Podcasts about nicka smith

Nicka Smith (she/her), a pro genealogist with over 20 years of experience, joins DNA Today for our second to last episode of the year! She is the host of BlackProGen LIVE, a web series focused on genealogy and family history with a special focus on people of color. Nicka Smith is a professional photographer, speaker, host, consultant, and documentarian with more than 20 years of experience as a genealogist. She has extensive experience in African ancestored genealogy, reverse genealogy, and is expert in genealogical research in the Northeastern Louisiana area, and researching enslaved communities. Nicka has diverse and varied experience in media with a background in audio, video, and written communications. She's appeared on TODAY Show, CNN, MSNBC, on the series Who Do You Think You Are and has been interviewed by Oakland Tribune, The Undefeated, National Geographic, and TIME. She is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, a member of two lineage societies (Sons and Daughters of the Middle Passage (SDUSMP), National Society of Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR)), and a past board member of the California Genealogical Society (CGS) and the African American Genealogical Society of Northern California (AAGSNC). Nicka served as the chair of the Outreach and Education Committee for AAGSNC, and is the former project manager for the Alameda County, CA Youth Ancestral Project where more than 325 youth were taught the value of family history. On This Episode We Discuss:Why people are drawn towards ancestryHow ancestry can be valuable informationWhy the ancestry percent changes over time in direct-to-consumer DNA testingCompanies with diverse databasesHow genetic testing companies can be more inclusive with their databasesWhy it's helpful to look at the Y chromosome and mitochondrial DNA when exploring maternal and paternal specific lineageHow haplogroups can help with ancestry researchTracking down formerly enslaved ancestors and which records to useNicka's personal experience tracking her family historyKira mentioned a few videos and blog posts from Nicka Smith includingTrask 250 Multimedia Series, How to Trace Your Ancestors as Slaves, and 5 Lies About African American Genealogy and Family History Research. Learn more about Nicka and her important work on her website, and follow her on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.Stay tuned for the next new episode of DNA Today on December 30th, 2022! This will be our final episode of 2022, and we'll be joined by Mike Graglia and Elli Brimble to discuss SynGAP10. New episodes are released every Fridays. In the meantime, you can binge over 215 other episodes on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, streaming on the website, or any other podcast player by searching, “DNA Today”. Episodes since 2021 are also recorded with video which you can watch on our YouTube channel. DNA Today is hosted and produced by Kira Dineen. Our social media lead is Corinne Merlino. Our video lead is Amanda Andreoli. Our outreach Intern is Sanya Tinaikar. Our Social Media Intern is Kajal Patel. And our Graphic Designer Ashlyn Enokian.See what else we are up to on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and our website, DNAToday.com. Questions/inquiries can be sent to info@DNAtoday.com. As a listener of DNA Today you have heard me interview countless guests about genetic testing. I'm sure you have thought to yourself, “I wonder what my results would be”. Now you can find out or gift it to someone else for the holidays! At Panacea, you can access affordable Whole Exome Sequencing, that's analyzing all of your coding genes, genetic counseling and physician oversight in a 10-minute workflow for under $1000. As a DNA Today listener you get 30% off (that's a $300 discount), just use the code “DNATODAY” at seekpanacea.com. Check out our interview with the Founder and CEO of Panacea, Dahlia Attia-King, in Episode #215 of DNA Today. (Sponsored)

