A new program is helping Illinoisans of African descent reconnect and reclaim ancestral ties lost due to the transatlantic slave trade.

In a period spanning over 400 years, more than 13 million men, women, and children were forcibly transported across the Atlantic Ocean to work in the Americas, devastating familial bonds.

Now, the Illinois Family Roots Pilot program is offering free DNA testing so people can trace their roots into the past and connect with living relatives.

Reset learns more about the state program and hears from two Chicago-area residents who connected after DNA testing showed they were related.

For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.

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