Talk to Me: Henry Louis Gates Jr. on Family and Ancestry

"One serious case of Roots envy,” is how Professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. described the reason for his interest in African-American genealogy. Gates, who delivered the Richard Gilder lecture at the New York Historical Society last week, has a distinct advantage over Alex Haley, though. For starters, the professor is armed with modern DNA testing, and a team of historical researchers and genealogists.

In a humorous, wide-ranging talk punctuated by energetic podium thumping, the Harvard historian discussed his own family history, his great-great grandmother Jane Gates (pictured below), and his two successful PBS series, African-American Lives. He also examined what these technologies and techniques mean for the future of historical research and education — as well as how the accessibility of so much more information will affect people's lives.

Henry Louis Gates Jr. is Alphonse Fletcher University Professor and Director of the W.E.B. DuBois Institute of African American History at Harvard University. Gates’s lecture was introduced by Dr. James Basker, head of the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History.

Stream and download the talk here for free.

Bon Mots

On African-American Roots: "Seventy-five percent of our ancestors were here by the day Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence; 80 percent of our ancestors were here by 1800; 99.7 percent of our ancestors were here by 1820 — we’re as American as apple pie.

On Tracing Genetic Ancestry:  “You’re going to find you’re from the great tribe called Ireland.”

On Tribal Origins: "Why do black Americans want to be Zulu? Because the Zulu fought the British in the Boer Wars and kicked their behinds for a long, long time. Everyone wants to be descended from Shaka Zulu, the great chief."