JAN 25 US CELEBS ARE BECOMING CITIZENS OF AFRICAN NATIONS

JAN 25  US CELEBS ARE BECOMING CITIZENS OF AFRICAN NATIONS

The Ancestry Craze has taken over the USA! Using new tech, people can discover their ancestral past with just a simple oral swipe. It often leads to surprises. Just watch 'Finding Your Roots' on PBS. See, most Americans don't know their true ancestry. We are told we are descendants of French aristocracy or the Italian mafia, etc. as part of family lore. After receiving factual DNA results, we are flabbergasted to see we're actually 90% Slovenian or Lebanese and none of our cherished legends are likely true.

Yet perhaps the most revolutionary aspect of the Ancestry Craze involves African-Americans. At least other groups have an notion...an idea...of where they're from. But for the descendants of the 20 million African slaves brought to the New World, DNA data is a spectacular view into a previously unknown area. Here are three celebs who have embraced their African origins, visited their homelands and then became citizens:

SAMUEL L. JACKSON. (Gabon). This actor actually went on the PBS show and was fascinated to learn that his family is from the Benga People in Gabon. This led to Jackson researching and visiting his ancestral home in Africa. Turned out he loved it! He described his trip as a "journey of discovery." When he returned a year later, Jackson was hailed as a national hero. Gabon's "President" Ali Bongo was on hand and presented the 'Pulp Fiction' star with a shiny new Gabonese passport. Nice!

LUDACRIS (Ghana). The Atlanta rapper-turned-actor is also on the ancestry bandwagon and began researching his heritage. This work took Chris to Ghana. As the sole British colony on Africa's Gold Coast, Ghana is where the majority of the American colonies' slaves came from. As part of Ghana's "Year of Return" ceremonies, Ludacris was one of 125 other international artists of Ghanaian descent to receive citizenship. "I was not born in Africa, but Africa has been born in me." You go, Luda!

TIFFANY HADDISH (Eritrea). Although born in South-Central LA, this comedian's family are recent immigrants from East Africa. When her father passed away last year, Tiffany attended his funeral in Eritrea, his birthplace, for the first time. She was astounded with the natural beauty of the land and the hospitality of the people. Like Jackson, she was celebrated and feted by the government. She now proudly has dual US / Eritrean citizenship. Beautiful!