Explore Henry Louis Gates, Jr. Documentaries on PBS

A professor, a historian, an iconic PBS host – Henry Louis Gates, Jr. is a household name whose storytelling has changed our understanding of history, both within the United States and elsewhere in the world. And fortunately for PBS viewers, many of his most acclaimed shows are now available to stream with PBS Passport!

From profound revelations in episodes of Finding Your Roots to thought-provoking conversations in The Black Church: This Is Our Story, This Is Our Song, Henry Louis Gates, Jr. offers PBS audiences a chance to explore the world of history through on pbs.org and the PBS app.

You can also find a full list of his documentaries and series on his filmography page here. 

Finding Your Roots: All Seasons Now Available with PBS Passport

For more than a decade, renowned Harvard scholar Henry Louis Gates, Jr. has helped to expand America’s sense of itself, stimulating a national conversation about identity with humor, wisdom, and compassion. Professor Gates has explored the ancestry of dozens of influential people from diverse backgrounds, taking millions of viewers deep into the past to reveal the connections that bind us all.

Join Henry Louis Gates, Jr. in Season 12 of Finding Your Roots as he traces the family history of new guests, including Kristin Chenoweth, Spike Lee, Darren Criss, and more.

All seasons of Finding Your Roots are available to stream with PBS Passport.

The Black Church: This Is Our Story, This Is Our Song

An intimate four-hour series from Henry Louis Gates, Jr., The Black Church: This Is Our Story, This Is Our Song explores the 400-year-old story of the Black church in America, the changing nature of worship spaces, and the men and women who shepherded them from the pulpit, the choir loft, and church pews.

Viewers of this program may also enjoy Henry Louis Gates, Jr.’s program, Gospel. Discover the trailer here.

The Black Church: This Is Our Story, This Is Our Song is available to stream with PBS Passport.

Reconstruction: America After the Civil War

Reconstruction: America After the Civil War explores the transformative years following the American Civil War, when the nation struggled to rebuild itself in the face of profound loss, massive destruction, and revolutionary social change. The 12 years that composed the post-war Reconstruction era (1865-77) witnessed a seismic shift in the meaning and makeup of our democracy.

Reconstruction: America After the Civil War is available to stream with PBS Passport.

Black America Since MLK: And Still I Rise

In his four-hour series, Black America Since MLK: And Still I Rise, Henry Louis Gates, Jr. embarks on a deeply personal journey through the last fifty years of African American history. Joined by leading scholars, celebrities, and a dynamic cast of people who shaped these years, Gates travels from the victories of the civil rights movement up to today, asking profound questions about the state.

Black America Since MLK: And Still I Rise is available to stream with PBS Passport.

Africa's Great Civilizations

In his six-hour series, Henry Louis Gates, Jr. takes a look at the history of Africa, from the birth of humankind to the dawn of the 20th century. This is a breathtaking and personal journey through two hundred thousand years of history, from the origins, on the African continent, of art, writing, and civilization itself.

Africa’s Great Civilizations is available to stream with PBS Passport.

Interested in learning more about Henry Louis Gates, Jr.’s life and career? Check out his biography page here.