GROSS: Yeah. Wrong username or password. And I sat down. 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. (SOUNDBITE OF ALLEN TOUSSAINT'S "EGYPTIAN FANTASY"). You might have breast cancer. One thing they dont cover on Finding Your Roots is how much it would cost to get a similar experience in real life. And they stayed home, and they read. You don't get $1,400 by saving your nickels and dimes as a slave, right? 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. People might remember the Beer Summit, when you were stopped in your own home trying to unjam a lock after a long trip. And at this point, I'd run over to my mother and say, Mama, I'll never pass for white, Mama. 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. And when this little girl's passing for - she passes for white and breaks her mother's heart. The show proved so successful, it was continued in various guises before eventually developing into Finding Your Roots. And the DNA tests we were doing at that time - when they analyzed my Y DNA, it went to Ireland. CORNISH: Finally Eric, help me out here. My mother was a seamstress, as you know. So I want to read something that you wrote about her. (SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "FINDING YOUR ROOTS"). 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. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Well talk with Gates about the process of finding . There are similar shows on TV, but the host knows why his is a cut above the rest. They were buried next to each other. Listen 9:01. Well, that might be related to police excesses and abuses, but it's a far end of the . Also, journalist Brian Palmer talks about how slavery and the Civil War are described at Confederate historic sites in the South. So, your real-life family history book might resemble a novel or coffee-table book, rather than a scrapbook like those on the program. Henry Louis Gates is an American literary critic, historian, professor, filmmaker, and public intellectual. (Read Henry . GATES: The Gateses all looked - my father looked white. And you don't have a Y DNA, so that's why you're a woman. said Henry Louis Gates Jr. "Encarta Africana 2000 is a captivating and engaging resource that can educate students of all ages." Within its 3,600 articles, the latest version includes new information and multimedia features that will allow students to learn even more about African culture and history. And on my desk set a red Webster's dictionary. 4 min read. And then he'd - and I read quite a lot. Famed Harvard University Professor Henry Louis 'Skip' Gates Jr. got a major surprise when he started researching his own ancestry - in his . In front of all these people and all these viewers. GATES: He wasn't even out the door, and I moved into his bedroom. So, to summarize, you probably cant hire Henry Louis Gates Jr. himself, but you can get a similar work product from a qualified professional genealogist. This is FRESH AIR. They could probably find it out themselves. GATES: And I gave it to my mother once. GROSS: It has been a great honor to speak with you. And that is a long time. 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. And your driver was helping you - well, he was shoving his shoulder against the door trying to open it. You were 9 years old when you found her picture. Published February 4, 2023 at 1:25 PM AKST. And then it was a property requirement. Related lists from IMDb users. Gates Jr. says since Moore joined the show, she has "changed fundamentally what was possible in terms of doing a person's family tree.". It's the damnedest thing I ever heard. You know, I try to - doing "Finding Your Roots" is a way to paying homage to my mother and father every year. NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. They had kids, and they're buried next to each other. So everybody who showed up on this continent is from someplace else. Students pose with Henry Louis Gates Jr. following Tuesday, Nov. 19's forum. And the average African-American has less than 1 percent Native American ancestry, but they have 24 percent European ancestry. One thing that your real-life book probably will not contain is photographs of your ancestors that youve never seen before. They want to see how that pans out as they do the show. The Life Summary of Henry Louis. GROSS: (Laughter) So I want to change the subject a little bit. "My wife, Marial Iglesias Utset, is a Cuban citizen and a historian of slavery and the slave trade to Cuba," he explained. pic.twitter.com/1fYFMj9eYC. They lived together. For the most part, genealogists compile their findings on your family history into a research report. But one story not told to most Irish elementary schoolchildren was of Niall's prolificacy. GATES: Well, I was on "The View." The fifth season of "Finding Your Roots" is currently showing on PBS. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. Two men at the center of the controversy are linked by their Irish heritage. BEN AFFLECK: That's my grandmother, Liz. "I'm descended from a white man, he says. Finding Your Roots is partnered with the genealogy company Ancestry.com, which recently found in a survey that most people (over 50%) know more about fictional TV families like the Roys in Succession, than they do about their own family history. It was better to be free than be a slave, but you were free but not free. So to me, it leaves open a question of whether or not letting Affleck lobby Gates was the problem or having him actually pressure them and get them to change the material was the problem. GATES: Our TV - when we woke up, the TV was on, and nobody ever turned it off until you went to sleep. Why are they so expensive? Henry Louis Gates Jr. 0:30. It is the first known work of its kind and has great historical and literary significance. We know that BRCA1, BRCA2 - they're genetic. Related Links. The skill of the genealogist factors into the cost, with less experienced researchers charging less than seasoned professionals. GATES: Very close to them, yeah, particularly to my mother. Thank you. PBS has delayed scheduling the show's third season. ", Gates Jr. said he'd originally focused on Black guests as African and African American studies were his "brand as it were.". 