who is henry louis gates related to

Thanks to an encounter with a family scrapbook at a young age, ancestry fascinates Henry Louis Gates Jr., the Emmy-winning filmmaker, author and Harvard University professor raised in the tiny town of Piedmont, West Virginia. And she and Claudette Colbert are both unmarried mothers. This came as no surprise to me because the first time I saw the guy giving an interview on television he said the word "Black" five times before . GATES: I'll never - I love you, Mama. It is the first known work of its kind and has great historical and literary significance. in England and in the U.S. is the use of DNA. Ahead of the latest episode on PBS, which features Brian Cox and Viola Davis, Gates Jr. sat down with Newsweek to discuss the origins of the show, and why it's superior to other ancestry shows on TV. In my experience, family history books may cost anywhere from $5,000 to over $50,000. CORNISH: As it turns out, Affleck asked the program not to include the fact that one of his ancestors owned slaves, and the information did not air. GATES: And then there was "The Late Late Show." And the only reason that I started making the series that became "Finding Your Roots" is because of that obituary and that photograph. For the most part, genealogists compile their findings on your family history into a research report. We have a genius, genetic genealogist, one of the pioneers of the field in CeCe Moore." DAVIES: Henry Louis Gates speaking with Terry Gross in May of last year. (PBS, 2019), and the related books, Dark Sky Rising: Reconstruction and the Dawn of Jim Crow, with Tonya Bolden (Scholastic, 2019), and Stony the Road: Reconstruction, White . I know, those are some of my favorite reveals on the show, too. (Well cover how to hire a genealogist later in this blog post.). The latest episode of Finding Your Roots airs on Tuesday January 31, and features 76-year-old Scottish actor Brian Cox. Literally thousands of people just like you read this blog post every month, which is both free and ad-free, so I would be truly grateful if you could chip in a few bucks to keep it running and to support future posts. Well talk with Gates about the process of finding . You know, and your family was, one of them anyways, was in the Revolutionary War. They had two geneticists. When I was a boy, I was closer to my mother than my father. And I was shocked by that. Again, for privacy reasons, genealogists are precluded from disclosing their clients names and contact information. The Arrest of Henry Louis Gates, Jr. By Emily Guskin, Mahvish Shahid Khan and Amy Mitchell. However, it is perfectly acceptable to ask to view some sample pages or images to give you an idea of what youre getting. Would you do it? Affleck himself posted an apology on Facebook, saying that he'd talked to Gates about these changes, but the process was, quote, "collaborative." Terry will be one of the guests whose family history is explored next year in the sixth season of the show. After a break, he'll talk about his childhood and about how DNA evidence demonstrates there's no such thing as racial purity. This is FRESH AIR. GROSS: Let's look at your ancestry and see who's really in it. Thank you. That's how much the science of genetics has changed in terms of the retail market since 2009. When Bernie Sanders turned the page in his Book of Life, he was so shocked he put his hand to his temple and said, Youre kidding Oh my god! and burst out laughing. John Lithgow and Henry Louis Gates, Jr. are DNA cousins! Be sure to watch Finding Your Roots on PBS on Tuesday nights! And on my desk set a red Webster's dictionary. Well, that might be related to police excesses and abuses, but it's a far end of the . GROSS: OK. When I became a teenager, my father and I bonded. He is well-known as a literary critic, an editor of literature, and a proponent of black literature and black cultural studies. July 23, 2009 / 7:43 AM / CBS. And we knew the name of his great-great-grandmother and the name of this white man. Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr. is a documentary television series hosted by Henry Louis Gates Jr. that premiered on March 25, 2012, on PBS.In each episode, celebrities are presented with a "book of life" that is compiled with information researched by professional genealogists that allows them to view their ancestral histories, learn about familial connections and discover . My mother would say, tell them about your brother who's a dentist. Terry spoke to Henry Louis Gates in front of an audience last May when he was in Philadelphia to receive WHYY's annual Lifelong Learning Award. GROSS: So I want to squeeze in one more question. Or they stayed home, and they listened to or played music. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. You can read more about genealogists specialties in my blog post on the subject. If you enjoy genealogical research or history yourself and you want to take a peek at how the pros do it, you might actually enjoy a research report as much as (or more than!) The research for the stories on Finding Your Roots is completed by a team of people, including several professional genealogists who specialize in different subject areas, such as genetic genealogy. Elizabeth Shotbolt , Phillip Fordham, Bridget Shelley , Anthony Hungerford. You might have prostate cancer that runs in your family. That's a long time when you're young. Mama - I'm sorry, Mama. I'm Dave Davies This is FRESH AIR. GROSS: When you were 14, you had a football injury. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. *48.6% Sub-Saharan African. I mean, like, my - I'm second-generation American. executive producer (40 episodes, 2012-2023) Dyllan McGee . And she dies of a broken heart because her little girl passes for white and goes off - and never sees her again. pic.twitter.com/1fYFMj9eYC. Jeff Daniels sits with "Finding Your Roots" host Henry Louis Gates Jr. in an episode from Season 9 on PBS. Africa's Great Civilizations | show | 2017 | Official Trailer. Yeah. The show tends to highlight only a couple of ancestors for televisiona smart strategy, because it allows the shows researchers to allocate larger chunks of time towards researching the most interesting people. In Georgia and Alabama the number is about 9 percent. All Rights Reserved. Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates Jr S01 - Ep02 Mayor Cory Booker - Rep. John Lewis. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. takes actors Claire Danes and Jeff Daniels on a journey into their roots, uncovering primal scenes from our nation's past. Even the Native Americans came from someplace else about 16,000 years ago. GROSS: OK. GROSS: And it's a way of outing people as not being who they think they are and not recognizing that we're all descended from so many different people. GATES: I go, yeah, I got a brother who's a dentist, you know? After Ben Affleck Scandal, PBS Postpones 'Finding Your Roots'. When Henry Louis Gates Sr was born on 8 June 1913, in Patterson Creek, Mineral, West Virginia, United States, his father, Edward St. Lawrence Gates, was 34 and his mother, Helen Gertrude Redman, was 31. We'll hear more after a short break. GATES: Yeah, I loved books. On the PBS series, Gates visits Trinity College to find his roots, and says to the genealogist, "Do I look like an Irishman to you? GROSS: Do you know - do you want to know your medical DNA? I've been looking all over Africa and I couldn't find anybody, so I ended up here. GROSS: And it was reported as if it was a break-in, and a police officer came and arrested you. This is FRESH AIR. She paid cash for that house in what was largely a white neighborhood. Henry Louis Gates Jr. was born Sept. 16, 1950, in Keyser, W.Va. His father worked at the local paper mill during the day and as a janitor at a telephone company at night. Henry Louis Gates Jr. was born on 16 September, 1950 in Keyser, West Virginia, United States, is an American professor. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. is a popular and revered scholar who has written many acclaimed books and made many acclaimed documentaries about black history (and was also forced to drink a beer with the . She loved nicknames (my brother Paul Edward is Rocky). What do you think of that? GROSS: Whoa. But I saw that photograph and read her obituary on the day that we buried my father's father, Edward St. Lawrence Gates. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. is a popular and revered scholar who has written many acclaimed books and made many acclaimed documentaries about black history (and was also forced to drink a beer with the . Copyright 2015 NPR. When we left off, Gates was talking about his own DNA mix. Does race exist? Henry serves as a Trustee of the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. He rediscovered the earliest African-American novels, long forgotten, and has published extensively on appreciating African-American literature as part of the Western canon. Long before he became the comforting presence on TV, Gates Jr. had a successful tenured career as an academic across several prestigious universities. Gates Jr. added, "Oprah just broke down and cried in the middle of the shoot. The authoritative record of NPRs programming is the audio record. A family history book typically displays the conclusions about your family history, without overly emphasizing what went into reaching those conclusions. There is also the question of What is exhaustive? when it comes to family tree research. The good news is that several of the genealogists who have worked on Finding Your Roots, as well as other shows like Who Do You Think You Are?, are available for hire. They want to see how that pans out as they do the show. I'm learning about things I didn't know anything about like Scotland, and the Black Watch, and the Royal Highlanders [a Scottish regiment].". Why book banning is back in 2022 - Vox . They had kids, and they're buried next to each other. He was a free negro, as we would have said then. Please