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Finding Your Roots
Rising From the Ashes
Season 9
Episode 5
Henry Louis Gates traces the roots of actors Brian Cox and Viola Davis—two people who overcame traumatic childhoods, revealing that they aren’t the first in their families to face enormous odds. From workhouses in Scotland to slave plantations in South Carolina, long-lost records reveal the stories of ancestors who laid the groundwork for Brian and Viola’s success by fighting so hard to survive.
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52:20
Retracing the ancestral journeys of David Chang and Raúl Esparza.
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52:09
The family history of Brittany Packnett Cunningham & Anita Hill.
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52:09
Henry Louis Gates, Jr. investigates the family history of Rebecca Hall & Lee Daniels
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52:10
Henry Louis Gates, Jr. discovers the lineages of Gretchen Carlson and Don Lemon.
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52:20
DNA analysis challenges guests’ ideas about their family’s history and their identities.
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52:51
Trace the histories of Tina Fey, David Sedaris and George Stephanopoulos.
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52:20
Explore the British influence in the lives of Deepak Chopra, Sally Field and Sting.
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52:51
Examine the Jewish heritage of Alan Dershowitz, Carole King and Tony Kushner.
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53:01
Trace the roots of Nas, Angela Bassett and Valerie Jarrett into the heart of slavery.
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52:40
Three chefs cook the food of their ancestors.
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53:01
Learn about the lives of the forebears of Ken Burns, Anderson Cooper & Anna Deavere Smith.
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53:11
Examine the ancestral origins of athletes Derek Jeter, Billie Jean King and Rebecca Lobo.