GATES: Yeah. Of course not. All rights reserved. And he mustered in in Winchester, Va., on Christmas Day, 1778, and was mustered down the Continental Army in April of 1784. (These numbers have been updated since this post was written to reflect current market rates.) In the show, notable guests discover their family roots based on genealogical research and DNA results. On July 16, 2009, Harvard University professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. was arrested at his Cambridge, Massachusetts home by local police officer Sgt. This kind of research has been especially important for African-Americans whose ancestors had their names and families taken away when they were enslaved. And they would be published in the newspaper. Kids don't even know what they are anymore, but everybody here does. And the title is Race Is A Social Construction, But Mutations Are Real" (ph). GATES: The Gateses all looked - my father looked white. And we'd have the chess board set up. GATES: Yeah. GROSS: Let's look at your ancestry and see who's really in it. GATES: Yeah, I loved books. Biology matters. So my whole life is really an attempt to honor and please my parents and make them proud of me, you know. And another person to interpret my genetic data because it's 6 billion base pairs, right? Finding Your Roots debuted on PBS on March 25, 2012, and has now been running for nine seasons. Thank you. You've been known to sing on the set of "Finding Your Roots.". Eric Deggans, what does that mean? Family history books can vary widely from one genealogist to the next, but they may resemble chapter- or coffee-table books with sections devoted to your ancestors. The fifth season of "Finding Your Roots" is currently showing on PBS. And one of the, you know, wonderful people on "The View" said did I think that Donald Trump is racist. Dozens of your favorite THIRTEEN and PBS programs are available to watch on-demand on many popular platforms. African-Americans all think that they're a descendant from a Native American. DAVIES: This is FRESH AIR. The controversy centered on an episode about the family history of star Ben Affleck. Why book banning is back in 2022 - Vox . You can find your local PBS station here. Many other genealogists have not worked on Finding Your Roots, but are massively talented and can help you learn more about your family history, similar to the way guests do on the show. 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. It's called the Beer Summit. They could probably find it out themselves. He introduced the notion of signifyin' to represent African and African American literary and musical history as a continuing reflection and reinterpretation of what has come before. DEGGANS: Well, PBS has insisted on some changes. GROSS: Yeah. A report is a little more nitty gritty than a book, sort of like how understanding the mechanics of an engine will help you understand what makes a car run. It's the damnedest thing I ever heard. That indicates that they do them regularly, which is a positive sign. GATES: Our TV - when we woke up, the TV was on, and nobody ever turned it off until you went to sleep. #FindingYourRoots#FindingYourRoots airs Tuesdays. So lets look at some numbers! 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. He is well-known as a literary critic, an editor of literature, and a proponent of black literature and black cultural studies. He loved the news. 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. Testing showed he had ancestors from sub-Saharan Africa, Ireland and England. The conclusions wouldnt exist without research, citations, and analysis, but those structural underpinnings arent emphasized the way that they are in a research report. 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 . To be clear, I don't work for Finding Your Roots; I'm just a professional genealogist who knows people who have worked on the show and I was present for the filming of an episode. ", 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! This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Henry Louis Gates Jr. is a Professor of African and African-American Studies at Harvard University and Director of the W. E. B. But it's just not those two genetic lines. "It was so popular that PBS said, 'nah, you gotta cut white people in on this,'" Gates Jr. laughed. If you are planning to get a family history book in the near future, now is the time to start emailing those distant cousins and rummaging around in your basement looking for pictures. GROSS: Whoa. GATES: Maybe for Christmas, OK, that's fine (laughter). Henry Louis "Skip" Gates, Jr. (born September 16, 1950) is an author, documentary filmmaker, essayist, and literary critic. Now think about that. One episode this season explores Gates' own DNA and family history. "militia" and "Native Guard" which all seem "soldier related" even if inaccurate. GROSS: Yeah. Henry Louis Gates Jr. reveals that he and John Lithgow are DNA cousins. This will enable them to allocate more time towards researching that individual. And that night - and then daddy showed my brother and me, Dr. Paul Gates now, chief of dentistry at Bronx-Lebanon Hospital GATES: Well, it's the spirit of my mother. Gates has apologized for not being more transparent in handling a controversial episode of the series he hosts on PBS, Finding Your Roots. Even the Native Americans came from someplace else about 16,000 years ago. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. is the Alphonse Fletcher University Professor and Director of the Hutchins Center for African & African American Research at Harvard University. GATES: And then there was "The Late Late Show." Thank God. He is a Trustee of the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. But one story not told to most Irish elementary schoolchildren was of Niall's prolificacy. And he'd make a couple - a move. So everybody knew that this whole thing was building to the climax when Delilah - is her name - the character. Off. . (If youre interested in a research report, you can hop over to my guide about how to hire a professional genealogist.). Copyright 2015 NPR. If youd like to get an idea about what its like working with a particular genealogist, read their testimonials or reviews. And the DNA tests we were doing at that time - when they analyzed my Y DNA, it went to Ireland. GROSS: Was that reflected in the way you wanted to say goodbye to your father at the funeral? Henry Louis Gates Jr. (born September 16, 1950) is an American literary critic, professor, historian, and filmmaker, who serves as the Alphonse Fletcher University Professor and Director of the Hutchins Center for African and African American Research at Harvard University. If you don't tell your stories, other people will tell their story about you. TERRY GROSS, BYLINE: Because you've talked to everybody about their genealogy, I want to talk with you about yours and what you've learned about yourself and the larger meaning of what you've learned about yourself. . GROSS: OK. On your mother's side, you found out that you had three men in the family who were freed slaves - freed before 1776. GROSS: And it was reported as if it was a break-in, and a police officer came and arrested you. And deep down, I realized in retrospect that my desire to make films was probably born about that time. PBS says it's now delaying the airing of new episodes until it can improve editorial oversight. 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. And I think that we throw terms like that around too loosely. To put it simply, Henry Louis Gates Jr. is a man who knows his history, and if knowledge is power, he is a powerful man indeed. Africa's Great Civilizations | show | 2017 | Official Trailer. The skill of the genealogist factors into the cost, with less experienced researchers charging less than seasoned professionals. Historian and African American Studies professor Gates Jr. has hosted a number of genealogy shows in the past, but Finding Your Roots on PBS has proved his most popular yet. 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. 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. Two men at the center of the controversy are linked by their Irish heritage. Finding Your Roots airs weekly on Tuesdays on PBS. This is . And she come to - it's the woman who invents box pancake mix - right? Henry Louis Gates, Jr. is the Alphonse Fletcher University Professor and Director of the Hutchins Center for African & African American Research at Harvard University. Henry Louis Gates, (born Sept. 16, 1950, Keyser, W.Va., U.S.), U.S. critic and scholar. CORNISH: Meanwhile, the program "Finding Your Roots," what's been the fallout for the show? GATES: And because it was PBS, we negotiated a deal with this company Illumina which sequences everybody. Surprise photographs dont happen very often with genealogical research because, back in the day, photography wasnt used to identify people in government documents. Jan 18, 2012. A family history book typically displays the conclusions about your family history, without overly emphasizing what went into reaching those conclusions. Join half a million readers enjoying Newsweek's free newsletters, Watch: Ed Norton reacts to slave-owning ancestors in "Finding Your Roots". DAVIES: Henry Louis Gates speaking with Terry Gross in May of last year. And I would watch this beautiful, brilliant goddess. supervising producer (32 episodes, 2014-2023) . In a real book from a genealogist, context like that provided by Mr. Gates on the show would be written down, so that you could read the book yourself without needing an interpreter to explain things. WAYNE, N.J. Henry Louis Gates Sr., 97, formerly a resident of Cumberland and Piedmont, W.Va., died peacefully on Christmas Eve, 2010, in Wayne, at home with his family gathered at his bedside. Gates has been awarded many titles, such as Emmy Award-winning filmmaker, literary scholar, journalist, cultural critic, and institution builder, to name a few. Henry Louis "Skip" Gates Jr. (born September 16, 1950) is an American literary critic, professor, historian, . 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!) Henry Louis Gates Jr. told CBS News that marking Juneteenth as a federal holiday was a long time coming.