Finding Lola: NYTN full documentary 

I felt like I was watching my own story play out. I always knew my Daddy was part African American. I asked him all the time what we were growing up. He would say he was German, Cherokee Indian, and French. I would be like are you sure. He’s like that’s what I’ve been told my whole life. He really truly thought that’s what him and his siblings were. My Daddy passed in 2007. I lost my Uncle in 2010 and another Uncle before I was born. I lost my Aunt last year. Before she passed I asked her to take an Ancestry test for me. She obliged I told her I took one and what I had discovered. She was shocked that they had been lied too. My Aunt divulged they had a younger half brother and he took the test for me too. He said he always wondered what my great grandmother was and could never get her to say. She was always secretive he would say. I found out that the African American heritage came from both my Daddy’s Momma and Daddy’s side of the family. Tried to talk to some of my older family members, my Daddy's father side but some would dismiss me and not acknowledge it. Some literally blocked me and blocked it out on the ancestry site. I on the other am extremely proud of my heritage and there’s a lot of it. I’m what my parents made me. Still trying research and find out more about my heritage. My husband got a kick out of my results he was like you were right you always said you just knew. I just wish my Daddy would have been around to find out who he truly was. Thank you so much for sharing your story, journey about who you are and were you came from. We all deserve to know and no one should feel shame. Just be you!

I want to thank you for doing this video and others that you’ve done!!!!! First, as SOON as I saw your grandma, I knew she was of our people!!! I am eastern Cherokee. My 2x GGrandma is on the Dawes Roll as Cherokee by blood! Your videos resonate with me because I get SOOO much racial hate by the other Native Americans telling me to go back to Africa when my Cherokee grandmother was as dark as you see that I am! But I wanted to tell you and your family that it wasn’t that your grandmother was not proud of who she was but was REALLY AFRAID of what could possibly happen to her and her family as well as her husband, your grandfather for marrying her! When I was little, my mom told me I was an Indian. She Never said that we were African. Just Indian. She told me don’t tell Anyone that she was an Indian because she didn’t want anyone to know. I asked grandma, her mother and she said yes, she said we were Cherokee but she told me, you can’t EVER tell anybody that! I asked why? She said that she just wanted me to know who I was . That’s it. End of conversation. There was no other discussion about it. I just found the records two month ago. I’m sorry this was so long but they could be jailed, killed And sold into slavery! So, it was a lot to unpack! ❤

I want to thank you for doing these, I was raised with a great deal of ethnic confusion, and had my suspicion confirmed about my father passing and my mother passing me, since doing ancestry I have found my grandfather who is visibly African American, your story gave me the courage to embark upon my own journey and discover a whole half of a family and a very different story than I was raised with .

You did a great job, and I am proud of you. It is unfortunate only 2 of your relatives besides yourself are able to be accept the African ancestry, even in 2023. I am your cousin, but from the Black side. Metoyer, Sarpy, Meziere...great work!!

I see a lot of native & African descent in all of you!!! Even if it’s not said or admitted, but can be seen regardless!! A beautiful mixture!!?

Louisiana ancestry stories are the most fascinating. Two of the best eps of Finding Your Roots were Bryant Gumble and Tea Leoni. Great job

This was profound. I live on Long Island, I hope I run into your cousin who was proud of his 10% African DNA. I loved that moment.

I heard somewhere that about 6 million persons that identify as white have some African ancestry. If you add in Native American blood there even more that identify white but are really mixed. Hell I identify as African American but I’m 17% Irish and British. To be American is to be a Mutt. I will gladly take that title.

She probably went back to NY to continue to pass. Everyone knew her back home and she couldn't pass there.

Wow. Incredible story. Btw you have beautiful ladies in you family. And Classy too. What a Mystery. Engaging story telling style. Black, Italian, Jewish, Irish, German, Native American, in the same Family. Wow wow wow. God bless America.

Wow, Please tell me that production of this video has won you a documentary or film award of some sort. What you have done in putting this together is truly nothing short of amazing. Truly blessed by all of the work that must have gone into compiling, editing and producing this into a narrative of your family's journey, (and surely a journey that MANY certainly have, but may yet feel inhibited about )with which you've shared is worthy of at the very least some sort of commendation. It is this type of willingness to explore our stories that will ultimately bridge the perpetual, pernicious divides. Great work. Many thanks for creating and posting this and all of your many informative and explorative videos.

Beautiful tribute to the humanity of your family. Beautiful family that enriched the world. Just beautiful.