I hope you've been listening over the past few months to our Throwback Thursday series…episodes I'm curating from the archives for you to listen to again, or for the first time, if they are new to you. This Throwback Thursday, there were so many reasons I decided to select this episode titled “Weaving our Ancestral Threads with Genealogist Nicka Smith.” First, Nicka has had some incredible recent accomplishments that I would love for you to explore. One in particular, is the debut of her first short film entitled “A Dream Delivered: The Lost Letters of Hawkins Wilson” about one family's story that Nicka explains is an exceptional example of why it's important to thread the past to the present. The second reason I decided to share this episode was because of a call I received today. It was from a woman who was a former student of my grandmother Molla, who found and heard my episode with my father, David Lieberman. This woman was searching for years to learn about her mentor who she lost touch with and I've been searching for years to find students who benefited from my grandmother's teaching. Now, because of the power of podcasting and a reverence for threading the past to the present, we've found one another. All of this feels especially poignant because it's still within the first year of my father's death. As I welcome you to listen to this episode, I'm sending special love out to all of us missing our loved ones and wishes that the wisdom from Nicka in this conversation, inspires us anew to weave our own threads from past to the present, and to use our loved one's legacies as inspiration for living our lives to the fullest. Resources Mentioned in Opening A Dream Delivered: The Lost Letters of Hawkins Wilson details the life of Hawkins Wilson, a formerly enslaved man who utilized the Freedmen's Bureau to try to reconnect with his family. Hawkins' letters have been seen everywhere from the National Archives website to text books and more. The letters so clearly describe the destructiveness of enslavement while also showing the hopes the formerly enslaved had in repairing the havoc the slavery system caused their families. Hawkins' May 11, 1867 letter drafted at the Freedmen's Bureau in Galveston, Texas – the site of the first ever Juneteenth – includes a detailed account of which specific slaveholders enslaved his family members and important details such as the locations where they were enslaved. Those of us who do genealogy research know how incredible Hawkins' account is, yet we also know that there are a lot of factors out of our control that determine whether or not we can find out more about him and his family despite the large amount of information he gave. Did Hawkins and his family ever reunite? Do records that document his enslavement still exist? All of these questions, and more, are answered in the short film. You can view the film at www.ancestry.com/BlackHistory Ep 43: Love of Family and Pursuing our Fate ~A Father's Day Special~ with David Lieberman   Full Episode Show Notes Check out the full show notes from the original episode here: Ep 50: Weaving our Ancestral Threads with Genealogist Nicka Smith   Mother's Quest is a podcast for moms who are ready to live a truly E.P.I.C. life. Join in for intimate conversations with a diverse group of inspiring mothers as they share how they are living an E.P.I.C. life, Engaging mindfully with their children (E), Passionately and Purposefully making a difference beyond their family (P), Investing in themselves (I), and Connecting to a strong support network (C). Join our community of mothers to light the way and sustain you on your quest at https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersquest/

From Sago and Fatima, Randall and Esther, to Moosa and Katy, learn the ancestral story of the Trask 250 from the vantage point of the oldest traceable ancestors who unite them, those who were born in the late 18th century, mostly in Africa, with descendants who number more than 5,000.  Nicka Smith is a professional photographer, speaker, host, consultant, and documentarian with more than 20 years of experience as a genealogist. She has extensive experience in African ancestored genealogy, and reverse genealogy, and is expert in genealogical research in the Northeastern Louisiana area, and researching enslaved communities. Nicka has diverse and varied experience in media with a background in audio, video, and written communications. She's appeared on TODAY Show, CNN, MSNBC, on the series Who Do You Think You Are and has been interviewed by Oakland Tribune, The Undefeated, National Geographic, and TIME. She is the host of BlackProGen LIVE, an innovative web show with more than 125 episodes focused on people of color genealogy and family history.   Opening music: Sweet Mellow Spice by AKA Productions  

