
Unveiling Roots
Episode 17 | 7m 7sVideo has Closed Captions
A 25-year-old adoptee’s long-awaited reunion with her birth mother sets off a search for belonging.
Unveiling Roots is a powerful drama inspired by true family events, exploring identity, secrecy, and the unbreakable pull of bloodlines. What begins as an emotional reunion filled with hope and healing quickly unravels into a devastating revelation of lies—leaving Nia and her friend Kennedy speechless.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
WHRO Public Lens is a local public television program presented by WHRO Public Media

Unveiling Roots
Episode 17 | 7m 7sVideo has Closed Captions
Unveiling Roots is a powerful drama inspired by true family events, exploring identity, secrecy, and the unbreakable pull of bloodlines. What begins as an emotional reunion filled with hope and healing quickly unravels into a devastating revelation of lies—leaving Nia and her friend Kennedy speechless.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
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Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorship- Girl, are you really about to order food at a time like this?
Girl, I'm hungry.
Isn't that the whole point of meeting up over food so y'all can talk and eat?
Girl, - You know I'm right.
Hey Dad.
Hey.
Hey.
Where'd you put the remote?
I can't find it anywhere.
- Dad.
You know I'm here with Nia for doing the thing - That girl need to let sleeping dogs live.
What that woman did, I never - Dad.
She's sitting right here.
- Hey Nia.
- Hey Mr.
Williams.
- Alright, - I'm gonna call you later, dad.
- Alright.
Good girl.
- Hey, it's gonna be okay.
I hope so.
What if she don't hurry up?
I'm gonna have to order 'cause your girl is starving like mobbing.
Oh God.
- Nia, Nia.
Hi.
- You look absolutely beautiful.
Everything I knew you would be.
- Hi, I'm Kennedy Mia's best friend.
Hi.
Nice to meet you, Kennedy.
Maybe we should sit, chat it up.
Order some food.
Nia, how you feel about that?
Yeah, that's good.
I'm sorry.
I, I think I'm still a little shocked just that this is happening.
- I feel the same way.
You don't know how it felt getting that call.
I wouldn't miss this for anything in the world.
Well, I know you have que a lot of questions.
- Why?
Why did you give me away?
Dang.
It's - Okay.
Because I was afraid.
Afraid of losing everything.
My family, my husband.
- Your family, your husband.
- My husband was in the military deployed.
He had been gone for two and a half years.
And I was, I just felt so alone with two toddlers all by myself, away from my home with no help.
And I just, I just, I messed up.
- So you cheated on him.
- He would've left me if he knew I had a baby with someone else.
And I, I couldn't risk losing everything I had worked for.
But you could risk losing me.
Nia, please try to understand that this was the hardest decision I ever had to make.
And, and I never stopped thinking about you.
Oh, please.
And praying that one day you would be able to forgive me.
- You prayed that.
I would forgive you.
Do you have any idea how it feels to wake up every day?
Wondering who your parents are, where you get your personality from, your smile, your eyes.
Do you, you strip that away from me.
Look at me.
Do you even know how old I'm Of course - You're 27, 25.
I am so sorry, Nia.
It took me years to forgive myself for what I did to you.
- Oh, I'm still counting.
- Look, I know that words can never replace what I've done, but I promise you if you give me a chance, I will do everything in my power to make this right here.
I kept that even though I wasn't supposed to.
- You kept this.
- That's all I had of you.
And I haven't seen him since.
Since you were born.
But since this is your father.
- You know what?
I am hungry.
I think I do wanna eat something.
Girl.
Now you hungry?
Yes I am.
Why you being weird Kennedy?
- No.
Okay.
Am I missing something?
- Do you know him?
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