In this episode of Ancestors Footprints, host Bernice Bennett welcomes marketing executive turned genealogist Andre Kearns, Founder and CEO of Black Ancestries(https://blackancestries.com/), a company that provides professional genealogy research to help people of African connect with their past. Andre shares how a career pivot became a calling: to uncover, celebrate, and preserve, the lost lineages of people of African descent. Through his innovative approach, blending research expertise, historical context, and emotional storytelling, Andre is building a new model for Black genealogy. He reflects on his own family discoveries, the emotional journeys of his clients, and how tracing lineage can be a radical act of legacy-building.

Andre Kearns is a respected genealogist, author, and speaker, and the Founder & CEO of Black Ancestries, a firm dedicated to helping people of African descent uncover and connect with their family history. With degrees from Morehouse College and Harvard Business School, Andre blends analytical rigor with compelling storytelling to make genealogy both accessible and deeply meaningful.

Over the past 20 years, he has conducted in-depth research on African American lineages, specializing in tracing ancestors through slavery and beyond. He has traced his ancestry back to as early as 1619 and the first Africans to arrive in colonial Virginia. Andre is an active leader in national genealogical societies and frequently presents at conferences, libraries, and cultural institutions. His forthcoming book, Finding Cornerstone Stories: Uncovering Inspiration in Your Family’s History (February 2026), reflects his mission to inspire families by reconnecting them with their past.
 

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