Join us to connect Finding Your Roots guests!

Question

The US Black Heritage Project decided that a great way to celebrate freedom and diversity for Juneteenth this year would be to connect the 126 guests from the show Finding Your Roots who aren't yet connected. To make that happen, we are teaming up with the Jewish Roots and Notables Projects for the entire month of June (or until they are all connected). Will you join us?

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How to participate:

• Click "answer" below and tell us you will be participating.
• Go to the FYR spreadsheet and put your name next to the notable who you will be working to connect (there are 3 tabs--USBH, Jewish Roots, and Notables). We want to avoid stepping over each other and duplicating research, so if you really want to work on a notable who has been claimed, please reach out the person who claimed them to coordinate efforts. 
• If you decide to take a break from working on a notable, please remove your name from the Wiki-ID column so someone else can pick up the work.
• Once you've made the connection, put a Yes! in the connected column.
• Please don't rely on the FYR show for correct information (the exception is DNA information). Dates and names on the show are sometimes wrong. Please use multiple primary sources as you always do when adding family.
• For family members added with US Black heritage, please add the {{African-American Sticker}} to their profiles. For family members added with Jewish roots, please add the {{Jewish Roots Sticker}} or [[Category:Jewish Roots]] to their profiles. Please consider celebrating diversity this month by adding other roots stickers when their ancestry is known. If one doesn't exist for that country or culture, check with us to see if one could be created or if the generic roots sticker would be a better choice at this time.  

One of the best ways to find family that needs to be added to a tree is to click on your number of connections from your profile or your My WikiTree tab, and put in their Wiki-ID. Click the Missing connections table button for each generation to see who is missing parents and spouses. 

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The Kick-off is Wednesday, May 31st, at 4:30pm PDT/7:30pm EDT/11:30pm UTC. Join us in Zoom!

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Join us on the WikiTree Discord server to chat in real time about what you're working on. We'll be using the USBH Connecting Challenge channel. If you're not on Discord yet, see the help page with more information. If you can't find the challenge channel in your list of channels, let me know and I'll tag you. It's an open channel to all WikiTreers.

Answer 1

The Notables Project is excited to be co-sponsoring this Finding Your Roots project. There are so many great names on this list, but I think I'll begin with a woman I have admired since my youth, tennis great Billie Jean King.

Comments

I'm excited for this collaboration. Thanks, David!

Answer 2

Participants should note that there are three lists of names on the spreadsheet. Click on the tabs at the bottom of the page to see the individual lists for the USBH, Jewish Roots, and Notables projects.

Answer 3

Whats the timeframe on this? 5/31 through Juneteenth? Whole month?

I would be happy to do what I can to help Pharrell Williams

Comments

Hi Jonathan, we're working all the way through June or until we get them all connected. Thanks for the help!

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Emma, little help please, cant find the discord channel in browse

Nevermind, there it is, all spelled out. Thanks!

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I'm hopeful (not sure) that Pharrell will connect when things turn over through a few profiles I added earlier tonight (sorry not on discord to relay).

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I'll pass this along, Denise. Thanks!

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Thanks Emma!

Answer 4

Thanks Emma!  Excited to see how many we can connect!  I'm going to start with Alberta Charlayne Hunter-Gault

Comments

Awesome. Thanks, Katie!

Answer 5

Yes, I’m looking forward to it! I haven’t picked my person yet but will soon!

Comments

Lots to choose from. Thanks, Elaine!

Answer 6

I LOVE the Finding Your Roots TV Show. I think Henry Gates Jr is a wonderful host!!!

I would love to join this project for June!!

Gotta go find a Notable to connect!!

ETA - Gaby Hoffmann - she was one of my fav child actors in Sleepless in Seattle and various other movies during the 1990s!!

Comments

Thanks for joining us, Robynne!

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Robynne, I have a request in to connect her father to his father' existing profile. I added a link in his bio.

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Thanks for getting the grandfather linked up, Kate.

Still looking for a connection, though!!