#cbsnews #juneteenth CBS News Streaming Network is th. "A white man who slept with a black slave. Wrong username or password. Last year, Gates uncovered a manuscript of a novel purportedly written in the 1850s by an African American woman who had been a slave. So obviously rape or, at best, cajoled sexuality was the cause, but there are exceptions. And you realize it's Peola, grown up, coming back. They should also be a member of the Association of Professional Genealogists (APG). In 1970, he received a fellowship from Yale that would allow him to work and travel in Africa. But on the other hand, Terry, there were a lot of people who never forgave the country for electing a black man to the White House. My mother would say, tell them about your brother who's a dentist. I told them that I did not want to know if I had any of the sort of - I don't know - the slam-dunk genes for Alzheimer's disease. And I think that that's sad. They lived together. Some genealogists even offer digital or e-book options! I asked a PBS representative that question many times, and she would only repeat back the language that's from this statement. A family history book is like the entire car. If you have an ancestor that you are particularly interested in, its a good idea to let your genealogist know. 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. 799. 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. And the average African-American has less than 1 percent Native American ancestry, but they have 24 percent European ancestry. JustWatch. Maria Hinojosas Great-Great-Grandfather Was a Railway CEO, Maria Hinojosa Discovers Her Ancestor Founded a City, John Lithgows Family Fled The Dominican Republic. DEGGANS: Yeah, that's true. Related Articles Around the Web. July 28, 2009 -- Henry Louis Gates Jr., the black professor at the center of the racial story involving his arrest outside his Harvard University-owned house, has spoken proudly of his Irish roots. And then when we go - when you were buried, she would stand up. 2. And before I started school - I started school when I was, well, 5, turning 6 - I would get dressed up, and I would go to church with my mom. It would be rather seeing restored the names of their enslaved ancestors." Those same tens of thousands of American who saw the show are also unlikely to distinguish "soldier" from a one who is a member of a "regiment", "troop", "militia" or the "Native Guard". He serves as the Alphonse Fletcher University Professor and Director of the Hutchins Center for African and African American Research at Harvard University. The words Certified Genealogist and its acronym, CG, are registered certification marks of the Board for Certification of Genealogists, used under license by authorized associates following peer-reviewed competency evaluations. For privacy reasons, it is not usually possible to get a sample of an entire book. The Academy looks forward to presenting the award in person, when circumstances allow for a safe and celebratory occasion to honor the imagination and impact of Henry Louis Gates Jr. Update: The Academy presented the award at an in-person event in April 2022 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. So we went - my father showed us that picture and that obituary, and we went home. It is also the name of Irish pubs all over the world. It's a gift - and for my mom. So you're saying I should have been an undertaker. 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). And then it was a property requirement. So everybody who showed up on this continent is from someplace else. January 16, 2018. The headline read " DEATH OF 'AUNT JANE GATES ' ": Last night at 11 o'clock "Aunt Jane Gates," colored, a . 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. And they stayed home, and they read. An error has occured while loading the map. You can learn more about how to spot these and other criteria in Part 2 of my free guide to finding a professional genealogist, linked below. And finally, PBS has a brand as a trusted provider of nonfiction entertainment, so they have to really safeguard that brand by making sure the stuff they present to viewers is accurate. The Henry Louis Gates, Jr. In general, however, a family history book is a bound or digital book with sections devoted to your ancestors. And we're listening to Terry's interview with Henry Louis Gates. As host of the PBS series Finding Your Roots, Gates tells celebrities about their family history. It was just put on the historic GATES: Register in Maryland. On Finding Your Roots, researchers may spend upwards of 100 hours or more on a single guests tree and DNA analysis combined (or so Ive heard). Henry Louis Gate was born on September 16, 1950, in Keyser, W.Va. A team of geneticists at Trinity College led by professor Dan Bradley have discovered that as many as 3 million men worldwide may be descendents of the Irish warlord, who was the Irish "High King" at Tara, the ancient center of Ireland from A.D. 379 to A.D. 405. Or they stayed home, and they listened to or played music. And my father would just make up stories and tell my brother and me. You have to get permission. 