History
Station:
PBS (US)
Status:
Running
Start:
2012-03-25
Rating:
9.5/10 from 2 users
Since the premiere of his groundbreaking series African American Lives through the first season of Finding Your Roots, noted Harvard scholar Henry Louis Gates, Jr. has been helping people discover long-lost relatives hidden for generations within the branches of their family trees. Professor Gates utilizes a team of genealogists to reconstruct the paper trail left behind by our ancestors and the world's leading geneticists to decode our DNA and help us travel thousands of years into the past to discover the origins of our earliest forebears.
Next Episode is 'Love & Basketball' (Season 12 Episode 5) and airs on 03 Feb 2026 19:00 (CDT).
S12E2 - Great Migrations
In this episode of "Finding Your Roots," Henry Louis Gates, Jr. introduces rapper Wiz Khalifa and actor Sanaa Lathan to ancestors who left the American South, boldly breaking racial barriers.
Air Date: 13 Jan 2026 19:00 (CDT)
S12E3 - Caribbean Roots
Henry Louis Gates, Jr. explores the Caribbean heritage of actors Liza Colón-Zayas and Delroy Lindo—meeting women and men who crisscrossed the globe to help their families move forward, often taking enormous risks. Along the way, Delroy and Liza both gain a new understanding of the ancestors—enslaved and free—who laid the groundwork for their success.
Air Date: 20 Jan 2026 19:00 (CDT)
S12E4 - The Road We Took
Henry Louis Gates, Jr. explores the roots of actor Lizzie Caplan and comedian Hasan Minhaj, uncovering ancestors who made brave decisions that forever reshaped their family trees. Moving from shtetls in Eastern Europe to farmlands in northern India to the shores of the United States, Gates introduces his guests to the women and men who overcame enormous hardships to find a better future.
Air Date: 27 Jan 2026 19:00 (CDT)
S12E5 - Love & Basketball
Henry Louis Gates, Jr. maps the family trees of basketball stars Brittney Griner and Chris Paul—uncovering ancestors who had extraordinary talents.
Air Date: 03 Feb 2026 19:00 (CDT)
S12E6 - Westward Bound
Henry Louis Gates, Jr. maps the roots of talk show host Sara Haines and playwright Tracy Letts from the American west to surprising places back east.
Air Date: 10 Feb 2026 19:00 (CDT)
S12E7 - Family Harmonies
Henry Louis Gates, Jr. maps the roots of musicians Lizzo and Flea—traveling across the globe to find stories of the ancestors who inspired their work.
Air Date: 17 Feb 2026 19:00 (CDT)
S12E8 - Artistic Roots
Henry Louis Gates, Jr. maps the roots of director Spike Lee and actor Kristin Chenoweth, meeting ancestors whose creativity built their families.
Air Date: 24 Feb 2026 19:00 (CDT)
S12E9 - Song of the South
Henry Louis Gates, Jr. explores the family secrets of Danielle Deadwyler and Rhiannon Giddens, uncovering stories their ancestors once hid.
Air Date: 07 Apr 2026 19:00 (CDT)
S12E10 - Rags to Riches
Henry Louis Gates, Jr. maps the roots of actor Kate Burton and media mogul Barry Diller, meeting ancestors who made huge sacrifices to escape poverty.
Air Date: 14 Apr 2026 19:00 (CDT)