Jamaica-born actor elected to Ontario Genealogical Society board

A Jamaican has been elected to the board of the Ontario Genealogical Society (OGS) as a director-at-large, in what the organisation says is a demonstration of its continuing commitment to diversity.

Anne Thornley-Brown, a team-building specialist, actress, and writer, was elected at the society’s recent annual general meeting. Founded in 1961, the OGS, an Ontario- registered non-profit corporation, is devoted to assisting individuals interested in the pursuit of family history.

Thornley-Brown, who is passionate about genealogy, began tracing when she was 18 years old. Uncovering her African roots was one of her main motivators for beginning her quest. Her persistence paid off. By following the paper trail and through breakthroughs made possible by DNA testing, Thornley-Brown uncovered her Igbo, Kassena, and Yoruba ancestry.

She was pleased to discover that while she was searching for them, her Kassena cousins in Ghana were also looking for her. In fact, they launched the African Kinship Reunion website to reunite families separated by the transatlantic slave trade.

They are using autosomal DNA testing on Ancestry.com and GED Match to connect with distant cousins. Thornley-Brown was even more delighted to discover that her Kassena cousins preserved the story of how her ancestor, Kaduah, was abducted. Kaduah was enslaved in Jamaica. The Spalding branch of Thornley-Brown’s family is descended from Kaduah.

She worked with Octavia Spencer and Blair Underwood in the first episode of the Netflix TV series Self-Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker.

Thornley-Brown, who runs a team-building company, is the co-author of the book West Indians in Toronto: Implications for Helping Professionals and has written articles for HuffPost to assist individuals of Jamaican and Caribbean heritage in their genealogical quest.

With roots in Africa, England, Scotland, Ireland, Europe, and Asia, it is not surprising that the Jamaican diaspora has a keen interest in genealogy. In fact, Jamaica has more Facebook groups devoted to genealogy than any other country. With over 249,070 Jamaica-born residents in Ontario, the treasure trove of resources offered by the Ontario Genealogical Society is certain to provide a wealth of information, a release on her appointment notes.

Thornley-Brown has previously served on the board of directors for the Toronto Chapter of the Ontario Training and Development Society, now The Institute for Performance and Learning (I4PL); the Canadian Association of Professional Speakers Toronto Chapter; and the MBA Women’s Association.

Surprising discoveries about her family, including ancestors from England, Scotland, and even Sweden and Sardinia, rekindled her interest in writing. She has written a TV series and novel, a historical fiction inspired by the Thornley branch of her family. Her women’s fiction and screenplay were fuelled by her experience of returning to Jamaica and walking in the footsteps of her ancestors. She is currently seeking a literary agent to bring her work to the screen and bookshelves in the Caribbean diaspora.

From September 8-10, the Ontario Genealogical Society will host a virtual conference exploring diversity in genealogy.