Ep 10. All in the Family

In season 5 episode 10 of Finding Your Roots, titled All in the Family, host Henry Louis Gates Jr. delves into the ancestral histories of three notable guests: actress and activist Angela Bassett, comedian and talk show host Jimmy Kimmel, and radio personality and journalist RuPaul Charles.

Through genealogical research, Gates uncovers surprising and emotional stories of the family histories of each guest, revealing the impact of their ancestry on their personal and professional lives.

Bassett learns about her enslaved ancestors who fought against their enslavement and formed a community in Alabama after emancipation. She also discovers a link to the Harlem Renaissance and a prominent African American painter.

For Kimmel, Gates uncovers a family history riddled with tragedy, including an untimely death and a mysterious disappearance. Kimmel also learns about his immigrant ancestors and their struggles to assimilate into American society.

RuPaul, meanwhile, learns about an ancestor who lived through the Civil War and the abolition of slavery, as well as a great-grandfather who was a prominent member of a Native American tribe.

Throughout the episode, Gates makes connections between the guests' ancestral stories and their present-day identities and experiences, demonstrating how the past can inform and enrich our understanding of the present.

All in the Family is a moving and thought-provoking episode that showcases the emotional power of genealogical research and the importance of understanding our ancestral histories.