—it makes it more complex, more honest, and more deeply human.
Asking the Tough Questions
In a recent episode of my podcast, I sat down to unpack this story—not just my own, but the story many people are experiencing. I asked tough, respectful questions to push for more clarity in the world of DNA testing:
- How are results assigned to specific ethnic groups?
- Why is raw DNA data withheld?
- Why aren’t customers told their actual haplogroups?
- And how can we make sense of ancestry when science and the story seem to conflict?
The Path Forward: Reclaiming the Narrative
DNA is a tool, not a truth on its own. It's just one part of the larger mosaic of who we are. For me, this journey isn't about being "from" Spain or Portugal—it's about understanding how those histories intersected with Africa, with my ancestors, and with the world we live in now.
Whether you’re on a similar journey or just beginning yours, I invite you to listen to this episode and think about how we honor both science and story. How we claim identity and complexity. How we ask for truth—not just for curiosity’s sake, but for healing, legacy, and connection.
Join the Conversation:
Have you taken a DNA test? Were your results surprising, validating, or confusing? Share your experience with me on
my social media.
Together, we can keep asking better questions and building deeper connections to who we truly are.
.png)
Get unlimited overnight stays at 9,500+ RV camping locations.
🆓 No camping fee for one-night stays
💰$1,500+ in discounts
📅 50% of locations allow same-day requests
🚐 Unique, convenient, and quiet RV camping locations
📱 Easy to use app, find locations by filtering for your rig size, dates, and Host type ⭐️Thousands of Hosts with 5-star Reviews
