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LaKisha David

@lakishadavid.bsky.social
46 followers 59 following 35 posts

Assistant Professor Beloved African Genetic Genealogy Lab University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign College of Liberal Arts & Sciences Department of Anthropology www.takir.org

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Reposted by LaKisha David
Bryce Covert @brycecovert.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
Yikes. Women accounted for all of the job losses and all of the labor force decline in July, according to @nwlc.org
WASHINGTON — Women accounted for 100 percent of the decline in the labor force in July, according to a National Women’s Law Center jobs analysis of monthly data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That brings the total net number of women who have left the labor force since January this year to 845,000. In comparison, there are 406,000 fewer men in the labor force now than in January. 

A total of 165,000 women, aged 20 and over, left the labor force last month — meaning they are neither working nor looking for work — while men's labor force participation was unchanged. Overall, the economy lost 23,000 jobs in July. Women accounted for all of these losses, losing 32,000 jobs, while men gained 9,000 jobs. Women make up 50.1% of the workforce.
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LaKisha David @lakishadavid.bsky.social · 26/02/2026
UIUC students voted that they want their university to study race-based harms and reparations.
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LaKisha David @lakishadavid.bsky.social · 10/02/2026
I support Illinois 104th General Assembly #HB5486 (Office of Genealogical Affairs Study Committee Act). It studies a permanent state office to expand genealogical access, support forensic/historical accountability, and administrative determinations. www.ilga.gov/Legislation/...
legiscan.com
Illinois HB5486 | 2025-2026 | 104th General Assembly
Summary (2026-02-06) STUDY-GENEALOGIC AFFAIR OFFICE [Filed with the Clerk by Rep. Carol Ammons]
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LaKisha David @lakishadavid.bsky.social · 27/01/2026
In the news in Carbondale, Illinois! www.kfvs12.com/2026/01/27/i...
kfvs12.com
Illinois Family Roots Pilot Program informational session set for March 14 in Carbondale
A new program is aimed at helping Illinoisans with African ancestry find their family.
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Reposted by LaKisha David
Olga Nesterova @onestpress.onestnetwork.com · 18/01/2026
Nearly three years of war have plunged Sudan “into an abyss of unimaginable dimensions” and human rights must be at the centre of efforts to end the fighting and build lasting peace, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said on Sunday in Nairobi.
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Reposted by LaKisha David
Ida Bae Wells @nhannahjones.bsky.social · 08/01/2026
Looking back, everyone will one day realize that all that woke stuff was right. Unfortunately, being right won’t erase the suffering.
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Reposted by LaKisha David
Rebecca Sear @rebeccasear.bsky.social · 09/12/2025
“What I do think is that it has become normalized in modern behavioral genomics to do what you have to do in order to make every result, no matter how small, look like a win for team genetics” ericturkheimer.substack.com/p/within-fam...
ericturkheimer.substack.com
Within family prediction of psychopathology
Honey it's fine. The ratio with my shoe size is actually pretty good.
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Reposted by LaKisha David
Kevin Bird @stairwaytokevin.bsky.social · 09/11/2025
Evolutionary psychology makes a big to-do about their finding that sexual selection favors a "feminine body type" that "signals fertility/reproductive potential", including some rather... silly research. Turns out, those traits don't seem to signal reproductive success. Oops! doi.org/10.1017/ehs....
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Reposted by LaKisha David
John Benning @jbenning.bsky.social · 07/11/2025
We're excited to share the final version of our paper, where we demonstrate how confounding remains a thorny problem for claims about causal genetic influences on human behavioral and socioeconomic outcomes. (w/ @jedidiahcarlson.com @oliviarxiv.bsky.social Ruth Shaw @arbelharpak.bsky.social) 🧵👇
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Reposted by LaKisha David
Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 28/10/2025
Rep. Rosa DeLauro: "On the food stamp issue, the money is there! Let them not get away with saying they can't do it. Their political will isn't there to feed the people who rely on the SNAP program which is the most effective anti-hunger program in the USA."
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Reposted by LaKisha David
Gary Dauphin @ebogjonson.bsky.social · 28/10/2025
"I want to assure the consulate... that I'm very content with the revocation of my visa."
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LaKisha David @lakishadavid.bsky.social · 11/10/2025
www.aacounty.org/county-execu...
aacounty.org
Anne Arundel County to Issue Formal Apology for Slavery on Maryland Emancipation Day | Anne Arundel County Government
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Reposted by LaKisha David
Graciela Cabana @gscabana.bsky.social · 01/10/2025
Biological Anthropologists! The AABA (US) IDEAS Program is welcoming applications for BOTH Student Scholars and Faculty Scholars. The Faculty Scholar deadline is October 15th, and the Student Scholar deadline is October 31st. Please share this call widely! Flyers for each, below:
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LaKisha David @lakishadavid.bsky.social · 26/09/2025
✨ Free DNA Tests for Illinois Residents! ✨ Discover your family’s story with the Illinois Family Roots Pilot Program. Led by Dr. LaKisha David, Assistant Professor of Anthropology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 📩 Sign up today at www.takir.org
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LaKisha David @lakishadavid.bsky.social · 01/09/2025
✨ Exciting update from the Illinois Family Roots Pilot Program! ✨ We are preparing to mail out 95 DNA kits to participants who recently ordered them.
takir.org
Home - The African Kinship Reunion
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LaKisha David @lakishadavid.bsky.social · 14/08/2025
www.wbez.org/reset-with-s...
wbez.org
DNA program allows Chicagoans of African descent to recover lost family ties due to slave trade
Many Black people in the U.S. cannot trace their ancestry because earlier generations of their family were enslaved. But an Illinois program is changing what’s possible and connecting long-lost family...
