Three African-American guests delve deep into their family trees, discovering unexpected stories that challenge our assumptions about black history. Bryant Gumbel learns that his surname comes from a German Jewish community by way of his second great grandfather — a white man who arrived in America midway through the Civil War. He also learns that on a different line of his father’s family, his second great grandfather was a manumitted slave who signed up for the Confederate army in New Orleans, then changed sides when the Union arrived in his city. Tonya Lewis-Lee, a descendant of free people of color going back centuries on her father’s side, learns about her mother’s unknown heritage, including her third great-grandfather, a slave who fought for the Union only to struggle with poverty later in life. Suzanne Malveaux discovers that her roots include a black slave owner, a French-Canadian fur trader, and a Native American from the Kaskaskia tribe. Along the way, our guests are reminded that there is no universal African American narrative — that there are as many ways to be black as there are black people.
Today’s most compelling personalities discover the surprising stories buried within their own families. Meet 20 fascinating new guests who are game-changers in their fields, with family histories that illustrate the power and diversity of the human experience. The new season premieres Tuesday, January 19, 2021 at 8:00 p.m. ET on PBS (check local listings).
