Back to the Roots - This Has Been Verified: These 11 Famous American Women Are From Cameroon, Their DNAs Show

Oprah Winfrey: Oprah is an American media mogul, talk show host, actress, producer and philanthropist and one of the most influential people in the world. 

She is best known for her talk show “The Oprah Winfrey Show, her TV network OWN and her magazine “O” traced her lineage back to Liberia (Kpelle People), Cameroon (Bamiléké People) and Zambia.

Condoleezza Rice: The Former U.S. Secretary of States and current Stanford University Provost Condi Rice was surprised to learn that her DNA traced back to the Tikar people of Cameroon. The people in Ghana had thought that she looked like she might descend from their Ashanti Tribe.

Condoleezza Rice

Vanessa L. Williams: This American singer, actress, producer and the first African American to win the Miss America crown found through DNA analysis that she is 23 percent from Ghana, 17 percent from the British Isles, 15 percent from Cameroon, 12 percent Finnish, 11 percent Southern European, 7 percent Togo, 6 percent Benin, 5 percent Senegal and 4 percent Portuguese. “Now, I can’t wait to go to Ghana and Cameroon and Togo and Senegal” Vanessa Williams said.

Vanessa L. Williams

Sheryl Lee Ralph: Singer and actress Sheryl Lee Ralph discovered that her family roots extend well past the Caribbean and stretch all the way to Africa. She found that her ancestors are from the Tikar tribe in Cameroon. Tikar is a blanket term used for several ethnic groups in Cameroon.
Taraji P. Henson: The strong woman in “I can do bad by myself and the matron in the TV series “Empire,” also known for her roles in the movies “The curious case of Benjamin Button”, traced her maternal lineage to the masa people of Cameroon.

Vanessa A. Williams: This American actress is best known for her roles in the TV series (not the movie) Soul Food, the series Melrose Place and an appearance in the Cosby Show. She also starred in the movies New Jack City (1991), Candy Man (1992). Vanessa traced her lineage to the Tikar and Bamiléké People of Cameroon.

Erykah Badu: This American singer-songwriter, producer, and actress, traced her roots to the Western Region of Cameroon. The Grammy award winner discovered that her lineage originated from the Bamiléké people who live in the grassland region of the Western Cameroon.

Wanda Sikes: This American Emmy Award winning comedian, writer, actress and voice artist mtDNA traces to the Tikar and Fulani people of Cameroon

Tasha Smith: Tasha is part of the cast of Tyler Perry’s movie “Why did I get married” and “Why did I get married too” many other movies and TV series. Tasha traced her lineage to the Bubi people on Bioko Island in Equatorial Guinea, and the Tikar, Hausa, and Fulani people in Cameroon.

Jacque Reid: This American TV and radio personality, former lead news anchor of the BET Nightly News (2001-2005) and current co-host of the NBC New York affiliate show “New York Live” traced her roots to the Tikar people of Cameroon

Jessica Williams: This Actress, comedian and current correspondent on The Daily Show traced her roots to the Bamiléké tribe of Cameroon.