Oh wow! You have a new sub from South Africa. I'm Coloured (the term that is still in official use today with our race classification system) which is the equivalent of Creole / Mulatto [mixed race]. Majority of us Coloureds can trace their maternal ancestry to a Khoi-San (which is the equivalent of Native American or FNP {First Nation People} of the Southern African region) with the paternal ancestry of another race in most cases. My particular mix is a smattering of Saint Helena and Arab on my Dad's side with Dutch and Cape Khoi on my Mom's side. It was a concerted effort from the colonisers in my country to first commit genocide with my ancestors (FNP) and then dilute it with the inter-mixing. We're still here though :)

This is AMAZING! Heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time. Great story Danielle!!! Much love

This story is like watching a television show you get addicted to. She didn't go back to Louisiana probably because she didn't want the creole roots to define her children and their children.

Your story is so interesting. Thank you for sharing. In my DNA test, I discovered I was 3% black. My great grandmother had a white mother and black father. No one in my family knew there was a secret. They were dark skinned and thought they were Native American but my great grandmother denied it. I traced the family back to a slave and slave owner. You gave me a good idea to reach out to other family members not in my immediate family for information.

Thank you sister for sharing your story and testimony with us. Your such a Blessing through your encourage in claim who you’re as well as others that’s part of this amazing testimony. Your such a pillar of light to us and our people.❤️🙏🏽🙌🏽💪🏽

Hello my NY sister ❤️ I could not miss the story in full and I must say that I greatly enjoyed. Our families stories are so similar as I’ve shared from the beginning and I am still digging for more. We had family reunions in the French quarters of New Orleans. It was the first time I saw brown people with beautiful red rustic hair. We had Boones, Ridley’s and Tyners all throughout and I knew of none of them as a child. Thank u for sharing ❤️

Great story. I would love to see a movie about your family story. It is the story of US. Love your style of storytelling.

My peoples are from Louisianna and I see the Black in all those photos. Looks just like my kinfolk

Can I just say I love John and Dan! Straight to the point! I have loved your series keep the stories coming ❤️

I have watched several of your presentations and I find them amazing in a gob-smacking, eye-opening, mind-blowing kind of way. I grew up in the 60's in a military family. We watched the news every night at dinner time, so as an elementary school kid, I was pretty well versed in "current events" associated with the civil rights and women's rights issues. And I'll also say that "well versed" means that I watched what the Mainstream Media was presenting (ABC, CBS, NBC). Still, that is a lot more than most elementary school kids could claim in the day. That said, there is so much that I am learning through your broadcasts. Thank you and keep on shining your light into these shadows. I truly appreciate your efforts.

You did a great job,Danielle!You researched your family history and made us reflect a little on the history of ethnicities in America. Greetings from Brazil!

It’s sad that it’s acceptable to be mixed with all except for black

How facinating this search is. Danielle you are doing a great work for yourself, your family and lots of American people. Thank you

Danielle, Thank you for sharing your family’s story. I cried several times because it was so hard to hear how difficult life was for your great grandmother and other family members.

Thank you for sharing this story. I loved hearing everyone's perspectives and understanding of the past vs. now.

Danielle, what a journey! I am rapt. Your work on who is white and becoming an American is tremendously important. Keep on with the great work!

One thing I should have said is never let anyone in or out of your family call you MULATTO. That terminology is the slave master (branding his live stock), somewhat owning his creation without saying it out loud because it was created with a black female slave.

I followed along as you shared your story but to see it altogether brings up so many feelings about my own family.

This was so beautiful and inspiring. Thank you so much for sharing your family’s story and journey ❤

Very ambitious project! Well done!

Danielle, as a history lover, I'm intrigued by your great grandmother's story. I also admire your tenacity & respect in uncovering your ancestry. Each race is equally important & we've all done what we needed to do to survive. No one should be made to feel ashamed of that.

Many did ancestry, did DNA indicate any confirmation of Indian ancestry, French and African. I am from Louisiana of French, European and Africa ancestry”Creole” and proud. As little as 1-2 generations above me were listed as mulatto and/or black,much due to skin color. Many of the listed family as mulatto could have easily and unrecognizably been able to take the “passé blanc” path but didn’t. In the South life was indeed harsh, I don’t think Lola was embarrassed about who she was, just wanted to reach for a better life as she maintained family and fell in love. Perhaps revelations would upset the status quo, despite the fact the her own children were also mulatto. New Orleans, La has an abundance of Perrot, Perrault’s and derivative Perrilloux family’s, and Metyoers. You remind me of many. Thanks for sharing your Lola journey. Oddly I feel she probably would breathe a sigh of relief as she undoubtedly stayed connected to the family she loves. Many continued blessings.

That part of Louisiana is complicated. It is the far north of French Louisiana. I am not surprised by the last name.

