Finding Your Roots

Culture Series / 6 Seasons

For more than a decade, renowned Harvard scholar Henry Louis Gates, Jr. has helped to expand America’s sense of itself, stimulating a national conversation about identity with humor, wisdom, and compassion. Professor Gates has explored the ancestry of dozens of influential people from diverse backgrounds, taking millions of viewers deep into the past to reveal the connections that bind us all.

5m 27s

Season 11: Inside Look

30s

Great Migrations: A People on the Move explores the transformative impact of Black migration on American culture and society. From the waves of Black Americans to the North—and back South—over the last century to the growing number of immigrants from Africa and the Caribbean today, the film shows how movement is a defining feature of the Black experience.

Season 11: Extended Trailer

3m 13s

Renowned scholar Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. returns for a new season of FINDING YOUR ROOTS. Using genealogical detective work and cutting-edge DNA analysis, Gates guides twenty compelling guests deep into their family trees, revealing surprising stories that transcend borders, illuminating an American root system fortified by its diversity.

Megan Robertson and the Mystery of Green's Real Father

6m 27s

Join Megan Robertson, a curious descendant from the small town of Ashton, Idaho, as she delves into a longstanding family mystery - is Solomon Moxley truly the biological father of her great-grandfather, Green Church? Megan's investigation is fueled by the enduring stories and myths that have percolated through her family for generations.

Terrie Morrow's Quest to Unveil Her Great-Grandfather's Origins

5m 8s

Join Terrie Morrow, a devoted school bus driver from Birmingham, Alabama, as she embarks on an emotional odyssey to resolve a longstanding family puzzle that has intrigued her for decades. Her journey focuses on her cherished great-grandfather, affectionately referred to as Papa, whose early life is shrouded in obscurity. Left by his mother, Lenora, at the tender age of five with the Tagger family

Unraveling the Willis Family Mystery

6m 8s

Join Joyce Willis as she embarks on a riveting exploration into her family history, aiming to resolve a deeply rooted enigma: Was the man known as her grandmother Beatrice Willis's father truly related by blood? Through meticulous historical research, heartfelt interviews, and groundbreaking DNA analysis, Joyce seeks to uncover the truths buried within her family's past.

Megan Robertson's Search for Her Great-Grandfather's Roots

5m 4s

Megan Robertson embarks on a poignant quest to demystify the lineage of her great-grandfather, Green Church, who was believed to have been adopted early in his life. Originating from a longstanding curiosity fueled by fragmented family lore, Megan's journey leads her to the discovery that instead of an adoptive family, Green was actually raised by his grandparents alongside his brother Rufus.

Viewers Like You Preview

32s

After a national casting call that received over nine thousand submissions, Henry Louis Gates, Jr. meets 3 everyday Americans. Each has a family mystery that they have spent years trying to solve—only to reach dead ends. Using genetic genealogy and old-fashioned detective work, Gates unravels these mysteries, allowing each of his guests to understand themselves—and their families--as never before.

In the Blood Preview

31s

Henry Louis Gates, Jr. explores the roots of actor Michael Douglas & writer-director Lena Dunham. Both guests are the children of famous artists—and both proudly followed in their parents’ footsteps. But their family trees contain a cast of characters whose lives were forgotten. Gates recovers them, telling fascinating stories from the shtetls of Eastern Europe to the streets of colonial America.

Lena Dunham's Ancestors' Heartbreaking Story of Survival

4m 59s

Lena Dunham embarks on a poignant journey to uncover her family's past, revealing a deep connection to the Holocaust. From discovering ancestors' records in Poland to the heartbreaking story of survival and loss during World War II, this video offers a powerful glimpse into history and Dunham's personal legacy.

Michael Douglas Unravels His Family's Secret Past

7m 15s

Join Michael Douglas on a riveting quest into his family's hidden history. From escaping the Russian army to uncovering a legacy of survival and secrecy, dive into the Douglas family's untold stories and ancestral secrets.

Lena Dunham Uncovers Her Ancestor's Complex Legacy

5m 8s

We trace Lena Dunham's ancestry back to her paternal eighth great-grandfather, Stephanus van Cortlandt, a pivotal figure in the early history of New York City. Stephanus's life story unfolds as one of ambition, becoming the first native-born Mayor of New York. But Lena confronts the more troubling aspects of his legacy, including his dealings with the Lenape tribe and his involvement in slavery.

Anthony Ramos' Ancestor was Enslaved by Conquistadors

5m 13s

Anthony Ramos' 15th great-grandfather, Andrés de Llerina, an indigenous person from Tenerife, Spain, faced hardships due to the Spanish conquest, being driven from his land and enslaved by a conquistador named Fernandez de Lugo.

Tracy Morgan Discovers a Pre-Civil War Freed Ancestor

5m 46s

Surprisingly, Tracy Morgan's third great-grandfather, Wiley Warton, was listed by name in the 1860 census, indicating he was free before the Civil War -- a rare occurrence for black individuals at that time.

Tracy Morgan Discovers His Jewish Great-Great Grandfather

4m 58s

"It's like getting knocked out." Tracy Morgan reflects on the mystery surrounding his great-great-grandfather's identity and his relationship with his great-great grandmother, Viola.

Mean Streets Preview

32s

Henry Louis Gates, Jr. maps the family trees of comedian Tracy Morgan & actor Anthony Ramos—two native New Yorkers whose roots stretch to surprising places and contain inspiring stories. Moving from the Canary Islands to battlefields in Europe & Asia to slave plantations in Virginia, long-lost records reveal ancestors who laid the groundwork for Tracy and Anthony’s success by fighting to survive.

Danielle Brooks Learns the Dollar Value of Her Ancestors

6m 42s

Danielle Brooks takes a genealogical journey to Lowndes County, Mississippi, tracing her fifth-greatgrandparents, Fraser and Susan Sharp, back to the 1850s. Finding Your Roots uncovered records indicating their status as enslaved individuals on a plantation owned by Elisha Sharp, with Fraser valued at $1350 and Susan and their three youngest children at $2000.

Dionne Warwick Reflects on the Ugly Legacy Slavery

5m 44s

Dionne Warwick discovers her ancestors in the 1870 census in Jackson County, Florida, likely born into slavery. Researchers found a white farmer, Joseph Russ, who owned 31 enslaved people in the 1860s, potentially including Dionne's ancestors. She reflects on the impact of seeing her ancestor listed anonymously in the slave schedule and acknowledges the undeniable connection to slavery.

Dionne Warwick Explores the Roots of Her Singing Grandfather

6m 44s

Dionne Warwick explores her family history, focusing on her maternal grandfather, Nitch (Nicholas Drinkard). Through research, she discovers that Nitch's grandparents, John Drinkard Sr. and his wife, owned land in Georgia in the early 1900s, which was uncommon for African-Americans at the time. The Drinkards likely farmed cotton before relocating to Newark, New Jersey, by the late 1920s.

The Brick Wall Falls Preview

32s

Henry Louis Gates, Jr. helps musician Dionne Warwick & actor Danielle Brooks break down barriers imposed by the slave system to learn the names of their ancestors who endured unimaginable ordeals—but emerged to forge families that thrived.

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