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Ancestry pulls slavery-era ad after backlash

NEW YORK — Ancestry.com is apologizing for its ad that showed a mixed-race couple discussing escaping to the North during the Civil War era.

The DNA testing company removed the ad from TV and its YouTube channel after it drew widespread criticism for whitewashing slavery.

The ad is part of a campaign by Ancestry showing stories from the past to pique viewers’ curiosity about their ancestors. In the ad, a white man tells a black woman that they can be together if they escape to the North.

But critics pointed out that the ad ignores the fact that mixed race couplings during the slavery era were usually not romantic love stories but instead due to rape and violence against slaves.

Mae Anderson, The Associated Press