liberation genealogy project

the liberation genealogy project (lgp) is a movement. we're committed to gathering black people of african descent in pittsburgh and beyond, of all ages and backgrounds to reclaim our narratives. we believe our ancestors include those of blood and spirit, those chosen, and biological. we recognize the unique challenges black genealogy presents, and we create space to learn together and provide support and resources to navigate what arises.

more than a workshop, lgp is a community rooted in spirituality, process, and ancestor reverence. a deep sense of gratitude to our ancestors of blood and spirit guides our work. we acknowledge the sacrifices they made and the legacy they left behind. their stories are woven into the very fabric of who we are.

we wouldn't be here without the incredible support of Opportunity Fund, Autumn Redcross (genealogical foundation), nykke ford (tech support), Dr. Shirley Salmon-Davis (mental health support), James Scott (chief of all things). and Njaimeh Njie (multimedia artist/collage workshop), their contributions are invaluable.

stay tuned! our inaugural cohort has embarked on this exciting exploration, and we're thrilled to share their creations in a showcase this summer.

for pittsburgh-based creatives and artists of the african diaspora: we're opening applications for our next cohort in late 2024! if you're interested in joining our community to explore your ancestry, reach out to us to delve into your ancestry and bring it to life through your art discipline !"

“the more you know of your history the more liberated you are.” Maya Angelou

liberators

  • “the project was healing for me. it helped me to learn more about myself and my family.”

    african ancestry dna results: maternal lineage, tikar people, present day cameroon

  • “the liberation genealogy project for people of african descent is a wonderful way of discovering how we can search for our legacy and heritage with others. our individual journeys may be very different, but through the search exercises, the conversations and the wonderful guidance of the leaders, i feel we collectively helped to heal our ancestral lines.”

    african ancestry dna results: maternal, no direct african lineage

  • “liberation genealogy gave me the opportunity to explore and discover my african ancestry in ways that i have never considered. i appreciate the time and effort put into creating this space of learning, open sharing, culture, beautiful music and tools that i am able to pass down to continued generations.”

    african ancestry dna results: maternal lineage, mende people, present day sierra leone

  • “the liberation genealogy project gave me a unique opportunity to trace my dna back to present-day nigeria amongst other countries in west africa and worldwide! granted, i’m more informed of where my ancestry can be traced i can be more informed when reviewing a biography about an ancestor, posing inquiries about the slave trade during the 18th century within the region (time period one of my first ancestors was taken from the region), and i can be more intentional when returning with my son in addition to providing context to why nigeria as opposed to other countries.“

  • “the spirit, love, and connection of black people was felt in every interaction. there is a common thread woven through many of our experiences and this project was a small, but major piece towards healing the collective.”

    african ancestry dna results: maternal lineage, kotoko + masa peoples, present day cameroon

  • “the liberation genealogy project is a safe space to discover your ancestors. yvette incorporated facilitators, tools, sound, story telling, artistic expression of the knowledge received throughout the project. what you will find most impactful is the space created for the healing that occurs during this journey. i am grateful to be part of this project and generations to come!”

  • “i found the liberation genealogy project to be catalytic in my pursuit to know more about my family history and subsequently myself. the facilitators were awesome and i hope more folks get to share in this transformative experience.”

    african ancestry dna results: maternal lineage, tikar people, present day cameroon

  • “at the helm of this project is yvette shipman. i acknowledge her, her qualities of authenticity, compassion, wisdom, integrity, vision, and her ability to maintain a fully engaged presence while empowering individuals in the group and the group as a community. the lgp facilitators understood that this journey of discovery and reconnection included unique, deep personal and complex stories. lgp’s approach was with the most sensitivity, respect, care, and service. for anyone who is ready to embark on this journey, i wholeheartedly recommend yvette shipman and her amazing team of facilitators.”

    african ancestry dna results: maternal lineage, masa people, present day cameroon

  • “i appreciate my participation in this liberation genealogy project—because it has removed personal barriers i had about learning more about my heritage. before being involved in this project i was not interested or concerned about learning anything about my roots. now, i can share what i learned with my children. thank you!”

  • “this experience was enlightening for me in multiple ways, from learning more about my lineage and exploring areas within my history that need more healing. i am grateful for the experience and optimistic about continuing on to learn more to share with my family.”

    african ancestry dna results: maternal lineage, bubi, hausa, fulani, present day equatorial guinea and nigeria; tikar people, present day cameroon

  • “i have largely disconnected from my family as an adult. the liberation genealogy project helped me refrain my understanding of self as a late-blooming orphan, and instead allowed me to explore the distance between my family's history and my future as a black and indigenous woman. i learned ways of communicating outside of language, embraced my fears around separation, and became mindful of my misconceptions of my dna. knowing one's origin is a gateway to being a source of love for others, this was replicated to me throughout the project. being able to listen to other testimonies and witness their excitement about their own families, i began to fall in love with the adaptability of black and brown people again, and i began to love all ancestral adaptive skills within myself.”

    african ancestry dna results: maternal lineage, hausa + yoruba peoples, present day nigeria

  • “i’m glad i attended this project and would recommend it to others. we got actual tools to use like ancestry.com and a dna test to find our genealogical info. there were also talks about information sources specific to african americans.”

  • “participating in the liberation genealogy project has been a cathartic experience, both in the ways of workshopping with others who are on the same journey of lineage discovery as i am, and through the process of actualizing and expanding onto my direct connection to my lineage.”

    african ancestry dna results: maternal lineage, no direct african lineage

  • “from start to finish, this was a beautiful process. i am so thankful for the love and care in which the space was held each session. it felt like a warm hug every time. i was inspired each time i left a session, feeling curious, empowered and eager to learn more about my history. this project was a moment to heal. i had the space to hold my family history with tenderness and for that i am so grateful. i highly recommend the liberation genealogy project to anyone interested in digging deeper into their family history.”

  • “i am in sincere love + deep gratitude with the unlearning + knowing that lgp provides for the arcing + aching of my afro-indigenous diaspora experience in america. the spark this offering ignites is not only necessary, it is the salve my embodied experience knew it needed + the safe affinity container was the nourishment i didn’t even know was necessary for me!!! i would unequivocally recommend this offering to folkx across the diaspora dwelling + living in the united states of america. deep appreciation + gratitude dear one [yvette] for all the love, care + support provided + given throughout this journey!!!”

  • “i highly recommend liberation genealogy. its skillfully curated content, supported by both professional and collective care, offers profound insight into personal intergenerational healing; it is a powerful genealogy experience.”

    african ancestry dna results: maternal lineage, no direct african lineage

  • “helping to guide and facilitate ancestral learning for the inaugural cohort of lgp has been healing as well as empowering. unlike other genealogical workshops i’ve held and/or participated in, our sessions were designed to highlight attention to ourselves and our bodies as we cracked open and embarked upon this journey we sought to encourage an understanding of ancestors, progenitors and people who made us. it was a pilgrimage of self knowledge —transcending generations in this way helped to unearth what was already there all along. in mutual resolve, and to varied degrees, our lgp community came into contact with and increased our awareness of our embodied genealogies.”

    african ancestry dna results: maternal lineage, fula people, guinea-bissau; kru people, liberia; mende + temne people, sierra leone (present day)

  • african ancestry dna results: maternal lineage, fulani + hausa peoples, present day nigeria