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Finding Your Roots
A Family of Sharecroppers
Brown University President Ruth Simmons grew up in a family of sharecroppers, a notorious system in which farmers pick cotton and live on someone else's land for a share of the profits. But they had to pay such high charges for rent, they often fell into a cycle of debt.
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Broadway stars Leslie Odom, Jr. and Nathan Lane meet a cast of inspiring ancestors.
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Henry Louis Gates, Jr. helps John Leguizamo and Lena Waithe retrace their ancestral paths.
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