Fathers and Sons
Henry Louis Gates, Jr. meets actors LeVar Burton and Wes Studi—two men who grew up without their fathers, haunted by questions about entire branches of their family trees. With only a handful of clues to guide him, Gates uncovers stories his guests have long wanted to hear, introducing them to ancestors whose names they’ve never known-—and revealing their connections to key moments in history.
Previews + Extras
Fathers and Sons Preview
S10 E3 - 30s
Henry Louis Gates, Jr. meets actors LeVar Burton and Wes Studi — two men who grew up without their fathers, haunted by questions about their family trees.
How Wes Studi Got Into Theater
S10 E3 - 1m 22s
Actor Wes Studi's friend Jay WhiteCrow recommended the American Indian Theater Company in Tulsa to help him navigate meeting new people after his divorce.
Levar Burton's Emotional Connection to His Ancestors
S10 E3 - 4m 57s
LeVar Burton is overcome with emotion when when he reads the 1940 census for Arkansas that reveals that he and his father's ancestors share something truly profound.
Levar Burton Reflects Proudly on "Reading Rainbow"
S10 E3 - 1m 4s
When asked, by Henry Louis Gates, Jr., "What are you proudest of?", Levar Burton replied, "...It's gotta be Reading Rainbow... Believing so much in the power of education, as we do in my family, and having an impact on the reading habits of a couple of generations of human beings, It doesn't get any better than that."
Wes Studi's Discovers His Connection to the Trail of Tears
S10 E3 - 7m 34s
Wes hears the story of his how his ancestor journeyed on the Trail of Tears, which was a forced displacement of about 60,000 Native Americans, including Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Creek, and Seminole tribes, from their homelands to Indian Territory (present-day Oklahoma) in the 1830s.
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