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**** NEW BOOK ****
150 Years Later

 

My Research Articles

Tips to Uncover Your Family's Story 
Name Discrepancy Unlocks Ancestral Doors

Playing the Name Game
Boom! The Brick Wall Came Crumbling Down!
 


6 x 9, 298 pages, ISBN: 0788447610


Mississippi to Africa
captures Collier's 14-year journey in excavating the buried history of his maternal grandmother's family -- a journey that took him back seven generations, from northern Mississippi to the Piedmont hills of South Carolina, and even back to a specific people and region in West Africa where his ancestry undoubtedly began.  Trekking the paths of his ancestors and their displaced relatives before Emancipation (1863), this emotion-filled journey traversed down an intricate paper trail of federal, state, and local records, other public records, and oral histories, presented in a narrative style to inspire, entice, and propel readers into the fascinating world of genealogy and historical discoveries.  Collier also uncovered the ways in which his ancestors ingeniously retained aspects of their African heritage.  DNA technology confirmed his research findings and verified ancestral ties.

Mississippi to Africa is not just a how-to book to trace family histories.  It's not just another story about the history of an African-American family.  Rather, it's simply a unique story that chronicles a history-uncovering journey that unearthed captivating and heart-breaking discoveries and surprising connections.  Many "roots-digging" tips and techniques can be gained along the way. 

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Spike Lee and Melvin J. Collier

Melvin appeared as one of the expert genealogists on the Spike Lee episode of Who Do You Think You Are on NBC that aired on April 30, 2010. This episode highlighted Spike Lee's search for his ancestry in Georgia. Click HERE to see that episode online.
 

In Mississippi to Africa, A Journey of Discovery, you will follow a roots-tracing journey of discovery that faced:
 
       • The Great Black Migration
       • Slavery / slave-owners
       • Surname changes
       • Miscegenation
       Oral histories
       • The Civil War
       • Family separations during slavery
       A plethora of historical records
       Slave documents
       Christianity
       • DNA testing
       Trans-atlantic slave trade (Middle Passage)
       • West African peoples & cultures
       AND MORE.
 

Gain MUCH Insight to Trace Your Own
History Back Generations!


By Melvin J. Collier

Foreword by Rick Kittles, Ph.D., African DNA Pioneer
Co-founder of
African Ancestry, Inc.

 

Published by Heritage Books, Inc.
Copyright © 2011 Melvin J. Collier. 
All Rights Reserved.  Photo Credits