Nicka Sewell-Smith discusses attaining her Cherokee Nation citizenship; being a descendant of Cherokee Old Settler Chief John Rogers Jr., who by force, reproduced with her 4th great grandmother Annie May, of African descent and enslaved by another Cherokee, resulting in their daughter Martha May who became a teacher; Martha’s son, Isaac Rogers, enlisting in the 1st Kansas U.S. Colored Troops, working for a "hanging judge" in Arkansas, capturing outlaw Cherokee Bill who was later hung, then, Bill's brother shooting and killing Isaac on a train platform in Indian Territory in 1897; paternal ancestors enslaved by a founder of Amherst College and the father of Ole Miss; President Andrew Jackson's niece buying a share of her enslaved 3rd great grandfather, King Atlas, who was owned by a lawyer in Jackson's family, Atlas being allowed to keep in profits from hiring himself out while enslaved by his progressive slave owner who was against secession and poor treatment; contrasting with 5th great grandparents Sago's and Fatima's slaveholder and Harvard graduate, Israel Trask, profiting and living off loan interest from their enslavement while living in Massachusetts and his daughter marrying into an abolitionist family; and Revolutionary War patriot Richard Field, a European from Virginia, marrying Susanna Emory, a Cherokee; growing up in Southern California; audiophile father teaching her to swim and having lots of animals; participating in cheerleading, dance, honor society, in high school with yearbook and newspaper clubs helping her decide to major in journalism; attending Menlo College in the San Francisco Bay area with affluent classmates, being one of few blacks on an academic scholarship, having a radio show, and participating in cheerleading, newspaper, talent shows and joining Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc; father passing a month before graduating college; her job verifying doctors' credentials, like medical genealogy; recovering from dad's passing by researching his family; seeing family tree as a child then expanding it to 50 feet; leveraging family research skills to land a health policy communications position; consulting for Ancestry, producing Black ProGen LIVE genealogy web series and a podcast, writing, doing reveals for individuals and celebrities, appearing on TV's "Who Do You Think You Are?", consulting for TV pitches and individuals hitting brick walls; interest in sewing and gardening, growing crops of ancestors; maternal family including Freedom Riders and an ancestor who testified for U.S. Civil Rights Commission; Isaac Rogers, marrying Sarah Vann, a Cherokee and not enslaved; slavery as a national system; pursuing DAR since she was also applying for Cherokee Nation citizenship, both requiring the same documentation; Uncle Ben, Cherokee brother of Sarah Vann, listing family and leading to patriot on his application for Trail of Tears compensation; Uncle Ben denied rights in Cherokee Nation being on Freedman roll not listing blood quantum although his grandfather was by blood; choosing Cherokee line to join DAR; joining to add credibility to research, show black ancestry is more than slavery, and on behalf of ancestors who couldn't stake their claim; standing proxy for those who will come after her into DAR; black and East Indian friends helping with her application; joining a Tennessee DAR chapter having members with an ancestor who served as Deputy Marshall with Isaac Rogers; chapter service awards to people of color in community feeling like they were preparing for day she would get there ; “My own history is important and the fabric of what makes nation what it is ...it is varied, complicated, painful, beautiful but it is me and it is us, that's our strength.”Read Nicka's biography at www.daughterdialogues.com/daughtersSubscribe to the newsletter at www.daughterdialogues.com

Nicka Smith is a professional photographer, speaker, host, and documentarian with more than 20 years of experience as a genealogist. She has extensive experience in African ancestored genealogy, reverse genealogy, and family reunion planning and execution. She is also an expert in genealogical research in the Northeastern Louisiana area, sharing genealogy with youth, documenting the ancestral journey, and employing the use of new technology in genealogy and family history research. Nicka has diverse and varied experience in communications, with a background in publications, editing, graphic design, radio, and video production. She has edited and designed several volumes of family history that include narratives, photos, and genealogical information and has also transferred these things to an online environment. She is the host of BlackProGen LIVE, an innovative web show focused on people of color genealogy and family history.

Nicka Smith will share how she discovered that James Alexander Ventress, the namesake of Ventress Hall on the University of Mississippi’s campus was also a slave owner and owned her family. Nicka Smith is a professional photographer, speaker, host, and documentarian with more than 19 years of experience as a genealogist. She has extensive experience in African /ancestored genealogy, reverse genealogy, and family reunion planning and execution. She is also an expert in genealogical research in the Northeastern Louisiana area, sharing genealogy with youth, documenting the ancestral journey, and employing the use of new technology in genealogy and family history research.