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LaKisha David @lakishadavid.bsky.social · 05/08/2025
We're in the Chicago Tribune! www.chicagotribune.com/2025/08/04/d...
chicagotribune.com
DNA project hopes to reunite African Americans in Illinois with ancestral relatives in Africa
Black Americans in Illinois can submit a DNA sample to a university-based project trying to find their ancestral homes, living relatives in Africa.
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LaKisha David @lakishadavid.bsky.social · 17/07/2025
thekenyatimes.com/breaking-new...
thekenyatimes.com
Kenya Officially Drops Visa Requirement For All African Countries
Kenya has officially scrapped visa requirements for all African nationals and most Caribbean countries.
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LaKisha David @lakishadavid.bsky.social · 28/06/2025
"Evanston’s Reparations Committee also participated in the event by passing out free DNA kits as part of the statewide Family Roots Pilot Program, an ongoing collaboration with the African Kinship Reunion (TAKiR) project." dailynorthwestern.com/2025/06/23/t...
dailynorthwestern.com
Evanston’s sixth annual Juneteenth parade uplifts community, Black legacies
The Evanston community danced with joy on Saturday during its sixth annual Juneteenth Celebration & Freedom Parade, which concluded with festivities at Ingraham Park celebrating local Black legacies. ...
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LaKisha David @lakishadavid.bsky.social · 12/06/2025
"Race, ethnicity don’t match genetic ancestry, according to a large U.S. study Data from the All of Us program confirm what many geneticists have long promoted 5 Jun 202511:00 AM ETByRodrigo Pérez Ortega" www.science.org/content/arti...
science.org
Race, ethnicity don’t match genetic ancestry, according to a large U.S. study
Data from the All of Us program confirm what many geneticists have long promoted
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Reposted by LaKisha David
Alondra Nelson @alondra.bsky.social · 07/06/2025
"Black applicants would, on average, need credit scores approximately 120 points higher than white applicants to receive the same approval rate, and about 30 points higher to receive the same interest rate."
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Reposted by LaKisha David
Mike Inouye @mikeinouye.bsky.social · 05/06/2025
📣 Latest from the lab: Performance of deep-learning-based approaches to improve polygenic scores www.nature.com/articles/s41... Its thought deep learning will substantially improve PGS but the reality is MANY have tried but no/little gain has been seen so far. Here we report our negative results.
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LaKisha David @lakishadavid.bsky.social · 01/06/2025
www.eventbrite.com/e/1223178904...
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LaKisha David @lakishadavid.bsky.social · 24/05/2025
"They welcome me and our family back into the fold. Whether they were Mandinka or Wolof or whether they were Igbo. I am one proud African." — H Okafor (An African American man speaking on his experiences finding African relatives) www.takir.org Voices of Discovery: Family Identity
takir.org
Home - The African Kinship Reunion
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LaKisha David @lakishadavid.bsky.social · 15/05/2025
Bound: Africans vs. African Americans Film Screening & Community Discussion Join us for an evening of powerful storytelling with award-winning filmmaker Peres Owino. Food will be provided. Make sure you RSVP by getting a ticket. www.eventbrite.com/e/1223178904...
eventbrite.com
Film Screening: Bound: Africans vs African Americans with Peres Owino
An educational session with a movie screening with a discussion regarding HR453 The African Kinship Reunion (TAKiR) Project.
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LaKisha David @lakishadavid.bsky.social · 02/05/2025
This survey gathers community input on reparations-related measures in Champaign County. Your responses will help guide the CU Reparations Coalition in understanding public perspectives and shaping effective and just policy recommendations. docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
docs.google.com
Champaign Urbana Reparations Coalition Survey
Thank you for taking the time to complete this survey. The purpose of this survey is to gather community input on reparations-related measures in Champaign County and other Illinois communities. Your ...
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Reposted by LaKisha David
Acyn @acyn.bsky.social · 24/04/2025
Walz: If you say you love freedom but you don't believe freedom is for everybody, then the thing you love is not freedom, it is privilege.
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LaKisha David @lakishadavid.bsky.social · 05/04/2025
Coverage from a committee meeting in the City of Evanston where I discussed the Illinois Family Roots Pilot Program. This program is supported by the 103rd General Assembly House Resolution 453 as championed by State Representative Carol Ammons. dailynorthwestern.com/2025/04/04/c...
dailynorthwestern.com
Reparations Committee discusses DNA ancestry testing, updates from Reparations Business Climate survey Reparations Committee talks DNA testing, Reparations Business Climate survey
Evanston’s Reparations Committee discussed a potential partnership reconstructing African ancestry with DNA testing Thursday.  The committee welcomed LaKisha David, an assistant professor of anthropol...
