Faces of America is a four-part series in which Harvard scholar Henry Louis Gates, Jr. uses genealogy and genetics to explore the family histories of 12 renowned Americans in an effort to understand what made the United States the place it is today.
The list of participants includes:
- Elizabeth Alexander, professor and poet
- Mario Batali, chef
- Stephen Colbert, comedian
- Louise Erdrich, novelist
- Malcolm Gladwell, journalist
- Eva Longoria, actress
- Yo-Yo Ma, musician
- Mike Nichols, director
- Her Majesty Queen Noor
- Dr. Mehmet Oz, television host/heart surgeon
- Meryl Streep, actress
- Kristi Yamaguchi, figure skater
Sneak peaks of each participant’s unique story are available on the Faces of America page at pbs.org.
All four episodes promise to be very interesting. If you’re a fan of 23andMe, be sure to catch the episode featuring genetic ancestry analysis by our scientists on March 3. Each participant was offered the same maternal and paternal ancestry and global origins information we give every Complete and Ancestry Edition customer. And now that Relative Finder has had its official launch, these famous Americans can also use their DNA to connect with living cousins from all around the world.
Faces of America with Henry Louis Gates, Jr. premieres nationally Wednesdays, February 10 — March 3, 2010 from 8-9 p.m. ET on PBS. Check your local listings here. The first full-length episode will be available online on Thursday, February 11.