Welcome to another new episode of the Mother’s Quest Podcast, one I’m sharing after a short break, so I could focus on transitioning my children into the new academic year, welcoming in the Jewish New Year and supporting my parents as my father recovers from bypass heart surgery (he is doing much better and already plotting to get back on the golf course!) During this time of reflection and connection to family, it feels right to bring forward this episode on ancestry with Nicka Smith, a professional photographer, speaker, host, and documentarian with more than 19 years of experience as a genealogist.  I learned about Nicka through my friend and previous podcast guest Jenjii Hysten, one of Nicka’s biggest cheerleaders, who regularly acknowledges Nicka’s expertise in African ancestored genealogy and her ability to connect young people to their ancestry. Nicka’s experience and accomplishments are vast: she has edited and designed volumes of family history that include narratives, photos, and genealogical information and is the host of BlackProGen LIVE, an innovative web show focused on people of color genealogy and family history. Using Nicka’s life experience, this episode goes deep in how to give ourselves permission to step into becoming our own family historians, the importance of connecting the threads of our ancestors to who we are today, the challenges and emotions involved in tracing genealogy for African American people whose ancestors were enslaved, and the idea that we can become today the ancestors we aspire to be for our descendants by taking the political and social action our times demand.  With Nicka’s guidance, I’ve started the process of connecting the threads of my ancestors. To be honest, I was a little skeptical that I would find anything particularly interesting. But, while visiting my parents in Los Angeles, my mother and I stayed up late on the couch looking on ancestry.com at documents connected to her mother, my grandmother, Ruth.  My mother shared details about Ruth’s life in a previous episode’s dedication, that I’ll link in the show notes. We knew that her mother had married (what we say in Yiddush) a “nogoodnick” who left my grandmother destitute with three young girls to raise on her own.  That night on the couch, we found a strange named document connected to my grandmother’s records titled Hebrew Orphan Asylum of New York City. We clicked on the link and soon saw evidence that my grandmother and her youngest sister had been left in the care of an orphanage. But that some time after, my great grandmother, came back to get them. My grandmother, who was only 2 at the time, never spoke of this to us and may not have known.  But now my mother and I know that our ancestor, against the odds, found a way to reunited with her children. Had she not, my grandmother’s fate would surely have been different, and my mother and I might not have been here today.  I know now that my discoveries as my family historian are just beginning. I hope this episode and what I uncovered about my great grandmother give you permission to step into becoming your family historian, to explore the untold stories of your ancestors, and to weave the threads between yourself, your ancestors and your descendants, that will help you more fully live your E.P.I.C. life.  Much appreciation, Julie Neale In This Episode We Talk About: How a simple hobby back in college turned out to be Nicka’s passion and purpose in life. The diverse community and landscape that shaped Nicka’s worldview The layers to Nicka’s “genealogical cake” including revelations she learned about her family ancestry: the Native American blood in her family, the fact that her great great grandfather was legally married to a white woman in the late 1800’s, and that her ancestors were enslaved on the same plantation for more than 30 years by a slave-owner from western Massachusetts. Nicka’s ancestor who took great risks to advocate for his birthright as a Cherokee Freedmen to the Committee on Indian Affairs and the impact that had on Nicka. How Nicka’s 3 year old son teaches her to experiment and to explore new experiences How we can use tools like ancestry.com and a database of documents to help us explore our lineage.. The life-long trauma experienced still by Nicka’s grandmother’s grandmother, in her 90’s,  from being forcibly separated from your parents during their enslavement and how that connects to the children separated at the border today. The case of Plessy vs. Ferguson and how the descendants of slaves and slave owners now unite to fight for civil rights  The threads that connect us to who we are across generations and the ways that Nicka’s ancestors activism have shaped her own. Nicka’s challenge for me and for you to step into the role of family historian  Resources and Topics Mentioned: Nicka’s Website Black ProGenLive  – Nicka’s YouTube show with twice monthly broadcasts feature a panel from BlackProGen and friends discussing a myriad of topics in the world of genealogy. Coming to the Table Post about Researching Slaveholding and Slave Trading Ancestry Birthright: 8 Generations of Cherokee Freedmen and Our Story of Redemption Plessy and Ferguson: Descendants of a divisive Supreme Court decision unite to create a civil rights organization Ancestry.com – start here to set up an account and step into your own role as a family historian Family History Is at the Heart of Pixar’s Coco Kamala Harris’ remarks on Separating Families at the Border and How We Will Be Judged Harshly Episode of the Mother’s Quest Podcast with the dedication from my mother to my grandmother Ruth Episode with my father David Lieberman, inspired by an oral history and genealogy workshop I attended This Episode is Dedicated by: Carrie Caulfield Arick, the founder of Ya Ya Podcasting, a company that helps podcasters put their best voice forward. She’s spent over ten years putting together her own family tree and assists her father, historian at Seabreeze Park in Rochester, NY piece together the stories of notable park guests and employees through genealogical research. You can connect with Carrie on Facebook,  Instagram or through her website. This Week’s Challenge: Nicka challenges everyone to give yourself permission to step into the role of family historian. Sign up for an account with ancestry.com and begin with yourself to trace your family tree backward. Investigate to trace your own lineage and see how history repeats itself. Take a deep dive, and ask yourself these questions: How did we get here? Who immigrated? Why? And apply that to your present. Announcements: Join the Journey to Right Livelihood We start today, Thursday September 26th!!  I’m so excited to embark on this program, Journey to Right Livelihood as a learner. And as an affiliate, I’ll also be offering Mother’s Quest bonuses to deepen the experience for members of my community who decide to come along too. If you’re interested, you can learn more at this link and also come over to my private facebook group, where I had a conversation with the founder, and one of my teachers and mentors, Lindsay Pera. Click www.mothersquest.com/community to request to join and listen to our conversation  What My Open Heart Surgery Taught Me About Coaching Read the blog post HERE   Support the Podcast If you’d like to make a contribution to Mother’s Quest to support Season Three of the Podcast and/or help provide coaching scholarships for mothers, follow this link to make a contribution. If you would like to “dedicate” an upcoming episode to a special mother in your life, email me at julie@mothersquest.com   — Mother’s Quest is a podcast for moms who are ready to live a truly E.P.I.C. life. Join in for intimate conversations with a diverse group of inspiring mothers as they share how they are living an E.P.I.C. life, Engaging mindfully with their children (E), Passionately and Purposefully making a difference beyond their family (P), Investing in themselves (I), and Connecting to a strong support network (C). Join our community of mothers to light the way and sustain you on your quest at https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersquest/

