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when he said, “those are my eyes.” my heart literally crumbled. im so happy he was able to get a photo since many african americans today are not able to. and that’s why i wish non black people would understand the pain and grieving that goes into something like this when looking into your history. im so happy for him.
Totally totally true, although honestly many ppl of many backgrounds probably don't have pictures of their third great grandparents, which only makes questlove even luckier. It's such a beautiful thing to see an ancestor
Why do African Americans act as if their history begins with Trans Atlantic Slavery? Why not look at where you really are from before it happened, and that history and culture before it was robbed and stolen. There lays the real treasure, gems, and heritage, and culture. Slavery was an interruption to the history, not the story, why always focus on the one-page interruption instead of the whole book? His family history is not the story of slaves. That's one paragraph in a whole book so why stop and start there? A DNA test will tell you exactly the answers, and the place it says you are from is your real culture, story, roots, and identity, and this applies to Caribean people too.
Don't start your Ancestry from America, start from your DNA tracing back to your original country and tribe in Africa. The country it proves you were from, is your history and culture and ancestors and take it from there by visiting the place. Why start the story from where your name, your religion, your language, your dress, your food, and your clothes were already forced to change and stolen? Don't read the Times read the Eternities.
We see exactly what you mean, Eleah! It really is uncanny. Finding a photo of our ancestors can be that rarest of finds but so rewarding when possible. Thanks for dropping by to share your thoughts.❤️
they used to be longer years ago showed on public access channel and they would find several relatives sometimes on both sides family go deeper into research but few years back think was ben affleck and some celebrities complained showing what they didn't want shown ancestors involved in slavery after that it was shut down for a while kinda changed will show 2-3 celebrities and they kinda now tell them what they wanta hear and a certain narrative to create response the first few seasons were the best really indepth into history. You can find some of the first season think on Amazon Prime. higher seasons you got to pay.
I've been researching my family for 20 years, the hard way. As my parents lives were growing nigh I dove in and after years, I finally got a picture of my Great Grandfather. I have none of my other Great Grandparents much less 3x Greatgrandparents, but I am still looking. If you can find local organizations, churches where they lived, they sometimes have pictures of your ancestor. They may not know who that person was, but the pictures can be there. Beware though, sometimes the pics shock you. Genes skip around sometimes. Through researching, I have found personality traits in family members that must have been passed down. Preordained to do certain things.
“I didn’t know who I was.” There are so many of us that descendants of slaves that can relate that comment. So powerful. I started crying because that sums up how I always felt.
That's amazing. Genetics, man. His eyes, the set of his eyebrows and the set of his mouth. I've watched QuestLove for years on TV and have seen how he screws up his lips with certain expressions... it looks just like his 3rd great grandfather. What a power feeling that had to be. What a gift to have and see this. I love this show.
When he said “I was on the last boat from Africa” it hit me how personal some of these clips are and how meaningful this information is to African Americans. I’m so glad he was able to get this.
@@vinceoh7310being poor is irrelevant, and he doesn't look it by the time of that photo. Many documents tarnish or were destroyed during and after the reconstruction era. Things get lost in moves and when establishments close down.
Man us 🙍🏾♂️🙍🏿♂️ Indigenous people been in the Americas. Those $5 Indians you see on TV, Mongolians, aren't the Natives. Copper skin. One of those slave ships was called Jesus. Wake Up y'all, they are lying❗❗❗
Cudjoe (Oluale Kossola) Lewis was also on the Clotilda. He survived and lived in Africatown, too. He was interviewed by Zora Neale Hurston for the book Barracoon: The Story of the Last "Black Cargo," which wasn't published until 2018. Kossola talks about his life in Africa and America in those interviews. This means Questlove's 3rd great-grandfather Charlie Lewis (notice the same last name?) and Kossula were on the same boat and probably knew each other!!
I know how he feels. Without a DNA test I would never have known who my ancestors were, not even my birth parents. When I first saw a photo of my birth father, taken when he was probably about age 60, I just sat and looked at it for about 30 minutes. never before in my 70 years had I seen anybody that I look like. It is still emotional to me to even think about that moment.
I found a photo of my paternal third great grandfather. He looks so much like me and my father, biggest change is he’s about a foot shorter and vastly skinnier.
makes me feel lucky to be french canadian. our french ancestors all came in a fairly limited amount of time (~120 years) and records of births and marriages were well kept, so it's pretty easy to go back to the 17th century if you know a minimum about your ancestors. most of the information i found about mine was actually on the internet. that said, going back to france, i hit a wall pretty much everywhere after at most two or three generations, so i can't go further than the early 16th century.
@@tryphenasparks no baby like she said not many AFRICAN AMERICANS HAVE THIS . We’re your ancestors forced to leave their continent and obliterate every trace of culture and tradition you ever had . You tried it .
