SpanDNA hosts inaugural Transatlantic Genealogy (TAG) summit
A growing network working to reconnect African-descended relatives separated during the TransAtlantic Slave Trade hosted its inaugural Transatlantic Genealogy (TAG) summit in Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States. The event organized by spanDNA Families in collaboration with Edward A. Ulzen Memorial Foundation (EAUMF) brought participants together to explore and celebrate ancestral connections across the African Diaspora.
Scheduled to coincide with May 25 Africa Day celebration, the three-day summit kicked off on May 24 at The Lola Coworking Space in downtown Atlanta featuring award-winning keynote speaker Nwandi Lawson; singer/songwriter, Nanseera; 5 times Jiu Jitsu World Champion, Leonardo Nogueira; and more.
The TAG Summit was the culmination of extensive research led by Adwoa Ulzen Setrakian, the founder of spanDNA, in partnership with the Elmina-Java Museum in Ghana. This work has traced the lineage of four Ghanaian family lines, connecting thousands of individuals across the global African community to their West African ancestors through commercial DNA testing.
It united newly identified DNA cousins in a setting that emphasizes cultural humility, shared heritage, and community building, guided by Akan Adinkra symbols such as Akoma Ntoaso (linked hearts) and Ebusua Pa (strong family ties).
“Designed to feel like a family reunion with purpose, the summit features storytelling workshops, ancestral healing circles, family connection ceremonies, and real-time opportunities for study, action, consultation, reflection, and the uniqueness of meeting living relatives for the first time from across the diaspora,” said spanDNA in a press statement.
“This first-of-its-kind community gathering brings together storytellers, expert historians, renown cultural practitioners, and curious community members to explore the power of their own DNA, memory, and legacy.”
The summit’s origins lie in the pioneering efforts of individuals like Mercy Eugenia Fosua Mensah of Saltpond, Ghana, and Mary Manus Ekua Esuon Folson of Elmina, Ghana, whose participation in DNA testing helped uncover these connections.
Participants engaged in practical sessions on genetic genealogy, including interpreting DNA matches, tracing lineages through databases, and understanding mitochondrial and Y-chromosomal markers. These workshops were supported by spanDNA’s proprietary tool, Nyansapow, which helps users connect their AncestryDNA results with families in Ghana and throughout the African diaspora.
A key highlight of the event was the honouring of family lineages, including ties to prominent Ghanaian royal families. spanDNA announced verified connections between some diaspora families and noble houses such as the Eguana No. 1 Royal Family of Saltpond and the Anona Kusubentsir Akromaterim Ebusua of Elmina.
“spanDNA Families exists to honour both the sacred and scientific dimensions of family history work, guided by the belief in the spiritual reality of an interconnected human family and the power of truth-seeking,” said Adwoa, emphasizing that the event was “about transforming data points into family, and ancestry into unified action.”
Written by Abeeb Lekan Sodiq
Abeeb Lekan Sodiq is a Managing Editor & Writer at theafricandream.net. He’s as well a Graphics Designer and also known as Arakunrin Lekan.