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LaKisha David @lakishadavid.bsky.social · 04/03/2025
Missed the Illinois Family Roots Pilot Program kickoff on March 1? Want to learn more about the program and how you can get a free DNA kit? Here's a video of the event. www.youtube.com/watch?v=etxZ... (unpolished DRAFT v1)
youtube.com
Illinois Family Roots Genealogy Pilot Program Kickoff
YouTube video by LaKisha David
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LaKisha David @lakishadavid.bsky.social · 26/02/2025
What do boxes for 1,500 free DNA kits for Illinois look like?
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LaKisha David @lakishadavid.bsky.social · 26/02/2025
Illinois Family Roots Pilot Program. Join us on March 1 and see if you qualify for a free DNA kit. The event is online. www.eventbrite.com/e/1223429734...
eventbrite.com
Illinois Family Roots Pilot Program Kick-Off Meeting with Rep Carol Ammons
An informational session on the Illinois Family Roots Pilot Program promoted by Illinois 103rd General Assembly HR0453
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LaKisha David @lakishadavid.bsky.social · 17/02/2025
The Ties That Find - NCSA February 17, 2025 "Through Illinois Computes, University of Illinois researchers like Lakisha David, an assistant professor of anthropology, have found remarkable ways to incorporate NCSA’s myriad resources into their work...." www.ncsa.illinois.edu/the-ties-tha...
ncsa.illinois.edu
The Ties That Find - NCSA
Illinois Computes and NCSA help a University of Illinois professor of anthropology connect families in U.S. and Africa.
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Reposted by LaKisha David
Marcelius Braxton @marceliusb.bsky.social · 13/02/2025
Professor who teaches African American studies here. If your school eliminates or bans it, I will personally host free zoom sessions, provide resources, or answer questions for students, parents/guardians, or teachers who are interested in learning or discussing African American studies.
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LaKisha David @lakishadavid.bsky.social · 10/02/2025
Join us for the Illinois Family Roots Pilot Program Kick-Off Meeting with Rep. Carol Ammons on Saturday, March 1st at 10:00 AM! Learn how you can sign up for a free DNA test to explore your ancestral history. www.eventbrite.com/e/1223429734...
eventbrite.com
Illinois Family Roots Pilot Program Kick-Off Meeting with Rep Carol Ammons
An informational session on the Illinois Family Roots Pilot Program promoted by Illinois 103rd General Assembly HR0453
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LaKisha David @lakishadavid.bsky.social · 08/02/2025
Join us for the Illinois Family Roots Pilot Program Kick-Off Meeting on Saturday, March 1st at 10:00 AM! Learn about this program promoted by Illinois 103rd General Assembly HR0453. Don't miss out - Link in bio for more details and to get tickets (free, online). www.eventbrite.com/e/illinois-f...
eventbrite.com
Illinois Family Roots Pilot Program Kick-Off Meeting with TAKiR & CWCRC
An educational session on the Illinois Family Roots Pilot Program promoted by Illinois 103rd General Assembly HR0453
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LaKisha David @lakishadavid.bsky.social · 31/01/2025
A random African American person born in 1960 – 1965, counting backwards in time across 14 generations and stopping on a lineage once an ancestor from Africa is reached, can expect to inherit DNA from 162 out of 314 African ancestors. Agranat-Tamir, @jazlynmooney.bsky.social , & Rosenberg (2024).
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LaKisha David @lakishadavid.bsky.social · 31/01/2025
Feeling moody af. www.militarytimes.com/news/pentago...
militarytimes.com
Pentagon agency halts MLK Day, Black History Month, other celebrations
The Defense Intelligence Agency's pause comes in response to President Trump’s ban on diversity, equity and inclusion programs in the federal workplace.
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Reposted by LaKisha David
Science Magazine @science.org · 30/01/2025
Exclusive: NSF this week began to search through billions of dollars of grants the agency has already awarded for anything touching on topics that President Donald Trump has criticized. And NSF has blocked grantees and trainees from accessing funds while the review is underway. scim.ag/3El0NZh
scim.ag
EXCLUSIVE: NSF starts vetting all grants to comply with Trump’s orders
Grantee accounts remain frozen, while union accuses NSF of ignoring rules governing peer review
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Carl Zimmer @carlzimmer.com · 30/01/2025
National Science Foundation suspends salary payments, leaving researchers unable to pay their bills www.statnews.com/2025/01/30/t... Story by @ericboodman.bsky.social
statnews.com
National Science Foundation suspends salary payments, leaving researchers unable to pay their bills
An NSF online payment system remained down after the federal funding freeze was lifted, leaving early-career scientists scrambling to pay bills
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LaKisha David @lakishadavid.bsky.social · 20/01/2025
I attended the recent African Diaspora Development Institute (ADDI) Zoom meeting "Burkina Faso Offers Citizenship to ADDI Members". (ADDI is spearheaded by former African Union Ambassador to the U.S. Her Excellency, Ambassador Arikana Chihombori-Quao, MD.) Here are my takeaways from the meeting.
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