Faces of America

Faces of America is a documentary TV series developed by PBS that follows Henry Louis Gates, Jr., a Harvard scholar, as he uses the most recent updates to genetic testing and genealogy as he explores just what or who makes up America with a look at the family histories of twelve renowned Americans. In a look beyond the initial experiences, Professor Gates hopes to follow the threads of each of these twelve Americans’ lives in the hopes of finding their earliest origins from around the globe. Whether the stories were one of displacement or material success, of assimilation or slavery, each one is still a small piece of the American puzzle. The twelve guests are poet and professor Elizabeth Alexander, chef Mario Batali, comedian Stephen Colbert, novelist Louise Erdrich, journalist Malcolm Gladwell, musician Yo-Yo Ma, Her Majesty Queen Noor, heart surgeon Dr. Mehmet Oz, figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi, director Mike Nichols, and actresses Eva Longoria and Meryl Streep. Faces of America shows just how your past interacts with your future. MORE