Slave Descendents to Reunite, Test DNA

7th June 2007, 09:32 am

More and more people are getting DNA tests to help them in their genealogical quest. This time it’s a group of people descended from slaves of President James Madison.

Every time Bettye Kearse steps foot on former President James Madison’s plantation, she feels like she’s coming home.

She has spent much of her adult life wondering about her family’s saying, one passed down for generations: “Remember your name is Madison.”

Kearse, a pediatrician, plans to join about 100 other descendants of Madison’s slaves at Montpelier this weekend to share their stories and collect DNA samples that may piece together their history. [Read more]

I would be most interested to see what they find out. As for me, I still think it’s a bit odd to give out DNA samples which could end up who-knows-where, but maybe one day I’ll give in and join the fad.

Share and Enjoy: These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.