Who is Nicka Smith?

It’s beyond 40 acres or a check. In this episode, we’ll discuss the importance and implications of legacy, how practical it is to trace ancestry to qualify for programs, and under the radar issues that impact the future of reparations programs.

Join us LIVE next Wednesday, February 15 at 6pm Pacific/8pm Central/9pm Eastern!

2 years ago | [YT] | 12

Who is Nicka Smith?

Excited to share one fo the latest segments I've been part of with my boo Simone Boyce from MSNBC. Check it out!

4 years ago | [YT] | 4

Who is Nicka Smith?

Someone said I literally turned into Bernadine in Waiting to Exhale last week. 🤣

Another told me that I didn’t represent just the Trask 250, but I represented every enslaved community.

Someone else said “Well, they can’t say they need to study it anymore. You provided ALLLLLLLLL the receipts.”

“So, what was all that pomp and circumstance about last week when you were in Massachusetts?”

Last week, I shared the story my journey to the discovery of my ancestral connections to Amherst College, which is celebrating its 200th anniversary this year. One of the trustees/founders of the college was the slaveholder of my ancestors and used money from my ancestors labor to help finance the college. The same slaveholder was instrumental in securing the school’s charter with the state. This slaveholding family, who largely lived in Massachusetts, enslaved my family for four generations in Mississippi and Louisiana.

“Is there a recording?!?”

Yep. 😎

4 years ago | [YT] | 4

Who is Nicka Smith?

Three people trusted me to help them tell the story about the day their lives were turned upside down. It was not a responsibility that I took lightly and it’s one I feel has produced one of the best things I’ve done, to date, in the genealogy and family history space. And that’s saying a lot.


We talk DNA all the time. We also talk about situations where those who take DNA tests find out that one, or both, of their parents is not who they were told they were. We often discuss it from third person perspective and in some instances it is sensationalized for ratings or clout or the wrong people are centering themselves in the conversation. What I’ve put together is the complete opposite. It’s my effort to help a community that feels largely unheard and unsupported despite the large number of groups on social media who are focused on their new life circumstances.


Episode 111a features people who have dealt with this situation directly. These brave souls discuss why they DNA tested to begin with, whether they had any reason to believe that the information they received would be different from what they were told, their reactions after finding out the truth, how their family reacted, their journey to identify their biological parent, and how they’re dealing with things now. They are joined by a licensed psychologist who provides them, and the viewer, with strategies on how to process the newfound information, and the unique challenges one can face in this scenario in the Black community.


Episode 111a, When DNA Gets Real, will premiere on Tuesday, April 21, 2020 at 11:30am Central on YouTube. Immediately following (around 12:10pm Central), we’ll have a live Q&A (episode 111b) with my special guests.
As much as I wish everyone would watch everything I put together, I know that’s just not possible. But trust me, this is something we all need to watch because everyone has something they can learn from it.

5 years ago | [YT] | 8

Who is Nicka Smith?

Aww snap! Is that the schedule for 2020?!? Why yes, it is. Find out more here: www.whoisnickasmith.com/genealogy/season-6-blackpr…

5 years ago | [YT] | 26

Who is Nicka Smith?

With the 10s leaving the building and the 20s now on the horizon, a shift of focus is upon us. 2020 means a sixth season with the C.R.E.W. you love and the addition of a new content to keep the people of color voice at the forefront in genealogy and family history. What a better way to commemorate the 2020 Census year with a themed set of episodes called Dawn of a New Decade.


In this first episode of the series, learn the ins and outs of two of the most utilized census sets for those researching African Americans within the United States.


Join us for “The Count: A Deep Dive Into the 1870 and 1880 US Census” airing live Wednesday, January 15 at 6pm Pacific/8pm Central/9pm Eastern. Watch, chat, and catch the replay at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSXw_...

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6 years ago | [YT] | 10

Who is Nicka Smith?

We're juiced to announce the broadcast schedule for season 5 of BlackProGen LIVE! For more info, including episode descriptions and special guests, please visit www.whoisnickasmith.com/genealogy/announcing-the-s…

7 years ago | [YT] | 12

Who is Nicka Smith?

Join us for our final episode of season 4 where select panelists share how they got to their most crucial research finds. Watch and chat LIVE on Tuesday, November 27, 2018 at 6pm Pacific/7pm Mountain/8pm Central/9pm Eastern. See you then!

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www.twitter.com/BlackProGenwww.facebook.com/BlackProGenLIVE

7 years ago | [YT] | 4