With the continued conversation about identity and roots taking hold in different countries and communities, many have dug into their genealogy through family discovery – talking to their grandparents and parents, doing ancestry DNA tests, or archival research. Consequently, over the last few years, many celebrities have revealed the countries they trace their roots to. So, who are the celebrities who traced their African roots?
Celebrities Who Traced Their African Roots
Tracing one’s roots is a way to reconnect with one’s origins, family, country and culture, something that helps them learn and appreciate those who come before them. These are the celebrities who revealed their ancestry roots.
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Samuel L. Jackson — Gabon
Samuel Leroy Jackson is an American actor and producer, born in Washington, D.C. United States, on December 21, 1948. He earned credits in films like Pulp Fiction, Django Unchained, and The Avengers. In 2020, Jackson revealed his ancestry to Gabon, specifically, the Benga tribe.
“A lot of people tried to trace themselves and find out where they came from – all they could find out was maybe a country. So to go through what I went through – to find out what tribal ancestry I had and to be able to step back into it was a really emotional, satisfying feeling. There’s a fullness that comes upon me every time I land in Africa. As I step on the ground, everything sort of changes”.
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Isaiah Washington — Sierra Leone
Isaiah Washington is an American actor and producer, born on August 3, 1963, in Houston, Texas. He’s featured on films such as Grey’s Anatomy, The 100, Exit Wounds and True Crime. Washington traced his ancestry to the Mende people of Sierra Leone and also earned his Sierra Leonean citizenship on May 8, 2008. Afterwards, he funded school projects and healthcare projects.
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Tiffany Haddish – Eritrea
Tiffany Haddish is among the celebrities who traced their African roots. She was born on December 3, 1979, in Los Angeles, California. She is a stand-up comedian and actress who has appeared on the sitcom The Carmichael Show, The Last O.G. and The Afterparty. In 2019, Haddish traced her ancestral roots to Eritrea, labelled herself as the “Princess of Eritrea”, and gained citizenship. She has honored her roots through wearing a traditional Eritrean attire on red carpet events, such as the 2018 Oscar Awards.
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Chris Tucker — Angola & Cameroon
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Tucker adds to the list of celebrities who traced their African roots. He was born on August 31, 1971, in Atlanta, Georgia. He has appeared on the HBO series Def Comedy Jam and co-starred in The Fifth Element and Money Talks. In 2021, after a visit to Africa, he found out his ancestry traces to the Bamileke people of Cameroon and the kingdoms of Ndongo and Matamba in Angola.
Blair Underwood — Cameroon
Blair Underwood is among the celebrities who traced their African roots. He was born in Tacoma, Washington, United States, on August 25, 1964. His work includes Just Cause (1995), Set It Off (1996), Deep Impact (1998), and Rules of Engagement (2000). The actor realized that his father’s side hailed from Cameroon, particularly the Babungo. Additionally, his African roots also point to Bamun, Brong, and Igbo ethnicities.
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Vanessa A. Williams — Cameroon
Vanessa Williams is known for her appearances on drama series Soul Food, New Jack City and Melrose Place. Like many of the celebrities who traced their African roots, Williams also discovered that her origins go back to the continent, the Tikar and Bamileke peoples of Cameroon. Upon discovery, she expressed her appreciation for finally knowing her origins.
“This connection is more than I can speak of. I’m home now! To finally be able to claim a specific place….It’s like the [slave] boats have come back home, and like in the slave narratives, we have flown back. I’ve flown back home.”
Connecting With Their Roots
Tracing African roots has helped these public figures move from abstract ancestry to names, nations, and neighbors—and then to action. The journey is part science, part story, and mostly relationship: a bridge that many continue to build long after the cameras stop rolling.
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