The history of slavery in America has made our DNA a complex cultural stew. In this episode, Nicka Smith combine traditional genealogy and DNA research to trace back to previously unknown but well documented enslaved ancestors. Nicka Smith is a professional photographer, speaker, host, and documentarian with more than 18 years of experience as a genealogist. She has extensive experience in African ancestored genealogy, reverse genealogy, and family reunion planning and execution. She is also an expert in genealogical research in the Northeastern Louisiana area, sharing genealogy with youth, documenting the ancestral journey, and employing the use of new technology in genealogy and family history research. Nicka has diverse and varied experience in communications, with a background in publications, editing, graphic design, radio, and video production. She has edited and designed several volumes of family history that include narratives, photos, and genealogical information and has also transferred these things to an online environment. She is the host of BlackProGen LIVE, an innovative web show focused on people of color genealogy and family history.

Takiyah and Amber chat with Genealogist and Photographer, Nicka Smith about using DNA research to figure out our personal histories. Takiyah shares how DNA research saved her life and Amber learns that her love of bacon might actually be in her DNA... Figuratively. If you have ever wondered about sending off your DNA to a company to learn your genetic history, Nicka helps clarify the process and explains why you should.

Join my special guest as they reflect on Rootstech 2017.

Challenges and Opportunities in Searching for your African American Roots! Nicka Sewell-Smith is a professional photographer, speaker, and documentarian with more than 17 years of experience as a genealogist. She has extensive experience in African ancestored genealogy, reverse genealogy, and family reunion planning and execution. She is also an expert in genealogical research in the Northeastern Louisiana area, sharing genealogy with youth, documenting the ancestral journey, and employing the use of new technology in genealogy and family history research. Nicka has diverse and varied experience in communications, with a background in publications, editing, graphic design, radio, and video production. She has edited and designed several volumes of family history that include narratives, photos, and genealogical information and has also transferred these things to an online environment. Nicka Smith is also the producer and host of the Black ProGen Live! www.whoisnickasmith.com    

 Join Nicka Smith and Bernice Bennett for an intriguing discussion about their experiences with DNA testing. What was their reaction to the DNA admixture results?How have they connected the dots?Where have they tested and why?What successes and frustrations?Why communications is important? Nicka Smith is a professional photographer, speaker, and documentarian with more than 17 years of experience as a genealogist. She has extensive experience in African ancestored genealogy, reverse genealogy, and family reunion planning and execution. She is also an expert in genealogical research in the Northeastern Louisiana area, sharing genealogy with youth, documenting the ancestral journey, and employing the use of new technology in genealogy and family history research. Bernice Bennett is a speaker, family historian, author, citizen's archivist with the National Archives, and Producer and Host of her own blogtalkradio show.  Her research interest are in African American genealogy, DNA and connecting with the  African Diaspora, Homestead Land Records, Civil War Pensions, and Freedmen Bureau documents. 