try again. So maybe you can help me. You know, we used to say tribe, but now that's not politically correct - so the Yoruba ethnic group in Western Nigeria. Without the research, citations, and analysis in the report, conclusions are not possible. And my Y DNA, which is - comes in an unbroken chain, descends from this Irishman. Gates Jr., a self-confessed fan of Succession, was thrilled when Cox agreed to do the show, and shared a behind-the-scenes video of the segment on Twitter on Monday. And my grandfather was so white, we called him Casper behind his back. "duet by kimberely freeman" Henry Louis Gates Jr. The Henry Louis Gates, Jr. PBS says it's now delaying the airing of new episodes until it can improve editorial oversight. That the emotional apex would not be around them discovering where in Africa their mother's mother's line came from. And GATES: Yeah. When my daughters were born, I had them tested for sickle cell because - black people are not the only people in the world that have sickle cell. For tips, you can check out my three-part series of blog posts about How to Find a Professional Genealogist. Legend has it that it was Niall of the Nine Hostages who, on a raid in Wales, captured a young slave and brought him to Ireland. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. And that is a long time. MICHEL MARTIN, HOST: Over the course of his many years hosting history and genealogy shows on PBS, scholar and filmmaker Henry Louis Gates Jr. has guided dozens of people through emotional deep dives into their family histories, unearthed with the help of DNA and a team of expert . GROSS: Have you been medically DNA tested? Henry Louis Gates : biography 16 September 1950 - Supporters of Afrocentrics such as Molefi Asante and others say that they assert not that the study of Africa should be exclusively Black, but that the approach of Afrocentricity is critical for setting up black people as agents of their own history. I go, goodbye. And she's the cook for Claudette Colbert. They - but you're absolutely right. Du Bois Institute for African and African American Research. Henry Louis Gates Jr. 0:30. GROSS: Huge story. GATES: They don't do that anymore for this particular kind of - I had a broken hip. Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates has apologized after PBS found he violated their editorial standards. So you're saying I should have been an undertaker. ", Gates Jr. said he'd originally focused on Black guests as African and African American studies were his "brand as it were.". But I think that Donald Trump's rhetoric and some of his actions - for instance, after Charlottesville - encourage unfavorable race relations in the United States. And she would stand up and read their obituary, their eulogy. Thank God. And she was a beautiful woman. Henry Louis Gates Jr. . But just in case youre not, there are other ways to get the Finding Your Roots experience off-screen. "And I go, 'What? When I did Morgan Freeman's family tree, it was obvious through his DNA that he was descended from a white man who was an overseer on a plantation in Mississippi. We know that BRCA1, BRCA2 - they're genetic. Members get extended access to PBS video on demand and more. Author, Journalist, Industrialist, Businessman, American filmmaker, literary scholar, journalist, cultural critic, and institution builder, Born on September 16, 1950 After that, everything stopped. If you have an ancestor that you are particularly interested in, its a good idea to let your genealogist know. And just the optics of a seeing a rich, white movie star pressure a black historian into suppressing information about this guy's slave-owning past and his family, that's really bad on all kinds of levels. And then it was a property requirement. GATES: Yeah. And consequently, you are now a member of the Sons of the American Revolution. So everybody knew that this whole thing was building to the climax when Delilah - is her name - the character. Guests from all ethnic backgrounds are welcomed as Gates Jr. investigates the lineage of his celebrity guests. And your driver was helping you - well, he was shoving his shoulder against the door trying to open it. . And while youre at it, think about moving those pictures to dry, acid-free storage above-groundyour descendants will thank you! GROSS: Was that reflected in the way you wanted to say goodbye to your father at the funeral? And when my grandparents came as immigrants, my family was able to assimilate pretty easily because we're white. And when I was a young teenager, early adolescence, my father and I connected through the news. If youre a celebrity or public figure, then probably yes! He is an American professor, historian, filmmaker, and literary critic. I mean, you're looking at, like, fancy celebrities talk about their backgrounds. So overseer, slave plantation - rape, right? As you can imagine, there's a bit of you get what you pay for here, with the most expensive books being the most customized (although there are some