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Birth Name: Christopher Julius Rock
Place of Birth: Andrews, South Carolina, U.S.
Date of Birth: February 7, 1965
Ethnicity: African-American
Chris Rock is an American comedian, actor, writer, producer, and director.
He is the son of African-American parents, Rosalie (Tingman) and Christopher Julius Rock. He was born in Andrews, South Carolina, and was raised mostly in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, in Crown Heights and Bedford–Stuyvesant. Chris has two children with his former wife, salon founder Malaak Compton-Rock.
Chris’s paternal grandfather was named The Rev. Allen Rock (the son of Abraham Rock and Mary). The Rev. Allen was born around Eutawville, South Carolina.
Chris’s paternal grandmother was named Mary Vance. Mary was born around Eutawville.
Chris’s maternal grandfather was Wesley Tingman (the son of James Tingman and Emma Telefair). Wesley was born around Andrews, South Carolina. James’s father, Chris’s great-great-grandfather Julius Caesar Tingman, was a former slave who served with the Union during the Civil War, with the U.S. Colored Troops. He was elected to the South Carolina state legislature in 1872. James’s mother was Eliza Ann Moultrie.
Chris’s maternal grandmother was Pearl McClam (the daughter of The Rev. Romy/Rumnie/Romeo McClam and Margaret “Maggie” McFadden). Pearl was born around Andrews, South Carolina. The Rev. Romy was the son of Lewis McClam and Tishia Graham.
A DNA test whose results were displayed on the show African American Lives 2 (2008) stated that Chris’s genetic ancestry is:
*80% Sub-Saharan African
*20% European
In his 2009 book about the show, In Search of Our Roots: How 19 Extraordinary African Americans Reclaimed Their Past, Henry Louis Gates, Jr. wrote that 45% of Chris’s African DNA matches Upper Guinea (Senegal to Liberia), 30% matches Benin and western Nigeria, and 25% matches the Congo-Angola region.
Sources: Family history of Chris Rock – http://www.theroot.com
Genealogy of Chris Rock – http://www.geni.com
Obituary of Chris’s maternal grandmother, Pearl (McClam) Tingman – http://www.findagrave.com
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