Nicka Smith is a professional photographer, speaker, and documentarian with more than 16 years of experience as a genealogist. She has extensive experience in African ancestored genealogy, reverse genealogy, and family reunion planning and execution. She is also an expert in genealogical research in the Northeastern Louisiana area, sharing genealogy with youth, documenting the ancestral journey, and employing the use of new technology in genealogy and family history research.

Join members of the African American Genealogy Bloggers Circle for a discussion of the PBS Special - The African Americans - Many Rivers to Cross with Henry Louis Gates. Join host, Angela Walton-Raji for a dynamic discussion of  the African American Genealogy Bloggers reaction to the new PBS series. Ms. Walton-Raji is an author, genealogist, producer  of the weekly African Roots Podcast and prolific blogger of the Native American blog - http://african nativeamerican.blogspot.com, and My Ancestors Name - http://myancestorsname.blogspot.com Melvin J. Collier is a genealogist and author of 150 Years Later Broken Ties Mended and Mississippi to Africa- A Journey of Discovery.  His blog Roots Reveals examines the many ancestral discoveries based upon new DNA results. http://www.http://rootsrevealed.blogspot.com George Geder  is a strong advocate for having all cultures and family lifestyles being heard and represented in the genealogy community. He is also an Evangelist for the African Ancestored Genealogy. Nicka Smith's is a genealogist, family historian, lecturer, photographer and her blog can be found at http://blog.atlasfamily.org. Terry Ligon, researcher specializing in Choctaw and Chickasaw Freedmen history and genealogy. Terry has given presentations on researching the history of the Indian Territory Freedmen, the Congressional Record as well as how to create video presentations of family history. His blog, Black and Red Journal is another opportunity to inform the general public about the unique history of the Indian Territory Freedmen and their descendants.  

Kheven Lee LaGrone, curator, I Am America:  Black Genealogy Through the Eye of An Artist, November 5, 2011 through February 2, 2012 at the San Francisco's Main Public Library's African American Center. A genealogists/artists reception will take place on Sunday, November 20, 2011 from 1 pm to 2 pm. A program follows from 2 pm to 3 pm in the Latino Hispanic Room.  Participating artists: Alice Beasley (quiltmaker); Inez Brown (mixed media); Karen Oyekanmi (doll maker); Makeda Rashidi (painter); Malik Seneferu (painter); Marion Coleman (quiltmaker); Morrie Turner (cartoonist); Nate Creekmore (cartoonist); Nena St. Louis (sculptor); Nicka Smith (mixed media); Orlonda Uffre (painter); TaSin Sabir (mixed media); Tomye (mixed media) We close with a conversation with members of Umoja:Damu Sudi Alii (piano) and Muhammad Bilal Hanif (alto & soprano saxophones): Dance of the Kalahari: In Memorium Concert.at the 57th Street Gallery, in Oakland, Sunday, Nov. 20, 2011, 2-5:30 PM, featuring besides Damu & M.B. Hanif, Larry Douglas (trumpet & flugelhorn), Mali Vincent Williams (bass), Willie G (vocals) and others. The ensemble is honoring the memory of founding members: Kenneth Byrd (flutist) & Kamau Seitu (drums). There will be free food at the event.  Admission is $10.00 per person. Music featured: Umoja: Blessings & Dance of the Kalahari; Rene Marie's Lift Ev'ry Voice.  An archived interview with Lavinia Currier, OKA director, opens the show. She speaks about her latest film, in theatres Oct. 28, 2011. OKA is the story of the Bayaka people in Central West Africa and an ethnomusicologist Larry Whitmore, who falls in love with the people and culture. Visit http://okamovie.com/