Thanks for sharing ❤ "For nothing is secret, that shall not be made manifest; neither any thing hid, that shall not be known and come abroad.” --Luke 8:17

Thank you for sharing your amazing story!

I have enjoyed this series and I like the new videos that you've made.

"Finding Lola - An American Story" This needs to be a Netflix documentary

Lola looks like a very light skinned black person to me.

She did what she had to to survive and not be treated like an animal or somebody’s property 😢

My new favorite You Tube channel!!! style with Babe Ruth, then to Jim Crow and now watching finding Lola. love love love the channel absolutely awesome! Raw, informative, and absolutely inspiring!!

I have learned so much amd even understand my own family better by learning of your family journey.

This is an excellent channel, There is so much we all need to know, and mistakes we NEED to avoid.

I love your stories and I hope that you find everything that you are looking for.

This is so amazing. Well done!

We have been so mixed up since the beginning of time. So there's only 1 race, it's called human.

I totally LOVE this!!!! ❤

I have a certain love for this family! Reminds me of my own!!! We have everything in us but the kitchen sink! So proud!!❤❤ to you all!

Awesome video ❤❤❤❤

Interesting video about your extended family, a very big multi ethnic and multi-cultural extended family. ✌🏼😎✌🏼

Thank for sharing

Tears my Lady. Thank you, so much for sharing these incredible life tales...There are not enough words to express how much I am feeling and remembering and wanting to discover about my own heritage.

Very interesting and fascinating.

What people don't know is that BLACK is a super natural future/colour that can't NEVER be tampered with. That is it. She nailed it. " She looked it" she said . that's all. No matter how the haters of their ancestors try to hide their identity, there is always something there to remind you. Black is beautiful, own it.

I have a lot of ancestors that have mulatto on their census page as their race and I have always thought that that was a person of color and a person of the white race. And I know I have read that a lot of people would say they are of a different race so they could get ahead in life. My people are from Louisiana and they are Creole French .

Great stuff. Peace and love

Hello Danielle, I'm new. I don't know if you ever spoke on the 1% Law. As far as I know, it is STILL on the "books!"

I’m surprised they were able to pass they’re not that white looking. I wondered why my great grandmother didn’t pass she was much lighter but then I thought the same that I wouldn’t be here. But they married men who could farm and build. They were poor and discriminated against but they survived.

I just found your story, and I'm going through the same thing. I'm trying to find out who my father was, and the funny thing about this whole thing is that he's from the exact same place as your grandmother. He was born Brown, and moved to Houston by himself when he was about 16, and changed his last name to Peace. He past when I was 15, and I'm 46 now, and I've never meet his side of the family. You have given me hope to continue to search but, I can tell you that my journey has been hard. Thank You for making these videos.

I love John😂. He is that cool uncle.

Execellent video ❤❤❤

I find it amazing how they down play the African blood that’s in them, I heard Mexican,native ,Irish keep it 100%

It's not "a boldness" to hide from the sun because the real you will be apparent. Those women lived lives of fear. I understand why they decided to pass, and lie, but let's not mistake it for living a life of integrity.

My grandfather lived in Bastrop, LA for a time. He grew up in Eldorado, Arkansas though.

I’m not surprised that she didn’t want to admit that she has black in her. It was the time they lived in.

Isn't it funny that as long as someone doesn't know what you supposedly are they are ok but if they knew their feelings about you would change even though you didn't change so to pass was the way to go because who wants trouble.

My Grsndmother had Hazel eyes, Creole!

I've been following your story, it just dawned on me, why would "French" be equated with "dark"? The French are white.

Danielle, Do you have your Ancestry com results uploaded on one of your videos?

Your videos remind me of the "No True Scotsman" fallacy. Person A: "No Scotsman puts sugar on his porridge." Person B: "But my uncle Angus is a Scotsman and he puts sugar on his porridge." Person A: "But no true Scotsman puts sugar on his porridge." We are all unique and yet like to categorize. I think this is something humanity is grappling with.

This family history is so very common throughout Louisiana, and some are aware of it, many are not. Our state has had some really dark moments in history where being certain ethnicities or nationalities could jeopardize a person’s success, freedom, or their life all together. I’m so glad you and your family are telling your stories. It’s therapeutic for families who have had their heritage swept under the rug to finally let light shine on it after so many years.

I'm Mexican descent, My grandfather came to the united states in the 1940s during world War II . Growing up I new we looked different then some of are Mexican people. I did a DNA ancestry test. Traced my family back to 1700s . It turns out I have Indigenous Americas. Spain, Portuguese, Basque, African,Italian,Jewish from Europe, Mediterranean,Indian from India. Makes a lot of sense now.

