The Illinois Family Roots Pilot Program, an Illinois state-funded initiative launched in June 2025, is providing free DNA testing kits to Illinois residents interested in exploring their African ancestry. Championed by State Representative Carol Ammons, carried out by principal investigator Dr. LaKisha David, this initiative is administered through the TAKiR (The African Kinship Reunion) genetic genealogy project. This effort seeks to repair historical disconnection caused by the mass human trafficking from Africa (commonly referred to as the Trans‑Atlantic Slave Trade) by offering accessible, culturally grounded genealogical tools.
To date, approximately 247 have been distributed, initially through Juneteenth events and partnerships with the Evanston Reparations Committee. The program aims to distribute up to 1,600 kits statewide by February 2026 (no later than April 2026).
The Illinois Family Roots Pilot Program is seeking to collect participants from every county in Illinois. Each county has been assigned a specific number of tests reflecting the percentage of individuals of African descent residing in each location. A full county distribution report is online, which will be updated as tests are claimed, sent and received. For the Fountaindale Public Library and the surrounding area, the Illinois Family Roots Pilot Program currently has a number of tests available:
- Will County: 65
- DuPage: 40
- Cook: 716
- Kane: 24
- Grundy: 2
- LaSalle: 4
You can participate in this project by requesting a free DNA kit through the website. Tests are available while supplies last.
Auspiciously, the announcement of this project coincides with our next Genealogy Club meeting, “Using DNA to Identify Enslaved Ancestors,” featuring genealogist LaBrenda Garrett-Nelson.
This free program will be held virtually on Wednesday, October 8, at 11 a.m. CST.
Reconstructing the lineage of enslaved ancestors presents unique challenges due to the involuntary separations that severed family ties and records that rarely identified the enslaved by surnames. In this lecture, participants will learn how to apply DNA standards to test results to establish genealogical proof of a genetic relationship. This program is free and open to genealogists and researchers of all levels.
No library card required. To register, please call 630.685.4176 or sign up online by visiting communico.fountaindale.org/event/12455794.
See You At The Library,
Debra