iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

LaKisha David @lakishadavid.bsky.social · 12/10/2026

During the week ending October 11, TAKiR made substantial progress toward private participant messaging. We also advanced the integration of chromosome X, chromosome Y, and mitochondrial DNA into our genetic data processing. Both efforts remain under development. www.takir.org/blog/buildin...

takir.org

Building participant messaging and integrating X, Y, and mitochondrial DNA processing

TAKiR is moving closer to participant messaging, with core features and rollout safeguards progressing in local development. Analysis development reached a milestone in processing X, Y, and mitochondr...

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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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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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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

📬 If you live in Illinois and haven’t yet requested your free DNA kit, you can still sign up while supplies last at www.takir.org. Together, we are building bridges across time, family, and history. 💚

takir.org

Home - The African Kinship Reunion

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LaKisha David @lakishadavid.bsky.social · 01/09/2025

Every kit brings us one step closer to reconnecting families and uncovering powerful stories of heritage and history. We are thrilled to see so many communities joining this journey with us.

takir.org

Home - The African Kinship Reunion

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LaKisha David @lakishadavid.bsky.social · 01/09/2025

These kits are heading to families across Illinois—from Chicago, Champaign, Evanston, Homewood, Skokie, Oak Park, Naperville, Hazel Crest, Rockford, Collinsville, Fairview Heights, Peoria, Urbana, and more.

takir.org

Home - The African Kinship Reunion

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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 · 28/06/2025

"After taking the tests at the committee’s table, African American descendants of enslaved individuals have the opportunity to explore their genealogy as a form of cultural healing, according to La Kisha Latham, a TaKiR community affiliate."

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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

Rep Carol Ammons will also talk about the motivation behind the Family Roots Pilot Program and free DNA testing to learn about African heritage as supported by Illinois House Resolution 453 (HR0453) and Senate Resolution 590 (SR0590).

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LaKisha David @lakishadavid.bsky.social · 15/05/2025

Peres will be joined by Illinois State Representative Carol Ammons. Together, they will lead a reflective and interactive conversation on the historical tensions between Africans and African Americans, the healing power of shared stories, and the pathways being created for reconnection.

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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 · 04/03/2025

The program is supported by the Illinois 103rd General Assembly House Resolution 453, which was sponsored by State Representative Carol Ammons and written by Jailene Aguirre, M.S.

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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 · 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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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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LaKisha David @lakishadavid.bsky.social · 20/01/2025

I still mentioned during Q&A that some of us are finding living relatives through genetic genealogy and asked how should we format our results to send to her. She was very receptive. I'll share more details when I get them.

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LaKisha David @lakishadavid.bsky.social · 20/01/2025

3) They prefer certificates from African Ancestry, Inc., but are open to any DNA evidence. 4) Dr. Arikana recognizes that people living across the borders of Burkina Faso may also be family members due to the imposed geopolitical borders. She is attempting to include neighboring countries as well.

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