African American Lives (2006)

Synopsis: Harvard professor and scholar Dr. Henry Louis Gates brings one of his bestselling books to the small screen with the four-part PBS documentary AFRICAN AMERICAN LIVES. Using an innovative blend of historical public records and scientific DNA analysis, Gates traces the genealogies of eight... Harvard professor and scholar Dr. Henry Louis Gates brings one of his bestselling books to the small screen with the four-part PBS documentary AFRICAN AMERICAN LIVES. Using an innovative blend of historical public records and scientific DNA analysis, Gates traces the genealogies of eight prominent African Americans--neurosurgeon Dr. Ben Carson, televangelist Bishop T.D. Jakes, physician-turned-astronaut Dr. Mae Jemison, sociologist Dr. Sara Lawrence-Lightfoot, composer-musician Quincy Jones, actor-comedians Whoopi Goldberg and Chris Tucker, and one-woman media conglomerate Oprah Winfrey--to reveal meaningful truths about the complex tangle of racial identity and shared humanity. [More]