@@raqlionchaser right we can’t have nothing it always has to include them . They have this victim perception like girl shut up we said African Americans
My 4th great grandmother I found on the 1900 census and she was 83 years old. She was the ONLY person on that census whose parents were listed as being born in Africa. When I found that I immediately thought of this clip. Oh I just cried and cried
Thanks for sharing this, we can imagine how emotional this discovery must have been for you. We hope that you enjoyed the clip. We wish you good luck on your continued research, take care!
I know how he feels, after 35 yrs of looking I did an ancestry DNA test and found my father and that he is Maori, I was bought up to believe that I was white.
@@TheDankFarmer I do believe you missed the point they were making: *their lineage wasn’t told as truth and those closet lied to Pagan Moon whether intentional or unintentional. It complicates things and brings confusion + pain.* No ones stating anything is wrong with being white.
The experience He had been raised white and living as a white person It was nothing new in the United States. You probably have hundreds of thousands of white Americans with African DNA like you have those of African dissent passing as white even some of them who never tried to pass but did because Peopler thought they were white.. I can’t recall the name of a well-known female comedian who was up in age I believe she was in her 90s when her story became public. She was an American of African dissent who hadn’t excepted as being white just about all of her life. I believe she even had her own television program. When asked about her history and why had she passed for white all of these years. Her answer was she never pass for White as she was never asked her race .
@@earlrogersjr3026 yes Carol Channing is technically bi-racial as her dad has an African American mom and a German dad. Like most things here in the US most will identify you based on skin color and “assign” your race. As she said know one ever asked her about it , likely because she didn’t look biracial.
@@Lainey_Shelley Is the race classification still a thing in the birth certificates and such in America? I'm born and raised in the Philippines, so my ancestry probably never left the country. So I recently looked through my immediate family's birth certificates, and found that my grandparents' birth certificates (born around WW2) have the race classification in it, which are filled in with "brown". But the classification was, thankfully, omitted right around my parents' birth certificates ('70s).
My eyes got watery he really looked in the mirror with that photo and saw himself in his ancestor. Remarkable ... africa town is such an important part of history as well
There's certainly a resemblance! It can be so rewarding to find photos of your ancestors and see the similarities they have to you, as well as your family members. Thanks so much for watching!
i'm a 51 year old white man born in Kentucky, moved all around the world via the military. I have no idea who my family is beyond my fathers parents and my mothers parents. This would be awesome for anyone to learn.
Amazing resemblance. I came across a letter which led me to a book which was a complete history of my family dating back to the 11th century. Miracles do happen
Well said, Stacy! There's something so special at being able to see the features shared with our ancestors. It can be truly rewarding to uncover photos and drawings or paintings when researching your family history. We hope you enjoyed the clip!
@@AncestryUS HI, how can I find out who I am. My birth certificate has 4 different names on it and the name that I use is on the parent signature line. Supposedly, my mother who raised me from age 7 1/2, name is nowhere on the birth certificate at all. I accepted the explanation as to why her name wasn't on the certificate but circumstances has led me to get clarity, I'm 59. Can you give any suggestions?
@@AncestryUS I cried when I watched this video. What's sad is how this bit of history was tried to be covered up in the 1970's. When the city planners wanted to put in a connector for I-65 . Mobile has such a rich cultural history. Prichard, Trinity Gardens, and many other communities.
Thanks, Sasha. We agree. It was pretty amazing to see the resemblance. It was very touching. We're happy to forward your suggestion to the appropriate department.
I come back to this video every so often 🥰 it reminds me of the time I was able to give a foster kid a picture of his mother who he didn’t remember and reunite him with his mother’s side before he was adopted. The little boy had the same reaction. It was the eyes that he shared with his mom. I was so excited about it 😭😭😭❤️❤️❤️
This is why I love working on my family history! It is hard to describe the joy and love you feel for an ancestor as you learn about them and their story.❤️
Hey Atharvan Sharma. Thanks for taking a minute to check out this short excerpt. Finding Your Roots can often be an emotional watch as we explore the many challenges faced by those he have gone before us. We wish you all the very best in your own research project.🌳
“Our shared history” is key for all of us. We as Americans are all in this together. It’s a messy and often tragic adventure, but there is great beauty as well. Thank you again, Dr Gates!!
Quest doesn't really rely on words to communicate, his drumming is his language. Music is the international language, and I give a shout out to quest for putting it out there. The hardest working drummer in show business and his band of minstrels
The Roots are the best band hands down. Everybody needs to have a listen. I love that this "drummer" takes up so much space, but that is this band all over. I will never get enough of the wisdom and emotions this beautiful group evokes.
This is absolutely the best show on television. I love Henry Louis Gates he is such a gentle and compassionate human being but you can tell he had the soul of a lion
Thanks for your comment, Shawnda. We're so happy to hear that you enjoyed this segment of Finding Your Roots. It was so touching and impacted him deeply.
