Free ancestry research service connects families of color to their past

When it comes to history, especially Black history there is so much still untold. Alonzo Felder has made it his mission to capture and share some of those stories.

He founded the My Roots Foundation to break down barriers that people face in trying to learn about their ancestors.

"Every time an elder dies, a library burns," Felder says. "We are losing so much history."

He notes that doing genealogical research can be expensive and time consuming.

"It can be prohibitive for people, just regular normal people," he says.

So Felder's My Roots Foundations helps clients get the tools to discover where they come from free of charge. Since 2015, it has helped reveal hundreds of family trees, the every day stories of incredible heroism and resilience...

Claudine Woods, Friend/Client:

"Being a mother of two biracial boys, I know that it's had an impact on their lives," said Claudine Woods. What was important for her family was "not just knowing who their grandparents are, but the ancestry further back," she said.

"This is the kind of inspiration and knowledge that all of us want and need," Felder says.

He's working to reach more families. He's writing a book to teach everyone how to look into their own ancestry.