Ancestors unKnown Ancestors unKnown Ancestors unKnown provides educators with access to a unique curriculum that introduces students to untold histories and family history research. A nonprofit organization based in the United States, Ancestors unKnown serves participants in all parts of the world. Our mission To inspire the academic and personal success of young people by introducing them to their unknown ancestors. Vision In our ideal world, all young people are empowered to shape their own identities and achieve greatness, regardless of race, class, gender, religion, or otherwise. Such personal empowerment stems from knowledge of the past, personal connections to their ancestors, and pride in the histories that make them unique, yet simultaneously the same. A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots. – Marcus Garvey Background Our goal was to help young people learn something new about their ancestors, empowering them to do the research themselves. But what good is learning about your ancestors if you don’t understand what was happening in the world around them? So we developed a curriculum that combines history and genealogy research. The two concepts are inseparable, really. In 2013, Ancestors unKnown launched two pilot projects, in Suriname (South America) and Charleston, South Carolina (US).