Our American Stories explores the dynamic and shifting relationship America had with her new immigrants in the 20th century.

Elizabeth Alexander talks about her father, Clifford Alexander, Jr. and his role in quelling violence after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Elizabeth Alexander talks about her grandfather, Clifford Alexander, Sr. and his emigration from Jamaica to start a new life and raise a family in Harlem.

Elizabeth Alexander and Henry Louis Gates, Jr. discuss what it means to be African American, especially in the context of Alexander's mixed heritage.

Elizabeth Alexander talks about her family's accomplishments, and how they may (or may not) relate to what Henry Louis Gates, Jr. revealed about her ancestry.

Elizabeth Alexander is a poet, professor and current chair of the African American Studies Department at Yale University. A graduate of Yale and Boston University, she holds a Ph.D. in English from the University of Pennsylvania. In 2008, Dr. Alexander was selected to compose and read a poem at the inauguration of President Barack Obama.