Henry Louis Gates Jr. on 'Finding Your Roots'

Larry is joined by professor, historian, and host of the PBS series 'Finding Your Roots' Henry Louis Gates Jr. They begin their conversation by discussing how Henry's upbringing and the parental influence fueled his passion for storytelling and education. Henry then details how the show and the accompanying DNA technology have evolved over the years from exclusively connecting African-Americans to their pre-slavery tribal roots to the highly revered service it is today that helps people from races and regions all over the world connect to their family trees (13:43). Dr. Gates then shares anecdotes about some of his favorite guests and moments from past episodes of 'Finding Your Roots', including Oprah Winfrey, Angela Davis, and Morgan Freeman (25:13). Larry and Henry end the podcast by talking about the show's ability to consistently uncover deep family secrets, Gates's upcoming appearance on 'The Simpsons', and how listeners can explore their own genealogies (52:55). Host: Larry Wilmore Guest: Henry Louis Gates Jr. Associate Producer: Chris Sutton Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Om Podcasten

Emmy Award—winning producer, actor, and comedian Larry Wilmore is back on the air, hosting a podcast where he weighs in on the issues of the week and interviews guests in the worlds of politics, entertainment, culture, sports, and beyond.