Finding Oprah´s Roots - Finding Your Own

When Alex Haley published his best-selling novel “Roots” in the mid-1970’s it raised the hopes of many African Americans that one day they too could trace their own roots back to Africa. Today, dramatic developments in genealogical research techniques and breakthroughs in DNA-analysis are making that dream a reality.

In this fascinating and entertaining film, eminent Harvard scholar, Henry Louis Gates, Jr. guides viewers through the process of creating their own family histories, based on the experience of discovering his own ancestors, and those of the TV pioneer, educator and philanthropist, Oprah Winfrey.

Richly illustrated with clips from the popular PBS documentary “Oprah’s Roots: An African American Lives Special”, together with previously unseen footage from the original “African American Lives” series, this film is an indispensable tool for anyone interested in knowing more about their own past, and the past of the African American people.