10 influential American celebrities who have traced their African roots

Vanessa Williams
Former Miss America and actress Vanessa Williams was born in Brooklyn, New York but as a DNA analysis shows the actress is 23% Ghanaian, 15% Cameroonian, 7% Togolese and 5% Senegalese.

“Now, I can’t wait to go to Ghana and Cameroon and Togo and Senegal — it’s a great opportunity to see why the customs resonate with you,” she told Ancestry.com who provided her with her DNA results.

RELATED STORIES

Kramanti, the African dialect that outlived slavery to become Jamaica's identity

Anger as 24-yr-old unarmed father of three is shot multiple times by LA cops

Jamaica is third Caribbean country in a month to sign visa waiver agreement with Ghana

Ousted Egyptian president serving jail term collapses and dies during trial