It's so wonderful to see how genealogy can help us connect to our ancestors, and sometimes even newfound relatives! We're so gad you enjoyed the clip, MJ 😊🌱
We know the feeling JayJayGrady4U! The reveal of the photo of Charlie Lewis is an incredible moment.❤️ Thanks for taking a minute to check out the video and make sure to call by and see us should you ever wish to launch your own research project! 🌳
Hi there Portia, thank you for your message! You can research anyone on Ancestry, provided you have enough information to begin your search. We'd always suggest building your family tree out as best as you can so that you can add to it as you find more relevant records. This is great that you've already found information for one side of your family - this must have been a really fascinating discovery! Please do check out this support guide for some assistance: support.ancestry.com/s/article/Brick-Wall-Solutions. Good luck! 😊
We're glad to see that you enjoyed it, Lora. We hope that you'll see 'Finding Your Roots' for more stories of family history. We encourage you to learn more about your ancestors and their stories.
This is hands down one of my favorite episodes!!! It was such a great great story to discover as a descent, especially loved the picture of his 3rd great grandpa!!!! What a treasure!!!! And he looks JUST like him!!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️
It's a weird feeling, to see yourself in such an old picture. I recently found a picture of my great-grandfather when he was a young man and I instantly knew his eyes and his expression, because both my dad and myself have that same face. It's crazy to experience it. I'm happy for QuestLove, being able to see that picture. That's pretty cool.
We're so glad you were able to find that photo! There's something so special on being able to look back on photos of family members from the past and see the resemblance. Photos really can help to bring the past to life. Thank you so much for your comment! We wish you the very best in your research moving forward. 😊
Wow, that must have been like looking in a mirror to see his 3rd g.grandfather, he looks JUST like him!! So amazing! I know how incredible it was to finally find out the missing pieces to my ancestry and the history of us. My sister and I both said, "We have people!"
Hi, Derek. Thanks for your interest in our DNA testing. We're happy to answer your question. We're constantly working to make our DNA kits available in more countries as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, we aren't sure when we can make them available in Africa or other countries.
Just finished Summer of Soul - and crying my eyes out - so powerful - and Nina Simone - WOW! Thank you for showing us such important Black History. So glad to see you get to learn yours as well. Now you are ONE with your ancestors - and I guarantee they have MUCH MORE to tell you! I'm a dream language expert - please let me know QuestLove if you need help interpreting your dreams.
In researching my own family history, as well as those of my friends, I am always struck by the persistance of family resemblance. I have fourth cousins in Ireland, and we resemble each other strikingly. I have had visitors who thought pictures of my grandfather in overalls on a farm in rural Depression era Alabama were mocked pictures I'd posed for fun. I saw the facial resemblance to Quest in that picture, and just nodded my head.
About 10 years ago I attended the funeral of the father of a good friend. Many of us wondered why one of the photos displayed was of my friend's younger son. The answer was that the photo was of her father when he was about the same age as her son.
Hey, Bieassia Law! We're glad you appreciated learning a little about Questloves's own family history. Have you had the opportunity to launch your own search yet or is it work in progress? 🌳
Listening to Questlove say that he didnt know who he was before the reveal hits home. I've traced my mother's family to the Isle of Jersey and getting here 1774, BUT my father was an Idlander who left to avoid being responsible for the teenage girl he impregnated. I've had a long time to deal with it, but it's my children longing for more roots and history that saddens me. ALSO, I'm not surprised how Questlove took it because he seems like water running deep, somebody who is hungry for knowledge and emotionally intelligent. GREAT VIDEO!!!
I’ve watched ALLOT of these videos and the host says, “Has one of the most amazing stories we ever uncovered.“ dude, you’ve said that about a dozen times!
@@AncestryUS Thanks for the warm reply. Yes I do. Very much. You guys do awesome work and bring peace of mind to so many. It's priceless work truly. A dedicated team and alot of effort no doubt. God bless your good work. Keep on shining 🌹 🙌🏾 🙏🏽 ✨
This is so powerful. I'm so very happy for you Sir. Congratulations. After this I read about the Clotilda and the history . I'm sorry that happened to your framily but without that we would not have you.
This story really touched me. He didn’t have any passed down family stories and felt alone. Looking into those soulful eyes of his 3rd Great Grandfather told a sad long tale reawakened. I’m so happy his story is now known and new cousins can meet.
Hi, Sunshine. Thanks for posting. It is amazing the resemblance with a grandfather three generations back. It sounds like you enjoyed watching this. We thought it was pretty amazing also.
I wonder if Henry Louis Gates Jr knows how much he is loved ❤️ He is an amazing story teller and helps produce some of the best documentaries I have ever seen. He covers them with such respect you can’t help but love the man ! Beautiful story!
I've watched every episode and Quest Love's story is literally the most incredible! His story is like the song by The Judds "Guardian Angels". "A hundred year old photograph stares out from a frame and if you look real close you'll see, our eyes are just the same."
This is so amazingly similar to the Cudjo Lewis story in the book Barracoon by Zora Neale Hurston! He was also one of the Africans brought on that last ship The Cotilda that arrived in Alabama. The same area now known as Africatown.