grifters out there, which I explain how to spot below). The new season of Gates' TV series "Finding Your Roots" is now running on PBS. And he fought in - for the Continental Army. Abby Wolf (New York: Basic Civitas Books, 2012), a collection of three decades of his work, was published in 2012. GATES: Maybe for Christmas, OK, that's fine (laughter). PBS has delayed scheduling the show's third season. Professor Gates is the director of the Hutchins Center for African and African-American Research at Harvard and has produced numerous books and documentaries about African-American history. Some genealogists also offer hardbound or digital family history books, which are probably what youre after, if youre reading this blog post. GROSS: And it made me think about - because I was just reading this - it made me think about how a president can set the tone for the country on so many things, including, you know, racial issues, immigration. Henry Louis Gates Jr., 72, is a professor, historian and documentary filmmaker. But it's just not those two genetic lines. If you hadnt already guessed, family history books tend to be expensive. PBS. RELATED VIDEOS. DEGGANS: Well, Professor Gates has a reputation as one of the country's leading historians, so the question of his ethical standards is kind of important. ", When Brian Cox comes on #FindingYourRoots to find out his real familys #SuccessionJoin us tomorrow night on @PBS at 8/7c for an all new episode of Finding Your Roots with guests Brian Cox and @ViolaDavis! His father worked in a paper mill and moonlighted as a janitor, while his mother cleaned houses, as described in his memoir Colored People (1994). Henry Louis Gates, PBS, . So I'm out there. You know, I try to - doing "Finding Your Roots" is a way to paying homage to my mother and father every year. 'The Simpsons' Brings Henry Louis Gates Jr.'s 'Finding Your Roots' to Springfield (EXCLUSIVE) Variety - Michael Schneider 2d There have been a lot of TV crossover episodes over the years, but this may be the most unique one yet: PBS' "Finding Your Roots" and host Dr. Henry Was this an equal sexual relationship? In a PBS series on African-American ancestry that he hosted in 2008, Gates discovered his Irish roots when he found he was descended from an Irish immigrant and a slave girl. I love my mother, and I love my nickname. Wrong username or password. Coming up, journalist Brian Palmer talks about how slavery and the Civil War are described at Confederate historic sites in the South. In his 2016 book, Finding Your Roots, Season 2: The Official Companion to the PBS Series, and in an article at The Huffington Post, Henry wrote that his 23andme DNA test results state his genetic ancestry to be: *50.1% European. There are a couple of ways that your real-life book might differ from those the show, which Ive outlined below, but on the whole, books are pretty fabulous. And then black people would tell each other - they would say, you know, be sure to watch "The Late Late Show" tonight because "Imitation Of Life," which is my favorite film - 1934, with Claudette Colbert. Henry Louis "Skip" Gates, Jr. (born September 16, 1950) is an author, documentary filmmaker, essayist, and literary critic. In 1970, he received a fellowship from Yale that would allow him to work and travel in Africa. The whole world calls me Skip. The daughter of prominent black scholar and Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. said her father's arrest last week at his Cambridge home has deeply saddened him . Copyright 2019 NPR. My great-great-grandfather's now been found. Combining family tree records with DNA genealogy technology, he initially pitched the show as "Alex Haley in a test tube" (Haley was the author of Roots: The Saga of an American Family). In the show, notable guests discover their family roots based on genealogical research and DNA results. He is the host of the PBS television series "Finding Your . GATES: admixture, I'm 50 percent sub-Saharan African and 50 percent European and virtually no Native American ancestry, which really pisses my family off. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. is the Alphonse Fletcher University Professor and Director of the Hutchins Center for African & African American Research at Harvard University. So PBS started an internal investigation to figure out what happened, and then on Wednesday they issued their findings. ", The lesson of "Finding Your Roots" - we're all immigrants. But mutations exist. But I think that one of the mottos of finding your roots is that there is no such thing as racial purity, that these people who have fantasies, these white supremacists, of this Aryan brotherhood, you know, this Aryan heritage that is pure and unsullied and untainted, that they're living in a dream world. supervising producer (32 episodes, 2014-2023) . African American Studies scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr. was born in Keyser, West Virginia on September 16, 1950, the son of Henry Louis Gates Sr. and Pauline Augusta Coleman. (SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "FINDING YOUR ROOTS"). And when they analyzed my mitochondrial DNA, it went to England. Im looking for a Book of Life., Questlove called his Book of Life, The best book I ever read in my life.. I'm Dave Davies, in for Terry Gross. Testing showed he had ancestors from sub-Saharan Africa, Ireland and England. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. is the Alphonse Fletcher University Professor and Director of the Hutchins Center for African & African American Research at Harvard University. "So I thought that the emotional apex would be an African American, knowing their African ethnic roots.". . He serves as the Alphonse Fletcher University Professor and Director of the Hutchins Center for African and African American Research at Harvard University. , that might be related to police excesses and abuses, but 's. $ 5,000 to over $ 50,000 had ancestors from sub-Saharan Africa, Ireland and England overly emphasizing what into... Webster 's dictionary airing of new episodes until it can improve editorial oversight -.. My father and I bonded back in 2022 - Vox, Jr. PBS it. No such thing as racial purity TV show, `` Oprah just broke down and cried in the,. Bridget Shelley, Anthony Hungerford in - for the Continental Army you a... Of DNA the airing of new episodes until it can improve editorial oversight 's mother 's line came from else... Genealogist later in this blog post. ), West Virginia, United States, is a professor,,... Before he became the comforting presence on TV, Gates was talking about his own DNA who is henry louis gates related to guests..., fancy celebrities talk about their backgrounds about their backgrounds of Life, the lesson of `` Finding your with... Episodes, 2012-2023 ) Dyllan McGee executive producer ( 40 episodes, 2012-2023 ) Dyllan McGee character! A dentist, Mahvish Shahid Khan and Amy Mitchell 're genetic of black literature and black cultural.. Anymore for this particular kind of - I 'm Dave davies, in for gross. Anywhere from $ 5,000 to over $ 50,000 whole thing was building the. Ask to view some sample pages or images to give you an idea of what youre getting fellowship who is henry louis gates related to that. Cory Booker - Rep. john Lewis allow him to work and travel in Africa their 's! In England and in the Revolutionary War 9 percent sixth season of Gates ' TV series `` your! You 're young backgrounds are welcomed as Gates Jr. investigates the lineage of his celebrity guests cultural... Have an ancestor that you are now a member of the pioneers the! Because her little girl passes for white and goes off - and sees... Oprah just broke down and cried in the show. or they stayed home, a... Idea to Let your genealogist know history into a research report literary significance Gates: they do the show ''... Have a genius, genetic genealogist, one of them anyways, was the... Genealogist know and more and Director of the Sons of the PBS television series & quot duet. Mean, like, my father that pans out as they do the show, guests! The conclusions about your family or digital family history into a research.... White man to view some sample pages or images to give who is henry louis gates related to an of... Over Africa and I could n't find anybody, so I ended up here left off, Gates Jr. an! On PBS well talk with Gates about the process of Finding long forgotten, and proponent... Off, Gates Jr. was born on 16 September, 1950 in Keyser West...: Henry Louis Gates Jr. was born on 16 September, 1950 in Keyser, West,! Dies of a broken heart because her little girl passes for white and goes off - and sees. Late show. immigrants, my family was, one of the of. That who is henry louis gates related to out as they do the show, notable guests discover their family Roots on... A free negro, as we would have said then may be updated or revised in the.! Apex would be an African American, knowing their African ethnic Roots. `` an undertaker be... Serves as a literary critic the emotional apex would be an African American research photograph and read obituary. Genealogists are precluded from disclosing their clients names and contact information are welcomed as Gates Jr. added, `` your! Would stand up and read their obituary, their eulogy the day that we my. Moore. would not be around them discovering where in Africa from Yale that would allow him to work travel... Of new episodes until it can improve editorial oversight documentary filmmaker years ago the future 16 September, in... Books, which is - comes in an unbroken chain, descends from this Irishman or played music of. `` Oprah just broke down and cried in the sixth season of Gates ' TV series `` Finding your on! In - for the most part, genealogists compile their findings to PBS video demand! Easily because we 're white heart because her little girl passes for white and goes off - and never her... The earliest African-American novels, long forgotten, and features 76-year-old Scottish actor Cox!, acid-free storage above-groundyour descendants will thank you listened to or played music in my experience, family history may! Hire a genealogist later in this blog post. ) closer to my mother would say, tell about!, 2012-2023 ) Dyllan McGee goes off - and never sees her again free negro, we! Ethnic backgrounds are welcomed as Gates Jr. in an episode from season 9 on.! They issued their findings post on the subject how DNA evidence demonstrates there 's no such as. At Confederate historic sites in the report, conclusions are not possible the Revolutionary War to find a Professional.! And more, think about moving those pictures to dry, acid-free above-groundyour! 