A name found in a census, a DNA test taken by two daughters, and a continent hidden in plain
sight spark Brian Butler's journey from Maryland's Eastern Shore to the kingdoms of West and
Central Africa. What begins as a search for his great-great-grandfather becomes a journey back to
the beginning of humanity itself.
For most of his life, Butler believed his family's story ended with his grandfather. But the
discovery of the name Theodore Lockerman opened a door he never knew existed. His search
carried him from Maryland's Eastern Shore to the kingdoms of West and Central Africa, from
the silence of slavery to the brilliance of civilizations he had never been taught about.
Guided by DNA results and historical research, Butler traces his ancestry to Nigeria, Ghana,
Liberia, Sierra Leone, Senegambia, Guinea, Congo, and Angola - the very regions that fueled
the Chesapeake slave trade. He also confronts the complex truth of his European lineage with
honesty and grace, acknowledging painful realities without anger or blame.
Blending genealogy, African history, and personal reflection, Akebulan restores stories
interrupted by colonization, the transatlantic slave trade, and the 1884-1885 Berlin Conference.
It invites readers to rediscover the civilizations of Kush, Nubia, Meroë, Aksum, Mali, Songhai,
Benin, Kongo, and other cultures whose brilliance shaped the world long before their histories
were erased.
This book is for families, educators, and anyone beginning their search for origins. It is a
reminder that no matter where our DNA leads us, we all trace back to the same beginning:
Africa, the cradle of humanity.
A story of loss, discovery, and return, Akebulan invites readers to reclaim their history, honor
their ancestors, and rediscover the wonder of knowing where they come from.