Our People, Our Traditions Promo
Alan Dershowitz, Carole King and Tony Kushner are three celebrated Americans who share not only a Jewish heritage, but also a history of perseverance in the face of withering opposition.
We Come From People Promo
Angela Bassett, Valerie Jarrett and Nas' roots run back into the heart of slavery, revealing there is no single narrative and challenging our preconceptions of an era that has profoundly shaped our nations sense of itself. Hiphop artist Nas discovers a web of his slave ancestors and their intimate relationship with their slave master.
Angela Bassett's Emancipated Ancestors
Angela Bassett follows her ancestors, the Stokes family of Georgia, on their harrowing journey from slavery through the Civil War and into the era of emancipation.
Nas' Enslaved Roots: "A Receipt for a Human Being"
Nas encounters his 3rd Great-Grandmother's Bill of Sale, a devastatingly telling document, and imagines his enslaved ancestors' daily lives.
Valerie Jarrett's Groundbreaking Great-Grandfather
Valerie Jarrett digs into the family history of her legendary Great-Grandfather, MIT's first African-American graduate and an accomplished architect, recruited to help build the prestigious Tuskegee Institute. How did a man born into slavery have the resources to send his son to a private college?
Tom Colicchio's Ideal Family Dinner
An award-winning chef, restaurateur and Top Chef host Tom Colicchio picks Francescantonio Colicchio from his family tree to cook dinner for, and discusses what he would like to cook for him.
Aarón Sánchez's Revolutionary Roots
Chef Aarón Sánchez learns how his great-great-grandfather Rafael, who was once the wealthiest cattle owners in Northern Mexico, fled north to the United States among more than 890,000 Mexicans to avoid the revolution.
Ming Tsai's Ancestral Homeland
When the award-winning chef Ming Tsai's paternal grandparents Stephen Tsai and Lily Li fled the Chinese Communist Revolution, Stephen took a book with him that traces the family genealogy back to the year 891 A.D. Professor Gates' team visited China to try to confirm this oral history of the Tsai family genealogy.
The Melting Pot Promo
Celebrity chefs Tom Colicchio, Aaron Sanchez and Ming Tsai discover family members who have shaped their lives -- and America’s cuisine.
The Jealous Family Freedom Papers
Benjamin Jealous discovers his family's first freed ancestor, a courageous man named Peter Morgan, who -- through hard work and scrupulous saving -- managed to purchase his own freedom in 1859.
Khandi Alexander's Family Tragedy
Khandi Alexander's ambitious Grandfather met a tragic end when he was purposefully burned while working as a distiller at a rosin factory -- what amounted to a workplace lynching.
Ken Burns' Revolutionary War Shocker
Documentary filmmaker and patriotic American Ken Burns discovers an incredibly surprising fact about his Revolutionary War-era ancestors -- they were loyalists, devoted to the Union Jack!
Anna Deavere Smith's Underground Railroad Connection
Actress, playwright, and professor learns of her courageous ancestor, a conductor along the Underground Railroad. With the help of the Finding Your Roots research team, Henry Louis Gates, Jr. was able to relay details about this inspirational hero, a freed slave risked his life to help others on the path to freedom.
Our American Storytellers Promo
Ken Burns, Anderson Cooper and Anna Deavere Smith are three iconic American storytellers who have spent their lives chronicling the lives of others all the while knowing almost nothing about their own family history:
Anderson Cooper's Civil War Era Surprise
TV journalist Anderson Cooper discovers a surprising fact about his Civil War era ancestors, and must reconcile with his family's dark past.
Rebecca Lobo's Immigrant Ancestors
Henry Louis Gates, Jr. uncovers basketball star Rebecca Lobo's ancestral immigration papers, revealing a surprising turn of events in the Lobo family line.
Derek Jeter's Strong Roots
With the support of his diverse extended family, Yankee captain Derek Jeter knew from an early age that all he wanted to be was the shortstop for the New York Yankees.
Billie Jean King's Grandmother's Secret
In this clip from Episode 2, tennis champ Billie Jean King, who knew very little about her beloved grandmother's past, is able to read a family Bible containing a detailed written genealogy.
Born Champions Promo
Three of America's greatest athletes -- Derek Jeter, Billie Jean King and Rebecca Lobo -- whose determination and love of sports were deeply shaped by their families, were all cut off from their true origins.
Stephen King's Progressive Past
Thanks to Professor Gates' research, Stephen King learns an enlightening fact about his Southern ancestors' journey.
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