Season 12 Premieres Tuesdays, January 6 - April 14, 2026, 8:00 - 9:00 p.m. ET.
Program Release
Bio
Trace the turbulent and contradictory history of New Orleans through the family stories of two men.
Discover the family histories of two African-American politicians from different generations and opposite backgrounds.
Unearth missing links in the family histories of media legend Barbara Walters and educational superstar Geoffrey Canada.
Find out what actors Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick have in common.
Through the histories of clergy of three different faiths, unearth a story about the spiritual foundations of this country.
Delve into the deep American roots and meet Jewish ancestors of Robert Downey, Jr. and Maggie Gyllenhaal.
Learn from what part of Africa the ancestors of Samuel L. Jackson, Condoleezza Rice and Ruth Simmons come.
Catch a glimpse of three distinct yet oddly overlapping experiences of families leaving their homes and becoming American.
Hear the stories of free black ancestors of John Legend, Wanda Sykes, Margarett Cooper and Dr. Gates.
See how the American experience has been shaped by people who were in the New World long before the Mayflower.
Join Gates to uncover the paternal ancestry of Stephen King, Gloria Reuben and Courtney B. Vance.
Sara Serlen, ID
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