Meet Martha

Martha Runnette is a reparational genealogist and descendant of enslavers who rebuilds the family trees of Black Americans by researching the Revolutionary and Colonial ancestors of her white American clients. Martha believes that everyone deserves to be able to trace their family back to their immigrant ancestor.

Martha works with clients who are curious about their ancestors’ possible involvement in slavery during the formation of and early decades of the United States: They want to know whether their historical records contain the names of enslaved persons of other families. She then brings the names of the enslaved to light by reassembling their family trees as a volunteer with WikiTree, which hosts the largest free database connecting African-American families, and also sets aside a portion of her research time as pro bono work for Black clients who are descendants of enslaved Africans.

When she is not deciphering 17th-century handwriting, Martha enjoys being in the Colorado outdoors with her partner Michael, traveling and adding the newest generations to her existing family tree.