Our People Our Traditions

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.

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Our People Our Traditions

Season 2 Episode 7 | 52m 51s | CC

Learn about the ancestors of three celebrated Americans who not only share a Jewish heritage but also history of perseverance. Tony Kushner delves into the history of the Holocaust to discover his ancestors’ fate; Carole King confronts the discrimination her ancestors faced in America; and Alan Dershowitz finds out that the first Hassidic synagogue in Brooklyn played a secret role in WWII.

Finding Your Roots

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Uncover the paternal ancestry of Stephen King, Gloria Reuben and Courtney B. Vance.

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Examine the ancestral origins of athletes Derek Jeter, Billie Jean King and Rebecca Lobo.

Corporate support for Season 11 of FINDING YOUR ROOTS WITH HENRY LOUIS GATES, JR. is provided by Gilead Sciences, Inc., Ancestry® and Johnson & Johnson. Major support is provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Support is also provided by Ford Foundation; Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation; Candace King Weir; by the Inkwell Society together with many of its members; and by public television viewers.

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