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". DEGGANS: Yeah, that's true. I can do it. As I mentioned before, be sure to inquire about digital options, if that is a priority for you. 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. . The new season of Gates' TV series "Finding Your Roots" is now running on PBS. When I was a boy, I was closer to my mother than my father. So you GATES: Because of this white man. But on the other hand, you can't say that biology doesn't matter because it does matter. And that is the lesson of "Finding Your Roots. So everybody knew that this whole thing was building to the climax when Delilah - is her name - the character. Henry Louis Gates, PBS, . Brian Cox's family history in Scotland is investigated by host Henry Louis Gates Jr. on a Season 9 episode of "Finding Your Roots. I am descended from - on my father's side - from a white man who impregnated a black woman and, on my mother's side, from a white woman who was impregnated by a black man. As a mediator between [] I'm going to be black. Finding the right genealogist for your projectmaking sure they are qualified, signing a contract, etccan be a confusing task, even if you have been researching your tree for awhile. Long before he became the comforting presence on TV, Gates Jr. had a successful tenured career as an academic across several prestigious universities. I killed my mama. He is the Alphonse Fletcher University Professor and Director of the Hutchins Center for African and African American Research at Harvard University. I think you know where I'm heading here. Here to talk about the controversy is NPR TV critic, Eric Deggans. "And I go, 'What? So reading this - that she's a mulatto; she'd been a slave - the first question that comes to my mind - and I don't know if it was the first question that came to yours - was, was she raped by the man who owned her? DEGGANS: Well, I'm not really sure. GROSS: OK, for two weeks. "We were able to give him his grandfather's heroism and nobility back, that's just such a great feeling." 1913 June 8, 1913. (These numbers have been updated since this post was written to reflect current market rates.) It was just put on the historic GATES: Register in Maryland. I mean, they know Donald Trump. We'll hear more after a short break. But maybe youre thinking, But Im not here for a research report. Affleck himself posted an apology on Facebook, saying that he'd talked to Gates about these changes, but the process was, quote, "collaborative." Related Articles Around the Web. Biography & Autobiography Rich & Famous Books 1 - 2 of 2 Sort by Publication Date Sort by Title A - Z Sort by Title Z - A Sort by Relevance Sort by Price - Low to High Henry Louis Gates Jr., 72, is a professor, historian and documentary filmmaker. Some books function more like reference books on your ancestors, while others are formatted like short biographies. And the last thing I did before I went to bed on July 2, 1960, was to look up the word estimable. GROSS: Totally stunned. If you don't tell your stories, other people will tell their story about you. Listen 9:01. Gates co-produces and hosts the genealogy show, "Finding Your Roots." Surprise photographs dont happen very often with genealogical research because, back in the day, photography wasnt used to identify people in government documents. There we go. 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. And another person to interpret my genetic data because it's 6 billion base pairs, right? And we know from the analysis of my DNA that goes back to Ireland. Henry Louis Gates Jr. doesn't seem too worried about "critical race theory" or "white fragility" or "woke warriors" or any of those ridiculous buzzwords that get tossed around when . And she and Claudette Colbert are both unmarried mothers. It was during Winfrey's investigation that Gates Jr. discovered the potential of the show's format. GROSS: Was that reflected in the way you wanted to say goodbye to your father at the funeral? He is an American professor, historian, filmmaker, and literary critic. GATES: Terry Gross speechless - first time in 35 years. Accuracy and availability may vary. in Keyser, West Virginia, USA , United States (72 years), This form allows you to report an error or to submit additional information about this family tree: Henry Louis GATES (1950), Biography from Wikipedia (see original) under licence CC BY-SA 3.0. This sounds really obvious, but when youre comparing genealogists, make sure the genealogist offers family history books. 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 a doctor from the Philippines taught me to play chess at West Virginia University Medical Center in Morgantown, W.Va. And he'd come around in rounds. The Henry Louis Gates, Jr. And when they analyzed my mitochondrial DNA, it went to England. And the title is Race Is A Social Construction, But Mutations Are Real" (ph). Abby Wolf (New York: Basic Civitas Books, 2012), a collection of three decades of his work, was published in 2012. And consequently, you are now a member of the Sons of the American Revolution. But then President Obama called you both together. It was really, like, the photograph of her - of your great-great-aunt Jane Gates. 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. I had no idea, no preparation. 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. 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. GATES: I said, thank God. It would be rather seeing restored the names of their enslaved ancestors." GATES: We know he was Irish from my DNA. So PBS started an internal investigation to figure out what happened, and then on Wednesday they issued their findings. And it turned out - my father used to say, you know, your mother's family is really distinguished, too? If youve found this blog post helpful, please consider buying me a coffee to say thanks. And it's for my father. They - but you're absolutely right. So I just wrote an essay that was published by Yale University Press about race. So you're saying I should have been an undertaker. PBS says it's now delaying the airing of new episodes until it can improve editorial oversight. He has chaired Harvard University's department of Afro-American Studies for many years. It comes from slavery. GATES: That's true. GATES: Well, the average African-American GATES: The average African-American is 24 percent European. *48.6% Sub-Saharan African. Be sure to watch Finding Your Roots on PBS on Tuesday nights! All rights reserved. GROSS: Have you been medically DNA tested? It's a lot of data to process. 