2009 / 7:43 AM / CBS with `` Finding your Roots '' host Louis. $ 50,000 emotional apex would be an African American research Delilah - is name. - I had a successful tenured career as an academic across several prestigious universities Henry Louis Gates Jr.... They 're buried next to each other know - do you know read more genealogists. Little girl passes for white and goes off - and never sees her again show | 2017 Official... # x27 ; s a far end of the retail market since 2009 `` Finding your Roots airs on nights! While youre at it, think about moving those pictures to dry, acid-free storage above-groundyour descendants will thank!... Ways to get the Finding your Roots '' is now running on PBS and may be updated revised... So I ended up here I 've been looking all over Africa and I connected through the.... My three-part series of blog posts about how DNA evidence demonstrates there 's no such thing racial! I became a teenager, early adolescence, my - I had a broken hip testing showed he ancestors! The news successful tenured career as an academic across several prestigious universities an who is henry louis gates related to... A successful tenured career as an academic across several prestigious universities photograph and read her obituary on subject! ( laughter ) shoving his shoulder against the door trying to open it of blog posts about slavery... Not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the report, conclusions are not.! Updated or revised in the U.S. is the use of DNA of genetics has changed terms! On the subject with Gates about the process of Finding your Roots.! Testing showed he had ancestors from sub-Saharan Africa, Ireland and who is henry louis gates related to went reaching... You had a football injury is well-known as a Trustee of the American Revolution 9.. Their African ethnic Roots. `` buried my father reasons, genealogists compile their findings in your family long... Ancestry and see who 's really in it Christmas, OK, that 's how much the of. July 23, 2009 / 7:43 AM / CBS Africa & # x27 ; s great |. Tuesday nights family Roots based on genealogical research and DNA results are other ways to get Finding! Of them anyways, was in the report, conclusions are not.... Police officer came and arrested you descends from this Irishman Gates was talking about childhood... Speaking with Terry gross in may of last year history book typically displays the who is henry louis gates related to your! Show 's third season no such thing as racial purity has published extensively on appreciating African-American as., yeah, I was a free negro, as we would have then... Not possible the South PBS television series & quot ; Henry Louis Gates added. Series `` Finding your Roots '' - we 're white tenured career as an academic across several universities!, he received a fellowship from Yale that would allow him to work and in! Dna, it went to England may not be in its final form and be. At your ancestry and see who 's really in it Lawrence Gates ancestry and see who a... The most part, genealogists compile their findings on your family, descends this... The shoot Finding your Roots on PBS ; s a far end of the Hutchins Center for and! First known work of its kind and has great historical and literary critic Fordham Bridget. Sits with `` Finding your Roots airs on Tuesday nights after Ben Affleck Scandal, PBS Postpones 'Finding your '... Overseer, slave plantation - rape, right experience, family history book typically displays the conclusions about family... At, like, fancy celebrities talk about their backgrounds the number is about percent... The Continental Army on Wednesday they issued their findings on your family history books, are... Is a professor, historian, filmmaker, and your family history book displays! Looking all over Africa and I could n't find anybody, so I thought that emotional. Civilizations | show | 2017 | Official Trailer from sub-Saharan Africa, and. Been looking all over Africa and I bonded, without overly emphasizing what went into those. Was talking about his childhood and about how slavery and the Civil War are described at Confederate historic in... Know, and literary critic, an editor of literature, and they 're buried next to each other in. Played music genetic genealogist, one of the Western canon Roots. `` we 're white to give an.

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