Great overall true American story. There are so many Lola’s out there and I am glad you were able to face the past in order to continue to build your families future.

Growing up in poverty is so incredibly damaging! My fiancé grew up in poverty and wow was he wounded!! He resented me for not growing up poor.. calling us (me and my brother) dumb and spoiled! He was very hurt and always felt rejected..

I belive Lola is living within you now !!!

wow this is so funny to me.. Natchitoches is about 27 miles from where my mothers & fathers came from but I also believe THERE people grew up and or also live in Natchitoches as well. The other thing is my mothers family has a similar trajectory as yours in terms of race etc. Very fair skinned people... my mom said that either HER grand mother used to tell a story about her father being a "white man" but no one ever knew much about those folks OR even most of the off spring of that part of the family. I've since been able to locate some of the "black" part of the family but haven't fully delved into the "white" part lol.. I've been doing this since i was about 17 and i'm 48 now and I"m STILL finding out stuff. Oh and the last part, was that when I saw your grandmother, looking at her and hearing her made me see my grandmother and her sisters as she reminded me of them.... Really good work 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾💯

My heart goes out to Lola. She had to deny part of who she was to have a better life. Her and her children lives would be worse if she identified as Mulatto or Black. Her mother sacrificed her relationship with her daughter in order for her to have a chance.

I didn't know you had family in Albany. Wow, also from the 518 myself

I'm surprised her Great Grandmother was able to "pass".. She definitely looked like the lighter skinned Black woman she was..

My Great Grandfather look white in some pictures of him i never ask questions about to my Grandfather sadly both of them are gone now i should ask him more about ours Louisiana family

Danielle, you have Lola’s eyes. Same shape. 😊

Listening to this really hurts. I have the opposite issue because my great grandmother and great great grandmother were shunned from their families because they married black men. There’s a part of your family that you don’t know because of racism

La Creole chest un langue particular. Est ce que'quen de vous parler Creole ou francais?

I am a louisiana Creole. My grandmother passed for white (passe blanc) on my fathers side. My Mom spoke French and was a light skinned woman. I was told my mom's dad told her to marry light skinned until your descendants passed for white.

Your cousin from Baton Rouge looks just like this thumbnail of Lola

I see Lola and I see a Native woman. My grandfather was “Mestizo” from New Mexico but some of the elders liked to say they were only Spanish, even French. It would always change. That family used to hide their native roots because it was seen as worse than being “Mexican.” Even though the entire region was Mexico until 1918 😂 my grandfather though always told me we were native - Pueblo and Spanish. Some of his siblings said otherwise, even my grandmother (hiswhite wife) tried to say we weren’t because she only wanted her kids to be European! Well…we took that DNA test and boom - it showed my grandfather is half native. We did more genealogy and found out his older brothers were in the residential schools. So I’m assuming his mother (my great grandmother) wanted to try and save her other kids.

I think you look mixed because you have dormant genes from your great grandmother, because your parents are definitely mostly European and look mostly European

Every child has questions about their heritage, but it’s hard when you ask about your parents background and are told not to ask, I was only told about being Scottish and Irish.

My grandma passed for a min. But she moved to California and was able to be herself. She still looked Caucasian or Asian

I’m from South Louisiana, Houma and frankly 1/2 of Louisiana is mixed mostly with Black and many simply passed for White for privileges not afforded to blacks, Indians and Mexicans. There are even black Chinese. The sad thing is my grandma told us that the babies of these people passing for white that were born dark were killed at birth. They called it whiting out. 😢 But in they end if the people passing lived to be old they darkened up, so the secret eventually came out. My family is black and indigenous and some white.

My lineage is from the Choctaw tribe too ❤

My mother's name was Louise and she was called Lulu

My grandmother used to say her mother died and her father was a merchant marine from the UK, she was raised in an orphan home. After she died, I did the DNA and heritage search and she was blue eyed Chinese, with Native and Irish. She denied her heritage because it didn't match WASP protocol for "white"

Man Lola's self-hate was something else. If I didn't know better I would say you're her reincarnation. 🤣

Campti is my moms hometown. Thats wild.

My mom had a friend when she was little who could pass as white, while her sister was extremely black. Both sisters had the same parents, too.

This was a sad but powerful story nonetheless.

I am living this right now as I am doing genealogy research on my father's side. It's like they [my bancestors] wanted to be accepted as white for vaious societal reasons. I look more Irish/European than my sister, but with everyone on my father's maternal side having d olive skin, high cheek bones, and black/dark brown hair, it's clear that we have american Indian heritage.

Difficult to listen to. Very uneven audio levels between clips, commercials etc. But very interesting perspective..,