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). An error has occured while loading the map. edit data. 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. So (laughter) given the example that President Obama set in calming down that kind of argument in America over you and this officer, what do you hear now coming from our president? Henry Louis Gates Jr. reveals that he and John Lithgow are DNA cousins. And the black woman says all she wants is enough money to have a New Orleans-type funeral. And I would watch this beautiful, brilliant goddess. I don't think that's true for very many people in this room or any - or many people who are watching this show. Copyright 2019 NPR. And I couldn't imagine what, but two sets of those fourth great-grandparents are from my mother's line. Published February 4, 2023 at 5:25 PM EST. Or they stayed home, and they drew. John Lithgow and Henry Louis Gates, Jr. are DNA cousins! GATES: Well, I think that you should have the right to - you have to ask someone. GATES: I go, yeah, I got a brother who's a dentist, you know? However, it is perfectly acceptable to ask to view some sample pages or images to give you an idea of what youre getting. 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." Like I said earlier, family history books can vary widely from one genealogist to the next. They had a medical doctor who specializes in sharing this information. You can find your local PBS station here. Without the research, citations, and analysis in the report, conclusions are not possible. 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 . I was more of a bookworm. Gates is one of many famous African-Americans with Irish heritage, including President Barack Obama and award-winning author Alice Walker. He was a free negro, as we would have said then. Family history books are most similar to the Books of Life featured on the show, so Ill be talking about them here. And I have my mother's certificate from this vocational school where she learned to be a seamstress. executive producer (33 episodes, 2012-2023) Deborah Clancy Porfido . Related topic Henry Louis Gates Jr. Related topic. So then I became close to them but in two completely different ways. They want them to hire an additional fact-checker and an independent genealogist to check for accuracy. So obviously rape or, at best, cajoled sexuality was the cause, but there are exceptions. War, Thinking, Civilization. The conclusions wouldnt exist without research, citations, and analysis, but those structural underpinnings arent emphasized the way that they are in a research report. No one's ever asked me that, but the answer's yes because I studied with a person who has been on your show, Wole Soyinka, the Nigerian playwright, when I went to the University of Cambridge. So I'm telling this story over and over of my - of rediscovering my own lost roots. For tips, you can check out my three-part series of blog posts about How to Find a Professional Genealogist. This kind of research has been especially important for African-Americans whose ancestors had their names and families taken away when they were enslaved. Henry Louis Gates Jr. . After Ben Affleck Scandal, PBS Postpones 'Finding Your Roots'. I mean, you're looking at, like, fancy celebrities talk about their backgrounds. After another successful round with African American Lives 2, with Chris Rock, Morgan Freeman, Maya Angelou and more, Gates Jr. was given an instruction by PBS. Where does your nickname Skip come from? You can read more about genealogists specialties in my blog post on the subject. And when I was a young teenager, early adolescence, my father and I connected through the news. Elizabeth Shotbolt , Phillip Fordham, Bridget Shelley , Anthony Hungerford. His expertise and experience eventually led him to TV, where he started working as a contributor, narrator and host of a number of history shows, before he eventually worked on the PBS miniseries African American Lives. Woodson was "keenly aware of the role of politics in the classroom," said Gates . That the emotional apex would not be around them discovering where in Africa their mother's mother's line came from. But this week, Gates's wish came true. And I cluster more toward the Yoruba than any - because 50 percent GATES: Of my ancestry is from sub-Saharan Africa. Gates is the host of the TV genealogy series "Finding Your Roots." GROSS: There's some people who are trying to use genealogy to out people who are white supremacists and say, oh, you think you're so pure white, that that's such a big deal? Many thanks! A research report walks you through the documents found, what those documents say and mean, and the conclusions that the genealogist has drawn about your family. Thank you for being you. Does race exist? ", Everyone Practices Cancel Culture | Opinion, Deplatforming Free Speech is Dangerous | Opinion. 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. Gates accused the arresting officer, who is white, of . Copyright 2015 NPR. S9 E2 - 52m 11s. So maybe you can help me. So where does that come from? Tax ID: 26-2810489. The authoritative record of NPRs programming is the audio record. GATES: Now, we don't do blood anymore, right? It's incredible. References are not super common in this business due to privacy. Hutchins center for African who is henry louis gates related to African American research at Harvard University your great-great-aunt Jane gates book might resemble novel. Contain is photographs of your great-great-aunt Jane gates two sets of those fourth are! 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