logo
episode-header-image
Feb 2023
1h 17m

Henry Louis Gates Jr. on 'Finding Your R...

The Ringer
About this episode

Larry is joined by professor, historian, and host of the PBS series 'Finding Your Roots' Henry Louis Gates Jr. They begin their conversation by discussing how Henry's upbringing and the parental influence fueled his passion for storytelling and education. Henry then details how the show and the accompanying DNA technology have evolved over the years from exclusively connecting African-Americans to their pre-slavery tribal roots to the highly revered service it is today that helps people from races and regions all over the world connect to their family trees (13:43). Dr. Gates then shares anecdotes about some of his favorite guests and moments from past episodes of 'Finding Your Roots', including Oprah Winfrey, Angela Davis, and Morgan Freeman (25:13). Larry and Henry end the podcast by talking about the show's ability to consistently uncover deep family secrets, Gates's upcoming appearance on 'The Simpsons', and how listeners can explore their own genealogies (52:55).

Host: Larry Wilmore

Guest: Henry Louis Gates Jr.

Associate Producer: Chris Sutton

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Up next
Jul 5
Elizabeth Wagmeister on the Diddy Trial
Larry is joined by reporter and journalist Elizabeth Wagmeister to talk about her experiences covering the Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs federal criminal case for CNN. They begin their conversation by shining a light on the atmosphere both inside and outside the courtroom, and detailing the ... Show More
54m 30s
Jun 21
Alex Thompson on ‘Original Sin: President Biden’s Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again’
Larry is joined by journalist Alex Thompson from Axios to discuss the new book he coauthored with CNN’s Jake Tapper, ‘Original Sin: President Biden’s Decline, It’s Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again.’ They begin their conversation by analyzing the personal history b ... Show More
1h 3m
Jun 7
Joy Reid on 'The Joy Reid Show'
Larry is joined by author, television host, and political commentator Joy Reid to discuss her new podcast, The Joy Reid Show. They begin their conversation by talking about why Joy left MSNBC and examining the state of cable news in modern culture. This leads to an analysis of th ... Show More
56m 26s
Recommended Episodes
Jul 2018
From the Archives: Henry Louis Gates, Jr. - November 30, 2017
Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr., discusses his PBS series "Finding Your Roots," which explores the diverse ancestral backgrounds of celebrities such as Questlove and Ava DuVernay.  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for ... Show More
6m 50s
Oct 2022
Episode 1376 - Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
Henry Louis Gates, Jr. believes we must understand who we were in order to understand who we are. That goes for individuals, which is at the core of his PBS series Finding Your Roots, as well as society, which is the reason he made the new documentary series Making Black America. ... Show More
1h 24m
Jun 2023
Louis Theroux
Louis Theroux tells stories about what it is to be human. His unique documentaries explore the darker corners of the human condition, from cults and porn to eating disorders and dementia. After being given a break on Michael Moore’s TV Nation in America, Louis began his long care ... Show More
1h 5m
Sep 2020
3. Kerwin Charles: “One Does Not Know Where an Insight Will Come From”
The dean of Yale’s School of Management grew up in a small village in Guyana. During his unlikely journey, he has researched video-gaming habits, communicable disease, and why so many African-Americans haven’t had the kind of success he’s had. Steve Levitt talks to Charles about ... Show More
39m 29s
Sep 2020
“One Does Not Know Where an Insight Will Come From” | People I (Mostly) Admire: Kerwin Charles
The dean of Yale’s School of Management grew up in a small village in Guyana. During his unlikely journey, he has researched video-gaming habits, communicable disease, and why so many African-Americans haven’t had the kind of success he’s had. Steve Levitt talks to Charles about ... Show More
39m 29s
Apr 2020
Welcome to Grounded with Louis Theroux
Like everyone else, Louis is at home but he’s using the lockdown to track down some high-profile people he’s been longing to talk to – they’re from all walks of life and on both sides of the Atlantic.Twenty years since his acclaimed When Louis Met... series began, this is Louis’s ... Show More
2m 25s
Jul 2021
EP37: Allegory-Beauty from Ashes, Tale of the Texas, and No More Red-light Tickets
On this episode of the Our American Stories podcast, Chad Schumacher, tells the story of when a family health scare turned their life upside-down and shaped his and his wife's career for the next decade; also, Jackson McQigg of the Atlanta History Center tells the story of the pr ... Show More
56m 22s
Aug 2021
EP57: Nanny's Hands, Goo Goo Cluster, the Cursing Parrot and Stephen Ross
On this episode of Our American Stories, Dennis Peterson shares the story of his maternal grandmother's hands which revealed a lot about her; Laurie Spradley, the owner of Goo Goo Cluster, tells the story of how her family's company came to be; the story of president Andrew Jacks ... Show More
38m 17s