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Kate

I need some help. I asked a question in G2G but have had no response. I have just ONE more connection to make to connect Gaby Hoffmann to the Global Tree, but the source I have is very flimsy. I need at least one more source. Can you please help? Below is my question plus the 2 ancestors for Gaby that I need to connect.

https://www.wikitree.com/g2g/1588489/fyr-new-connection

Gaby Hoffmann

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Hoffmann-1410

Enos Blackburn

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Blackburn-7392

Israel Blackburn

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Blackburn-2010

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OK so Scott did some research and he has been unable to find any certain proof or evidence that confirms that Enos Blackburn is the son of Israel. So I cannot continue with this line - for now.

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I'm gonna remove myself from Gaby Hoffman and find someone else to work on.

Answer 7

I will try to connect Queen Latifah, and have put my name on the spreadsheet.

Comments

Yes! I can't wait to see her connected. Thanks, Bart.

Answer 8

Would love to help out however I'm able :)

Comments

Thank you, Daniel. Even adding a a few more family members to a person's tree will help a lot.

Answer 9

Ooh this is my kind of party! I’m in!

Comments

Yes! Party time. Thanks for joining.

Answer 10

Laurene Shewan will be watching tonight.

Comments

Thanks, Laurene

Answer 11

I suspect I'll be all over the map, since I'm on the TL of all of the subjects and any living relatives. I hope to be peppered with requests to add new profiles to those living folks!

Comments

I'll see what I can do to back you up as well.

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Thanks, Scott! I have a feeling we're going to be busy!

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But busy in a good way  Thanks for all your help, Kate and Scott! I'm optimistic that we can connect them all. 

Answer 12

Happy to help! Added myself to Gayle King.

Comments

Thanks, Gina!

Answer 13

I tried finding info on the maternal side of Shonda Rhimes, but hit brick walls everywhere. Maybe someone more experienced will have better luck. Took my name off. 

Comments

Yes! We'd love to see her connected. Thanks, Nina

Answer 14

Thanks Emma! Will be helping as I can starting with Nas Jones.

Comments

Awesome! Thanks, Denise

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Nas should finally be connected when things turn over!

(Kate thanks for your work on the missing uppers! )

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Yay! Thanks, Denise

Answer 15

I am in. It looks like fun.
My mother's birth name was Talley so I will start with André Leon Talley. 
What does the asterisk in the connected column signify? 

Comments

Great, I love him! And the asterisk means they are a USBH Notable. (This is from Elaine Martzen (Weatherall-96), sorry, I need to sign out of the Jewish Roots Account now!)

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To be more specific, the asterisk means they're an unconnected USBH Notable.

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Perfect. Thanks for helping, Donald.

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i added some profiles on his mother’s side. i will work higher up on her tree. i have limited access to internet and working off ipad so i will not be adding a lot. will try to stay out of your way.

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His maternal grandmother's info on Family Search looks like a real mess.  I suspect two people, and their children, conflated together.  You are welcome to it.

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Andre Talley will show as connected tomorrow.

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Fantastic!!

Answer 16

Great idea! I'd like to join.

Comments

Thanks, Jaki!

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A while ago, I did a bunch of work on Sasheer Zamata's tree, but was unable to find anything about her father's line.  His name, Henry Moore, is so common.  

After seeing Nick Sheedy on the Zoom call this evening, I'm wondering if it's possible to get some more info on that line of Sasheer's family.  Her father's line is not mentioned at all in the FYR episode, except to say he was in the military and the family moved around a lot.

Please let me know if you're able to access info about the Moore side of Sasheer's family.

Thanks!

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Jaki, I sent my wish list for more information to Eowyn, who is going to send it to Nick Sheedy. Sasheer Moore's father is DEFINITELY on the list. I'll let you know if I hear back!

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Great, thanks!

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Kate, I am also hitting a wall on Sasheer's maternal grandfather, Robert L. Steward.  Any info regarding his parents would be great, too!

Thanks!

Answer 17

Thanks for this fun project!

Comments

Thanks, Terri.

Answer 18

I'm in! I'm going to work on Cyndi Lauper.

Comments

Ooh, awesome choice. I can hear her songs playing in my head right now. Thanks, Erin

Answer 19

Yes, I'll attend!

Comments

Yay! Thanks, Joe.

Answer 20

I'm in. I'll research on Sterling K. Brown.

Comments

Dreamy Sterling! If I wasn't already working on another person, I definitely would have started with him Thanks for the help!