African American Lives

Reluctant to commit to another multi-episode tv documentary after the disappointment of Country Boys, I was also put off by the focus here on Oprah and Whoopi and other Black celebrities, but some very positive reviews made me tune into this blandly-titled presentation by Henry Louis Gates Jr., head of African-American Studies at Harvard. And I’m very glad I did. Skip Gates is an utterly charming guide, the stories told are profoundly moving, the archival footage is thoroughly engrossing, and the exploration of genealogical and DNA research is intriguing in its own right. Following nine family trees back through the Great Migration to slave times and all the way back to Africa, this series delves into a past that is both tragic and uplifting. (2006, PBS/T, n.) *7+*