THE WASHINGTON POST
The Washington Post – “What to the African American Is the Fourth of July?” (July 3, 2020)
As part of a national reader essay series reflecting on race and American identity, Danielle Romero shares the story of her fifth-great-grandfather, Nöel, who sued for his freedom in 1822 Louisiana and later emancipated his daughter. She ties his story to her own shifting racial identity and the generational cost of passing, declaring that “Race is everything in America”—and calling for collective liberation from its false constraints.
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USA TODAY
USA Today – “My Great-Grandmother Hid Her Race. Two Decades Later I Understand Why” (January 14, 2023)
This widely read opinion essay shares how a wedding photo unraveled a long-held family silence and launched Romero's exploration into hidden racial heritage, passing, and survival.
THE TENNESSEAN
INDIAN COUNTRY TODAY
THE TIMES UNION
THE NEW YORK ALMANACK
la creole (peer reviewed journal, Xavier University)
The Tennessean – “My Great-Grandmother Hid Who She Was. 20 Years Later I Understand Why” (January 14, 2023)
A regional version of her USA Today piece, this column connects Romero’s research to her Southern family roots in Natchitoches Parish and explores the implications of racial identity in Louisiana and New York.
Indian Country Today – “I’m an Indian Who Chose Not to Formally Enroll” (June 26, 2025)
Danielle Romero reflects on the complexities of choosing not to enroll in her matrilineal tribe, navigating personal identity, ancestral belonging, and the pressures of formal recognition.
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Times Union (Albany, NY) – “Finding Lola: An Albany Native’s Search for Her Family’s Secret Past” (November 29, 2022)
This in-depth feature chronicles Romero’s two-decade journey uncovering her great-grandmother's racial passing and her family’s erased identities. It highlights the viral Finding Lola docuseries and its cultural impact.
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New York Almanack – “Finding Lola: An Albany Great-Grandmother Who Passed As White” (November 15, 2022)
This feature introduces Romero’s docuseries Finding Lola to New York historical audiences, highlighting the story of her great-grandmother Lola and the broader legacy of racial passing.
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Volume 16.
https://www.lacreole.org/journals/volume-16-nov-2023-out-of-print