While I'm not generally disposed to highlight advertisements on this site, I do think that this particular ad, especially at this time in our history, is worth looking at.

Ancestry.com, the genealogy site, released an ad in time for the Fourth of July featuring 29 direct descendants of the creators of the Declaration of Independence. The DNA of those seven white men are now shared by a vast array of people of all colors. Like America.

Shannon Lanier, one of the black descendants featured in the video, reiterated the importance of understanding both our personal and collective history.

“Through my family, I am part of history,” Lanier told AdWeek. “Through the recreation of that historic moment, I feel like I’m making history—it shows how much our country has changed and how diverse and beautiful America’s family really is.”