We Build Forests: Genealogy Beyond the Family Tree

We’re honoring roots that extend deep into history — and how building forests of connection enriches all of us.

One of the most extraordinary examples of interwoven family history in the United States is the Quander family, believed to be the oldest consistently documented African American family whose ancestry extends back to the 1680s and the Fanti people of what is now Ghana.

From early ancestors like Egya Amkwandoh — brought here through the horrors of the trans-Atlantic slave trade — to generations who preserved their legacy across Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C., the Quanders have kept records and connections alive for centuries.

Their story includes notable contributors like Nellie Quander, a pioneering civic leader and first international president of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, and many others who shaped community life and historical understanding.

The Quanders’ multi-century journey reminds us that genealogy isn’t just about one lineage, but about how our histories intersect and illuminate the collective past. At Finding Deep Roots, we help people uncover these connections through library genealogy workshops, guided research, and tools like the Finding Deep Roots Workbook — because when individual trees are documented and linked, we build forests.