Track 2: Genetic Genealogy in Action: Applied DNA for African American Family History
Track Overview
Faculty
Class Offerings
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Overview: From DNA Matches to Meaning: Applied Genetic Genealogy in Action.
This immersive course series is designed for intermediate to advanced genealogists who are ready to move beyond theory and into real-world application. If you’ve already tested with AncestryDNA, 23andMe, FamilyTreeDNA, MyHeritage, or Living DNA or manage results for someone who has, this course will help you turn those results into evidence, insight, and story.
Rather than focusing on “what DNA is,” this course asks a more powerful question: What can you do with it? Through hands-on exercises, case studies, and applied methodologies, participants will build practical skills they can take home and use immediately in their own research, client work, or community projects.
You’ll learn how to:
Design a clear, strategic DNA-driven genealogy research plan.
Break through the 1870 barrier using DNA to reconstruct enslaved family lines.
Move from isolated DNA matches to rich African American family and community narratives.
Apply chromosome mapping to strengthen proof and identify shared ancestry.
Use autosomal DNA to address adoption and unknown parentage cases with care and rigor.
Understand genetic recombination by actually seeing it in action.
Analyze real DNA case studies that demonstrate how families are identified, separated lines are reconnected, and long-standing mysteries are solved.
Leverage AI tools from introductory concepts to applied workflows to organize research, analyze data, and enhance genealogical problem-solving.
This twelve courses in this DNA Track blends methodology, storytelling, science, and innovation, offering participants multiple entry points into advanced DNA analysis, whether your goal is reconstructing ancestral communities, solving complex cases, or incorporating cutting-edge tools into your genealogical practice.
Come ready to explore real data, ask questions, test hypotheses, and leave with new skills, sharper instincts, and renewed confidence in applying autosomal DNA to the stories that matter most.