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. Gates is one of many famous African-Americans with Irish heritage, including President Barack Obama and award-winning author Alice Walker. He is the Alphonse Fletcher University Professor and Director of the Hutchins Center for African and African American Research at Harvard University. Carlos Figueroa. GATES: Yeah, I was 15 years old. 2023 WNET. We'd spit in a test tube. The Life Summary of Henry Louis. And he, and you, the officer and Joe Biden sat down, had a beer or two. This is FRESH AIR. And you got this from the 1870 census - (reading) that Jane Gates, age 51, female, mulatto, laundress and nurse, owns real estate valued at $1,400; born in Maryland; cannot read or write. You know, and your family was, one of them anyways, was in the Revolutionary War. After more than 500 years of skewed, racist, Euro-centric interpretations of African history and culture, Wonders of the African World with Henry Loius Gates Jr. was to be a bold step towards reclaiming the oft-overlooked and minimized splendor of African civilization. Yeah. African-American - I love to joke about this. Some books have a lot of pictures, while others have zero or very few images. GROSS: But you had family that passed for white. We're all admixed. Henry Louis Gates is married to a white woman. GROSS: Have you been medically DNA tested? GATES: That's true. And under the skin, we are almost identical genetically. But you know what? Some projects take literally years to complete. In my experience, family history books may cost anywhere from $5,000 to over $50,000. And she was a beautiful woman. Elizabeth Shotbolt , Phillip Fordham, Bridget Shelley , Anthony Hungerford. He married Pauline Augusta Coleman. GROSS: So given this kind of really rich mix that you've just described and all the surprises that you've just described, what does race mean to you? 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. And that is the strongest argument for brotherhood, sisterhood and the unity of the human species. DAVIES: This is FRESH AIR. Now you can get a full sequence for less than $5,000 - some people say $1,000 or $2,000. My father loved sports, and I didn't care about sports that much. All that was on still in 1965 in syndication. Watching a list of 26 titles created 26 Jan 2019 The differences perhaps point to different social and cultural histories within the south.". Many thanks! . Black people came here - not willingly, of course. HENRY LOUIS GATES: Well, let's see what we found on your mom's side of the family. After living in Lexington, Mass., following the death of his wife, Mr. Gates had resided for the past several years at the. And there were a lot of people who voted for Donald Trump as a repudiation vote. I've been looking all over Africa and I couldn't find anybody, so I ended up here. GATES: But then they did another special test. I found the first edition when I was an adult. It is the first known work of its kind and has great historical and literary significance. NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. As of 2014, he has written seventeen books and created thirteen . S9 E2 - 52m 11s. I'm here to ask, on behalf of our production staff, if you will be a guest in next season GATES: Of "Finding Your Roots." GROSS: So you assume it was not a consensual relationship, but she managed to own her own home five years after being freed from slavery. in England and in the U.S. is the use of DNA. As I mentioned before, be sure to inquire about digital options, if that is a priority for you. It doesn't exist. So maybe you can help me. The largest single event explicitly tied to race in the way it was covered during the year was the arrest on July 16, 2009 of Gates, who was mistakenly suspected of trying to break in to his own home. I'm Dave Davies, in for Terry Gross. They had kids, and they're buried next to each other. 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 . So PBS started an internal investigation to figure out what happened, and then on Wednesday they issued their findings. 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. Well, that might be related to police excesses and abuses, but it's a far end of the . Who is Henry Louis Gates Jr. married to? And I couldn't imagine what, but two sets of those fourth great-grandparents are from my mother's line. And most DNA companies in the United States will tell you that they have never tested an African-American who is 100 percent from sub-Saharan Africa. And she invents this pancake mix, and they become fabulously wealthy. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. is the Alphonse Fletcher University Professor and Director of the Hutchins Center for African & African American Research at Harvard University. And I learned a lot about the medium. But I saw that photograph and read her obituary on the day that we buried my father's father, Edward St. Lawrence Gates. Armstrong Williams, a person I really admire and like, I ask him, and he said absolutely not. If you dislike a persons writing style, or if you have difficulty understanding what theyre saying, its probably not a good idea to hire them to write a 100-page book for you. *48.6% Sub-Saharan African. He reflects on his own history and some of the more controversial aspects of DNA testing. I'm learning about things I didn't know anything about like Scotland, and the Black Watch, and the Royal Highlanders [a Scottish regiment].". The story of Niall of the Nine Hostages is already the stuff of legend, which has been passed on to countless Irish schoolchildren over the years. We know that BRCA1, BRCA2 - they're genetic. GROSS: I saw his picture in the obituary. So I just wrote an essay that was published by Yale University Press about race. Henry Louis Gates, PBS, . 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