Who is Hebrew?

I read a comment from a woman who was “against” the Hebrew Israelites because she had been a member of one of the organizations with the same namesake. She said she “used to be a Hebrew Israelite” but she was no longer because she left the organization where she was a member. I cannot stress this enough. Being a Hebrew Israelite is NOT a religion; it is a heritage and an ancestry. There is nothing you need to join nor is it something you can “become.” You either are or you aren't.
Some groups have used this ancestry to falsely manufacture their own set of ideals and beliefs.
Please be wary of these “preachers.” What I am offering to you is based on the studies of Biblical and historical scholars. The Bible is the original source but this information extends into historical studies as well.

"Hebrew" and "Jewish" are not interchangeable terms. Many Hebrews, like Paul, were once Jewish during the Biblical days it was a religion and a culture. Because of this, modern day Hebrews (like myself) can say we are of Jewish ancestry. However, after the Messiah was born, we should all have become followers of Yeshua the Messiah; this means (non-denominational) Christian for most of us. You can become Jewish as did the Ashkenazi Jews of the Biblical days because it is a religion. But again, the “Judaism” of  the Ashkenazi Jews is not the same as the Old Testament Jews. And not all Hebrews were Jewish, some were pagan like the tribe of Dan. It has been said that only the tribes of Judah, Benjamin, and  a “good portion” of Levi were Jewish and were also the only ones present during the exodus to Egypt. Therefore, these are the only tribes who are among the "Chosen."
But every tribe is Hebrew Israelite.

Many have wondered where the other tribes went and who they might be today. Although the Bible does not specifically name the modern nations representing all of these people, there is biblical, historical and archaeological evidence that make it possible for us to positively identify their whereabouts of some of them. The United States, Britain and Western Europe and the islands they owned are the nations where descendants of the 12 tribes of Israel largely reside today. Again, please know that while this historical knowledge is not critical for anyone's salvation, it does help one understand end-time prophecy. And confirm the Bible prophecies of Deuteronomy 28 (for those who are not believers). I have mentioned the African tribes and as I stated, Hebrews frequently ventured into and relocated to Africa as evidenced by the above tribes. There were also Hebrews who elected not to go with Moses and the other Israelites  and remained in Africa and were eventually pushed southward by Assyrian invaders (the ancestors of most of the modern-day inhabitants of Egypt).

Ancient Egyptians

Modern day Egyptians

Again, those tribes did not heed to the prophecy of the Messiah's warning of the coming destruction in Israel and were not spared. Most died in the city through starvation; were killed by the Romans; sold to Egypt, or taken to Rome for various Roman ‘sporting activities’ after their conquest.
So if we use the facts of the slave trade, we can decipher who is included in the tribes of Judah, Benjamin, and Levi because again we know that these were the only tribes present at the exodus into Egypt. According to Dr. Neil Frankel, between 1525 and 1866, in the entire history of the slave trade to the New World, according to the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade Database, 12.5 million slaves were shipped to the New World. 10.7 million survived the dreaded Middle Passage, disembarking in North America, the Caribbean and South America. If you are a native of those who were labeled “black” living on or in one of these islands or continents, then you are likely of Hebrew heritage.
The Atlantic slave trade developed after Europeans began exploring and establishing trading posts on the Atlantic (west) coast of Africa in the mid-15th century. The first major group of European traders in West Africa was the Portuguese, followed by the British and the French. The following maps show the locations the Hebrews were sold to during the Transatlantic slave trade: