Rebecca Hall Reacts to Family History in Finding Your Roots | Ancestry®

[@AncestryUS]

Want more celebrity content? Check out the new season of Who Do You Think You Are? Sundays at 7/6c on NBC or stream on Peacock. visitancestry.com/3Pfkvq5

[@starbot2024]

Like to see everyday people instead of Celebrities , Famous and the Rich....

[@theresazanassi1925]

I love this series so much BUT, I wish that "ordinary" people could plug into this level of research on our own family heritage. IN my own family, some elements of our oral history do not coincide with DNA information. Would anyone care about the family stories of ordinary people (not celebrities)? I would.

[@tegansantana2910]

THIS 100%

[@bouzakmaya3260]

Agree

[@erinpenny1006]

Definitely agree

[@Resiana27]

There are shows for regular people. They just don’t get as many viewers as shows with celebrities 😢

[@louisalicea5237]

Agree

[@EloiseInParis]

My great grandfather used to pass when he traveled alone. We also think he passed when he worked in the coal mines as a young man because whites got paid more. He was very proud of his heritage, but he did those things because it made his life a little easier/better. The crazy thing is if he was alive today people would be arguing about whether or not he could even call himself black, but back then if he got caught passing it could've been a death sentence.

[@jakemorj5498]

Are you trying to say Passed as white? If he passed in that era, then he pretty much was white and overwhelmingly European in appearance. In other words, his African heritage must have been so small that it made no difference. My own grandad and his mother had a full afro and darker skin than the rest of us which he used to laugh off when people asked

[@jakemorj5498]

@@Illtechnica You’re right, it certainly is not as cut and dry as skin colour. Other features like hair texture, nose shape etc. were used as physical indicators. Furthermore, the phenotype does not necessarily correspond proportionately to the genotype anyway. Having said that, the dominant dna (linked to certain ancestral groups) is generally reflected in the phenotype. It would be rare for someone with 30% sub-Saharan ancestry to pass as European. The same could not be said of a sub-Saharan African who had 30% European ancestry, meaning someone with quite significant amounts of European ancestry would never be labelled as such. Indeed, it is also less detectable. We also know sub-Saharan African features are generally more dominant and therefore more likely to be reflected in the phenotype of individuals who have more European ancestry. To have blue/green eyes and straight blonde hair (I’m not sure whether your Grandad had kinky hair or not?), I would assume his African ancestry had to be minute. You are right in how ethnic descriptions or simplifiers do tend towards homogenising. This is not just for ‘minorities’, but also ‘white Europeans’. Tremendous diversity thrives within these assigned categories themselves, but in this complex world with finite time, us humans break things down to make them comprehensible and purposeful. In other words, subsuming diversity under broad classifications was and remains practical though inaccurate. They are just accurate enough to capture physical differences that tend to be obvious between groups from different regions and of course to reinforce 18th century hierarchies intended to counter slave abolitionism.

[@osiruskat]

@@jakemorj5498 Yeah but with the "One drop rule" he was still viewed as "black" and his experience was that of a "black" person. A good number of "blacks" of the African diaspora have at least 25% European or non African DNA especially if your from the Caribbean. People like Lena Hornem, who came from parents that identified as "black" but have obvious mixed heritage and were probably from a line of other mixed people but still lived the "black" experience. "Black" is just a social political term not valid scientifically.

[@Myraisins1]

Wentworth Miller, Slash, Rashida Jones , Lolo Jones, Mariah Carey, Sofia Richie, Nicole Richie, Maya Rudolph, Valerie Jarrett, Meghan Markle, Logic, Kris Humphries, Jessie Williams and on and on....

[@osiruskat]

@@Myraisins1 Exactly, I had a great uncle who could "pass" for "white" if needed but didn't. The people you listed have a "white" parent for the most part but identify as "black" when we had Langston Hughes, Lena Horne, Billie Holiday, Freddie Washington (Imitation of Life) and Cab Calloway who always identified as "black" having both parents also "black". It's more of the "black" experience and how you were identified by the "white" majority.

[@curmudgeonmisanthrope8985]

You can tell the shame of her grandfather's racial "passing" was weighing on her spiritually. I'm so glad she has someone in her Black-American lineage she can look back at with pride because they carried themselves with such dignity and pride :)

[@patriciajrs46]

And accomplishment, too.

[@Mehki227]

Her mother was a famous opera singer. Her father was prominent too. She didn't have to reach far. Not sure why she didn't know she was part black. Apparently, her mother identified as white, but she clearly looked black. I think she was black and Danish. The first time I saw Rebecca was in a movie called The Night House and I just knew something about her features intrigued me and then I realized she had mine (I'm black). I actually googled her racial makeup because I could see it, just not quite see it, if that makes sense.

[@Swameh]

@@Mehki227 her mom never knew for sure because her grandfather chose to pass as white. She always knew, but her mother never owned up to it.

[@ithamarlowe6158]

@@Mehki227 The short answer is "they hid it not because they wanted to, but because it would be a shame if people knew", I mean if the white people knew". People are more open nowadays but were still narrowminded until not too long ago.

[@ej3016]

@@Mehki227 if you had seen the entire episode - you would have seen that she was exploring her past by reading about “passing” and by producing a movie - she wasn’t as unaware as you might believe

[@DarlingNikki2]

I wanted to share my deepest sympathies with Ms. Hall on the death of her mother, the incomparable Maria Ewing. She was a beautiful, brilliant, and accomplished woman who carried within her the greatness of ancestors she never truly knew she had. May she rest well with those ancestors now.

[@AncestryUS]

What a lovely sentiment, Nikki. Thank you so much for watching, and for your comment. We hope you have a wonderful day. 🙏

[@vanessawyndham8791]

I'm a big opera fan and loved her mothers performances. She was absolutely brilliant. May she RIP. 🙏

[@joannehenry8273]

How beautiful! Lovely and loving writing!

[@9344music5]

I hope Rebecca hears this. I am so very proud of her sincere and honest reaction to finding out about her father. My Dad was half black and concealed it until his death. We cannot be judgemental about what they did. It is all part of how we all survive. Your heritage makes you so much more than you were before having this knowledge. In so many ways you are richer for it and you embrace it so elegantly. God bless you. The universe will definitely bless you for your courage. Thank you for being who you are. You have so much to teach now.

[@arineems6059]

Her father is a Caucasian Briton. The African-American family member mentioned here was her maternal grandfather.

[@ameliesayshola8854]

I found out about her Black ancestry when I looked her up after watching the movie Passing on Netflix which she directed. I was like huh interesting a white British lady directed this? Then I read some interviews and understood her connection to the source material (the book the movie was based on). Appearances can be deceiving.

[@ameliesayshola8854]

@@wahoo4uva I never said Rebecca wasn’t white. Maybe the better expression is there’s more than meets the eye. I didn’t understand why a white British woman directed a story about two Black American women but once I had context I understood why. Just because Rebecca is white doesn’t diminish the fact she has Black ancestry and what her black grandfather went through (passing as Native American and hiding his Black identity). As she said in interviews while promoting the movie Passing, she has a personal connection to the movie’s main storyline as her ancestor was light enough to pass as a different ethnicity. It’s part of her family history and part of her, even if she is considered white.

[@lynnhawkins952]

@@ameliesayshola8854 Actually, under Jim Crow South, she would have been considered black under the 1/32 rule. She, in fact, would have been passing herself if she was perceived to be white, as would I. My grandfather also passed as Native American, but it was his mother who was born into slavery.

[@kreed82]

There are probably a lot more "Caucasians" in Hollywood with the same story but they would rather keep it secret.

[@jv-ep2tc]

she played Claire Keesey in Ben Affleck's movie The Town. Loved that character, Claire. It was filmed locally to me and I re-visited all the locations. If you haven't seen it, its worth a look.

[@MsTomas086]

@@lynnhawkins952 It depends what state. Only 13 states had that law.

[@natashaa43]

I knew Rebecca Hall's mother was American and mixed race for some years but what is shocking to me as a British black person of Jamaican descent is the African American's close proximity to slavery. It is so horrifically close and it is no wonder to me how it is for the community to get the justice they deserve. This was her great grandfather! My goodness I met my great grandparents and I am of the same age race as Ms. Hall. They were born decades after the ACW.

[@dwn2earth260]

Natasha this is true. I'm 52 years old, and my great grandfather lived until I was 20. A man I could touch and talk to, his parents were enslaved. It's much closer than many think.

[@MrGray-ls7iy]

@@dwn2earth260 the same as me....my great grandfather died when I was 21. He 91 when he died. He was very light and had blue eyes. His father was a slave. It saddens me to think that slavery was not that long ago. Too many African Americans like myself tend to lose sight of this important fact.

[@kingofhearts1072]

@@MrGray-ls7iy That's why we MUST honor our ancestors, ESPECIALLY those who went through so much turmoil. Light a candle for them and honor them.

[@NomyJackson]

Her mom just passed yesterday :(

[@celticmulato2609]

Are you White like Ms Hall? She is a White woman with only 9% Black, that doesn't make her Black. The 1 drop rule was overturned in 1967. Don't claim people who don't look like you.

[@farisasmith7109]

She looks like her great grandfather. She has his forehead and eyes. It's amazing to have pictures.

[@Sunbeam645]

It's amazing that with being her great grandfather, that she highly favors him!

[@CaliWeHo]

Yes, she does!

[@tracycy1084]

@@CaliWeHo putting race aside, its her grandfather no matter what. Not so amazing in my world. Its her blood relative. He couldve been mongolian for what its worth. Nobodies life should be worth more than another. We all end up 1 place at the end of the day. 6 foot under.

[@akapam57]

Sounds good in theory.

[@zaidamaganda]

You mean she looks like him, right?

[@leelohaskin7941]

@@tracycy1084 well good for you now you go ahead about your business 😒 as of we needed the lesson, we already know we'll all die🙄 oh and good job deflecting from what OP was saying about America's TRUE history 👏

[@alansenzaki4148]

Love finding your roots. America's real story.

[@pisces228]

Dr. Gates does a beautiful job of teaching the complexity of our shared history and connections.

[@MekaM83]

💯

[@AncestryUS]

We're so glad you enjoy the show, Alan! Thanks for sharing. 😊

[@Leonaza7]

He's such a wonderful host. I absolutely adore this show. My paternal grandmother who I never met because she died many years before I was born, but I was named after her.

[@AncestryUS]

We are happy that you enjoy the show! Have you had a chance to dive into your family history?

[@SOZO_xo]

I agree…he is excellent.

[@RADRICK19]

Lmao no he is not. He is so annoying. You only like him because of his skin color.

[@SOZO_xo]

@@RADRICK19 I think he is excellent and I’m a 64 year old white woman. So what’s my excuse? Maybe you think he is annoying because of his skin color.

[@sirprinceblair]

@@SOZO_xo beautifully said sir.

[@daniterry4922]

Wow..just wow…her ancestors moved her to tell their stories❤️❤️❤️

[@NyokaB]

My favorite show! I’m from the south and Dr. Gates has taught me so much about slavery, black ppl, etc. through all of his various tv programs dedicated to our ppl. Thank you! And please never cancel this show! Finding my roots is the reason why i started my ancestry journey. Again my ancestors are from the south GA and SC and like most AA, i cannot locate any ancestors after my 3rd GG parents. It’s so sad! 🥺💔

[@AncestryUS]

Hi, Bianca. Thanks for your comment. We're so excited to hear that you enjoy the show "Finding Your Roots." Dr. Gates has been a great resource for hope. Thanks for letting us know you're going to continue watching.

[@kateruterbories2692]

Was it just me or did she look a great deal like her great grandfather??

[@camjamcam1]

I agree that she does favour him.

[@jamiejones8508]

Not just you:)

[@no-neoconfederatelosers9398]

Yep they are were both very white.

[@bessyisyourbestieforever3164]

Yes!!!! I was thinking the same thing!!!!

[@AncestryUS]

It's a fascinating resemblance, isn't it, Kate? We hope you enjoyed the clip!

[@reignjosiah]

Norman Ewing is my great grandfather and he always identified as Native American. He married my grandmother, Margaret, who was also Native American. Hopefully Rebecca and her mother will reach out to us and reconnect to her family. 💞

[@lh2823]

Very cool. You're beautiful like her :-)

[@superamanda]

I fully support his right to identify with native America as he did so many good things for indigenous people. That was at a time when there was nothing to gain from being indigenous you were invisible and considered in many ways dead in the United States. Also being a native of the Americas or native of the African continent all are indigenous peoples. The very first people of the Americas from the islands were all black. Your great grandfather was a great human being. And a trailblazer!

[@sharondennis]

Joyful to learn these truths

[@ttp436]

That’s cool you and Rebecca look like you could be related

[@lj5801]

I saw her mother a number of times at the Metropolitan Opera. No one that I knew (myself included) ever thought of Maria Ewing as anything but black. This show came as a surprise to me.

[@Mehki227]

I just read somewhere that she said she identified as white. In America she looked and would be considered black.

[@Cobalt1520]

They had a show to do. A show must have a plot.

[@Ceares]

@@Cobalt1520 If you see her other interviews, she's said that her mother and grandfather were sketchy about their heritage but that her mother didn't identify as African American even though she herself thought it was obvious. The plot is already there, the show didn't create it, they just utilized it.

[@Cobalt1520]

@@Ceares yes it was obvious that her mother had African ancestry, tho less than 1/5, and it was even more obvious for here grandfather. If he was “passing”, I very much doubt he fooled anyone, most people probably didnt care, because judging by the pictures I saw online it was pretty obvious. Here mother had more non black ancestry than black, if she identified more with the white part of her ancestry It was her right, I dont see whats so suprising about all this.

[@GigiStar01]

​​@@Cobalt1520 Everyone cared about racial identity back in those days. You make passing seem like a minor personal choice. It was a life altering decision. Abandoning a large part of your culture. Abandoning family members that were too dark. Risking physical, social, and economic dangers if anyone found out that you were passing. Her grandfather may have looked obviously of partial black decent TO YOU, but you cannot say that "nobody cared" like race was no big deal in those days.

[@Cnichal]

My maternal line always claimed native, as we have a lot of light skinned people in my family. But after my mom did her DNA test, we found out she was 24% white. The older generation knows how to keep secrets.

[@orangemoonglows2692]

i'm assuming you're black. on one of these shows, gates mentioned that actually black americans don't typically have as much native american as they say. it's just something we made up. we are mostly black with some white.

[@ALYoungFuture13]

@@orangemoonglows2692 BLACK, a. [Sax. blac, and blæc, black, pale, wan, livid; blacian, blæcan, to become pale, to turn white, to become black, to blacken; blæc, ink; Sw. blek, pale, wan, livid; bleck, ink; bleka, to insolate, to expose to the sun, or to bleach; also to lighten, to flash; D. bleek, pale; bleeken, to bleach; G. bleich, pale, wan, bleak; bleichen, to bleach; Dan. blæk, ink; bleeg, pale, wan, bleak, sallow; bleeger, to bleach. It is remarkable that black, bleak and bleach, are all radically one word. The primary sense seems to be, pale, wan or sallow, from which has proceeded the present variety of significations.]

[@quinntara20]

Plot twist.... Lots of European people are just light skinned of African decent people

[@TheJCMlove]

From all the DNA results I have seen on KZbin, descendants of the slave trade, no matter the shade of our skin, tend to be at least 20% white. Most common range is 20-40%.

[@angelasmiley8352]

Yes! I believe it was easier to say Native America, than explain the white side of alot of African American families.

[@romstar]

Rebecca looks absolutely gorgeous with her hair pulled back like that-you can really see her features with those high cheekbones!🙏❤️😘 And her great grandfather truly was/is a big deal!🙏👌👌

[@shogun0127]

her anglo features really do shine

[@Drageisha]

When they reveal the picture of her great grandfather, she definitely has his cheekbones.

[@am5790]

@@shogun0127 feeling anger? rejection? wearing others shoes type of feelings ? lol

[@DorothyOzmaLover]

Powerful compelling findings w/ a truly enlightened academic and knowing a bit more about a skilled actor like Rebecca is a gift.

[@QueenBees456]

How come we can always tell when people are mixed. The second I saw her I new she had African ancestors somewhere in her immediate family.

[@tracycy1084]

I thought that too.

[@c-light7624]

So did I. The first time I saw her on film I could tell. But the more I saw her (in indie films usually), the less I focused on that. Especially since the roles she played were opposite other white actors/characters. But this revelation Dr. Gates presented makes sense. And it brings up questions of identity, chosen experiences, experiences by default, and access. Because (like her grandfather and his pedigree), if things were different and her experience growing up was one where she and the rest of her family identified as “Black”, would she have had the same access/level of success in film today?

[@sergeayissi939]

Looking at her LIPS, you can tell she's part black!

[@andreathesexy1]

Me too. I am mixed too.

[@nicolebrown1927]

I know. It's like our people have a 6th sense about who our people are, even when they're thought to be white. I knew Rebecca Hall had some of our blood in her lineage because of her exotic looking features and she had a bunch of thick curly hair before she cut it all off. She so beautiful. Black is beautiful.💙☺

[@noelsamson876]

I love rebecca hall Especially in her role in " vicky, Christina, barcelona". There was depth in her performance. Then I found out about what a great opera singer her mom was and her dad ...well she has a great pedigree all the way to the great grandfather

[@MsEriKaT]

Ohhhhhhhhhhh idk that was her!!!

[@primepeternice1318]

In a PBS series promoting her movie PASSING, I thought it was really interesting that she said that all of her Young Life she knew that she was looking at an African-American woman everyday of her life as her mother. So when she wanted to ask questions about her mother's distinctive look from, not only herself, her father, but most likely the rest of white society in which she interacted with or surrounded her on a daily basis of her life, she said that her mother did not give her a straight answer to her question. Her mother was undecided on how to answer her daughters question. But in reality, her mother most likely did not approve of her own self aesthetically especially measuring herself up against a predominantly Euro/white Society that she lived around most of her daughters life. Nobody wants to say or Define how it really was, but the term "PASSING" did not apply to her mother. Miss Maria Ewing was noticeably light skin woman who could have been just assumed as a light skin black woman with two black parents with different skin tones. She was a biracial woman who was probably suffering from some kind of self-hatred psychologically white environment who standard of beauty is straight white. If Miss Ewing would have handled her daughter's prevention of confusion by being proactively upfront the way Mariah Carey mother was as well as Halle Berry's mother was with them, in other words if Rebecca Hall's mother would have infused her early understanding of of the world with who she was and her parents were. And encouraged and reinforced her African Legacy, what that means in a predominant white world, and all of the political and social struggles, Rebecca Hall's life trajectory probably would then different. Maybe Rebecca's social upbringing would have been more diverse maybe? Maybe she would have ended up married to the likes of a Lorenz Tate or Michael B Jordan? The travesty of Octoroon children of a foundational black grandparent and a biracial parent, who were both pretty much running from their foundational black Heritage themselves, is that these family successors have to have a complete stranger outside of the family finally give it to them straight with no chaser on who their lineage really is based on questions from observation. Even though Rebecca Hall pretty much just found out that her maternal side of the family is black, she is still phenotypically White and recognized by society as such with subtle features that could be questioned if one was very good at pointing out distinctive physical features. Shes not going to all of a sudden go visit the hood to go to soul food joints, go to any Urban theatric plays, or show up to any protests for Injustice against blacks. Her psychology, spirit, norms, social and intimate relationship preferences are still of a Caucasian persuasion. It's all that she has known as well as cultivated by her mother herself.

[@Chicken_Mama_85]

Her mother wasn’t passing. Her mother didn’t know who or where or if there was black ancestry. The one passing was her father.

[@ayatollahlalalola]

@@Chicken_Mama_85 Her mother looks like a light-skinned black woman. Looking at her pictures without even knowing her background I would assume she was a light-skinned black woman. It's wild to me she went her whole life not knowing her background, that must have been difficult for her to square with her appearance. Sad her father (Maria's father) had to hide his racial background, especially considering his father was so devoted to the betterment of his race. It's crazy that the granddaughter of an African-American slave did not know she was black.

[@bascal133]

Welcome to the cookout Rebecca ❤👏🏾👏🏾🤍

[@gaylesims7601]

How interesting would the conversation be with John Ewing's ancestors and the stories that they could share about "Cousin Norman"' and why he decided to "pass". What's fascinating is that her grandfather Norman walked away from an accomplished family, education and background. I guess the answer is simple. A lot of our families have these stories. I know mine does.

[@sms1511]

I think her family history is what drove her to make her directorial debuet with the film “Passing” which was a novel about an African American woman that passed in the 1940s.

[@no-neoconfederatelosers9398]

He “walked away” TO become a man of color though. He helped many native Americans. Because Black people are also indigenous. Also he walked away from a legacy of Black people working for white people and white institutions. Maybe didn’t want to be that. Maybe didn’t want to fight Whitemans colonialist wars? Ever think about that?

[@sarahjames927]

I understand why people pass especially back then.

[@proclaimingthetruth4506]

@@sms1511 It was not just her family. Many people did it because if you were 80-90 percent white or even 99 percent white with a small percentage of black, you would have to adhere to Jim Crow laws. Also, my grandma said when she was young, in the newspaper there would be job listings and underneath they would write white only. Honestly, if you are basically white and you look white I would consider you white. It doesn't mean that you can't acknowledge your ancestors but back then if you wanted to pass you would have to give up your family legacy if you want more opportunities.

[@AncestryUS]

Hi, Debra. Wow, that is very interesting. It is amazing that your great great grandmother left hints in her journal. Finding those answers must be so helpful in finding your true family line. Finding a connection to Edgar Allan Poe is very exciting! It makes your storytelling and writing talents even more meaningful.

[@annadavis6361]

Knowing where and who you came from is so powerful, we all deserve to know if so desired.

[@SunnyIlha]

Her ancestor was in the Federal Government. At a high level. You can see she has his eyes. Her eyes are a giveaway.

[@Littlething41]

This was such a great episode with Rebecca Hall and Lee Daniels. She is so British with such a rich American heritage. Usually it's the other way around. I watched her Netflix film Passing and it seems that's exactly what Norman Ewing did despite an amazing path his father John Ewing opened up at the White House. Really amazing story and full circle moment learning that one of her African Ancestors fought as a Patriot in the Revolutionary war!!!! This show is amazing!

[@brittanyhayes1043]

Her ancestor, instead of hiding it should of taken pride in it. Just because your white passing shouldn't mean you feel obligated to pick one side of your heritage. Claim them all.

[@curtiswilliams8285]

@@brittanyhayes1043 It's easier said than done in hindsight. Blame the US for it's horrible history of racial identification, not the ones doing what they could to try to survive it.

[@brittanyhayes1043]

@@curtiswilliams8285 HER ancestor shouldn't of hiding it and owned it with pride. I love the US 🇺🇸

[@brittanyhayes1043]

@@curtiswilliams8285 I love my country's history. Learn from the bad and the good and you find out the best in the future. 🇺🇸

[@brittanyhayes1043]

@@curtiswilliams8285 It's really not that hard.

[@crismarieb6275]

I love this channel it really shows just how connected we all are and how we should embrace each others cultures.

[@huskytours-cz]

HLG is such an important translator of the past and his representation of what is discovered makes the show so much more appealing. All of us are much more mixed and integrated than we know.

[@TheTrueNateHustle]

I love when they show the pictures of the people. They almost always look alot like the person in the chair.

[@Ellan_ellan]

It is really fascinating when you are finding your family history. Also, there is a strange feeling when you realized that someone's life can be summarized into a few sentences.

[@SunnyIlha]

A lot; many, many Americans, have African ancestors. More than people think.

[@NellieKAdaba]

👍🏿

[@c-light7624]

I saw a YT video of someone who reconnected with her long lost cousins whose father decided to continue to pass as white (because his father and mother did). They agreed to meet with her but her uncle wouldn’t. He rejected her side of the family. And even with all that, the cousins said they don’t feel differently given the information she shared about the family and its history. Their identity was fully ingrained. Some people, like Rebecca, accept and embrace (to whatever degree) this information. Others reject it or claim to be unfazed. It’s interesting to see.

[@kingofhearts1072]

Or want to ADMIT.

[@superamanda]

@@kingofhearts1072 They want to admit it aka explore it but many have seen the over the top reactions and mocking derision and become justifiably wary.

[@kingofhearts1072]

@@superamanda What does that tell you about them and what they think of themselves if they are concerned any what others think or say?

[@debracarlson4206]

I found out through DNA that a recent female ancestor of mine had an affair and my great grandmother was a result of that relationship. Many years prior we had found my great great grandmother's journal hinting at an affair. Her words, "I have a secret with a traveling fellow." She had also given his name. My cousins and I thought nothing more about it until we got our DNA results back and found out that my great grandmother had a different father than their ancestors did. I am closely related to the family of writer Edgar Allan Poe through this hidden relationship. This explains so much about my interests and my storytelling and writing abilities.

[@patriciajrs46]

How awesome for you! Relationship to Mr. Poe is very cool, in my writer's notes. It's great.

[@trishr.3986]

It's amazing how the blood "tells".

[@Native-Kitty]

I just watched this episode and it was a good one. I can never get enough of this stuff.

[@AncestryUS]

We're so glad to hear that you enjoy it! Thanks for sharing. 😊

[@ghanaboylou]

you guys need much support from the motherland to reconnect with our lost brothers and sisters from the diaspora 🙏🏿 you are doing a great job. keep it up 👍🏿🇬🇭

[@orangemoonglows2692]

she's so relieve there's at least one person in her family not running away from blackness.

[@susannortham11.11]

Yes, discovering the stories of our ancestors IS very transformative! Love this show and genealogy!

[@AncestryUS]

We're so glad you like the show and are enjoying your own family history journey, Susan! Have you made any exciting discoveries about your ancestors?

[@susannortham11.11]

@@AncestryUS Yes! I have deep colonial tidewater VA roots, Gov Ralph Northam is my cousin, and my family was well connected with the Presleys of Itawamba Co MS, to name a few. So, yes lots of fun :)

[@AncestryUS]

Thank you for sharing!

[@1992DeLicious]

What a coincidence considering the fact that she just directed a movie that touches on this very topic: “ Passing”

[@starks8400]

She said the whole reason she wanted to make the movie was because of the rumors her mother had told her as a child

[@AncestryUS]

Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts with us, Dorothy! We're glad you enjoyed this clip!

[@bettysweet9644]

She didn’t fall far from the tree, both are beautiful and exceptional people

[@AncestryUS]

We're happy to see you enjoyed it, Jordan. We hope you'll watch the other episodes to hear more about family history discoveries.

[@EgdonHeath]

Omg, she looks exactly like her great-grandfather. She’s gorgeous! 🦋🦋

[@crasysyst]

Oh love this, I had the same reaction when I saw my great grandfather portrait 😌 it deepens your roots somehow

[@Giannis_Sarafis]

Fascinating stories behind people. History always hides surprises, sometimes sweet, sometimes bitter. But if you read between the lines, you always learn something about yourself and your family's history.

[@NellieKAdaba]

True

[@c-light7624]

I saw a YT video of someone who reconnected with her long lost cousins whose father decided to continue to pass as white (because his father and mother did). They agreed to meet with her but her uncle wouldn’t. He rejected her side of the family. And even with all that, the cousins said they don’t feel differently given the information she shared about the family and its history. Their identity was fully ingrained. Some people, like Rebecca, accept and embrace (to whatever degree) this information. Others reject it or claim to be unfazed. It’s interesting to see people’s reactions to identity.

[@oluapampa5075]

I think I saw the video you mentioned. Is it the one with the comedian who sought her other family - who passed as white?

[@ssissigui8846]

Yes I watched it . They said that they were Bohemian...

[@c-light7624]

@@oluapampa5075 it may very well be. She made it into a series.

[@c-light7624]

@@ssissigui8846 That’s right! “Bohemian”.

[@ssissigui8846]

@@c-light7624 i even don't know what that means 😂😂😂! Bohemian were the name given to gypsy centuries ago in France. I don't understand how someone can call themselves Bohemian. ,😅😅😅

[@AncestryUS]

Thank you for watching this clip, we hope it inspires you to dive into your own family history.

[@lj5801]

R.I.P. Maria Ewing. I just saw her obituary on Operawire. I was fortunate enough to hear her a number of times, and she was a great singer.

[@KriosRecordsLLC]

I can't put my finger on it, but this is an extremely comforting show to watch. All the elements from Mr. Gates caring voice, the music as well as the cue's, the silent pauses, etc... all come together and pull me in and I forget the time that has passed. Well done! I hope to do this for my family some day soon.

[@AncestryUS]

Hi, we are happy to hear that you have enjoyed the show.

[@crencottrell7849]

Wow she looks just like him too ☺😁

[@celticsdude]

She looks more like her mother.

[@AncestryUS]

We're glad you enjoyed it, Mrs. Adriann! Have you started to look at your own family history and find out details about your ancestors? We hope you'll take some time to talk with your family and collect the stories from your ancestors’ lives.

[@USCTrojan2013]

Are there any /several collaborations between Ancestry & Family Share/LDS Church?

[@AncestryUS]

Thanks for getting back to us, James, we're grateful for the opportunity to advise that Ancestry is a private company, and not owned, or run, by any church or religious organization. If you do have an LDS Ancestry membership then you can link the Family search account to Ancestry to access records. You can still learn about linking an LDS Family Search account to Ancestry, we have a support article to assist you here: support.ancestry.com/s/article/Church-of-Jesus-Christ-Ancestry-Membership. We hope this will help!

[@kryskay989]

SOOO happy to have this show back! Appearances aren't always what they seem Lol my sisters and I are asked on an oddly regular basis where our family is from... We've been told we look Turkish, Persian, Greek, Chaldean, Syrian, and most recently a census taker asked if I was Lebanese lol According to my Ancestry DNA test I'm 42% Scottish, 41% English/NW Europe, and the remaining is a mix of Norway/Ireland/Wales... Oddly enough, if you go back a handful of generations there is a random Vashti in my direct line; so who knows if there is a bit of something else in there lol

[@kryskay989]

@Síofra Loughlin-Bestawros Yea, we've always been told there is something more mixed in our family because most of our family have olive skin with light eyes. My grandpa still has olive skin, black hair, and light blue (turned silver in old age) eyes. I've been tracing family lines and so far I'm back to the 1700's in Scotland, but there are so many family lines to search!

[@MKelly-pm1np]

Love Rebecca Hall. What a story, I would never have guessed.

[@AncestryUS]

Hi M. thanks for stopping by, happy to see you enjoyed the video. Have you had a chance to look into your family history?

[@MKelly-pm1np]

@@AncestryUS Actually, yes I have. I’ve done both the AncestryDNA and African Ancestry. I didn’t realize how important it was to have that information until I was reading the results. It was very powerful. I couldn’t recommend it enough.

[@AncestryUS]

That's awesome! We love hearing when people learn more about their roots. It definitely helps us feel closer to our ancestors.

[@KSUgrad79]

I can’t even begin to tell you of the too many “family silences” surrounding my ancestors. Now I am deeply curious - why? What, exactly, were they hiding? And why? Oh, Dr. Gates...how I wish you could help me unpuzzle my puzzling ancestors, in particular one possible British naval officer in the War of 1812 - or not - and those who came from Ireland about 160 years ago or so.

[@KSUgrad79]

@Davida D, yes, 1979 graduate of Kent State University, and my heritage is Irish, Welsh, English, Scottish, Breton French and German. My maternal grandmother was super tight lipped about her three Irish immigrant grandparents (the one who was NOT, in her way of describing it, was a “Yankee Protestant” whose one line seems to dead end at our 4th great grandparents, the great “Family Mystery” that nobody can seem to find..). And a happy 2022 to you as well. Maybe someday these many family mysteries will somehow, someday, be unraveled at long last. Already broke one brick wall by being a nosy busybody and digging into my mom’s jewelry box and uncovering a forgotten 200 year old heirloom medallion that helped me to break through yet another family mystery to uncover a lost saga. I showed it to my mom and said, hey....why didn’t you ever show this to me? Tell me a story, mother! She did...complete with a stashed away map of London, England to help further unravel that story! So cool!

[@kingofhearts1072]

No judging here, but its interesting how some people during those times could pass for European American and or hide their African ancestry but chose not to, but then there were those who chose to hide their African ancestry. People like that still exist today today, though not as much.. Sort of a Red pill vs Blue pill situation.

[@givenscommunications6307]

Rebecca, you aren’t the First person to be surprised by what you just read in the census about your ancestors who has been profiled on FYR! I’ve read some things that have caused me to log off and take a break for 2 or 3 weeks and then pick the search again!

[@HoneySwtDrms]

She has her grandfather's eyes

[@DjinnRummy]

Aw, love Rebecca hall! So glad she regained this part of her heritage

[@MariaPerez-uw3wz]

Her grandfather's image really shows a resemblance to her 😯

[@theresat.5737]

I saw that as soon as I saw her. I really did not know who she was. As a native of Louisiana, I thought that she was AA. I don’t know how she identifies but it’s great to discover all of your heritage.

[@SilverStrumer]

She's the most interesting guest so far. Would be neat to feature someone who actually had Native American ancestry in the future though!

[@superamanda]

You don't have to have native DNA to be enrolled in a tribe. Also I so I don't trust Henry gates at all. He has so much resentment and jealousy

[@js7dragon]

@@superamanda Resentment and jealousy against whom?

[@superamanda]

@@js7dragon Towards anyone who is and was able to you give a big middle finger to the color line. Flouting it and defying it in plain sight. Rebecca 's mother was a European American woman with 18% Black ancestry. Her grandfather according to Gates would have not even been 30%. Why shouldn't he have had the right to be who he wanted to be? Because gates doesn't have that freedom?

[@L-mo]

​@@superamanda Take a moment with yourself and do some introspection about where your statements really come from because Gates never said the grandfather did or did not have the right to consider himself white, black or Indian - he also showed no signs of resentment or jealousy, quite the opposite.

[@sheilaanna]

@@superamanda you’re the one that sounds resentful of something. Does mixed race people acknowledging they have black ancestry upset you or something? Acknowledging their African heritage doesn’t erase their whiteness of that’s what’s annoying you

[@tonygohagan2766]

Rebecca Hall: Mighty Champion already, and only just beginning to Bloom.

[@lxuaes6915]

"Everybody wanna be a *****, but don't nobody wanna be a *****" - Paul Mooney

[@celtiberian07]

Ive been following gates for many years this man is a great historian

[@engineerjac]

The census is not a good resource because depending on the census taker you could have been any race according to what they felt or perceived you to be.

[@AncestryUS]

Thank you for sharing with us!

[@darlenefarmer5921]

I just loved this! Ms Hall looks like some of my family members! Keep up the good work, Ancestry!

[@AncestryUS]

Hi Darlene, thank you for watching the video. We are happy you enjoyed it.

[@unmellowyellow]

She directed the movie “Passing”. It is a very good movie and beautifully shot and executed. I re-watched the ending a few times before I made up my mind at what actually happened. If you have seen the movie, you may know what I am talking about. I thought that the movie’s ambiguity at the movie’s final scene is brilliant. I also love black and white movies, which I think was essential for telling the story in the movie..

[@SkinnyEMedia]

R.I.P. Maria Ewing (her mother). Without her, there’d be no PASSING.

[@celticmulato2609]

What's so special about the movie??

[@maxdaly8185]

She’s a delight. What a great discovery.

[@AncestryUS]

Thanks so much for watching, Max!

[@AncestryUS]

Thank you for sharing with us.

[@pillowzzzbox3466]

I knew it!! You can see it!❤️❤️🔥

[@AncestryUS]

Great to hear!

[@cassandrasellersm.a.8719]

Great Episode!!! 🌱🥳🎉🎊

[@AncestryUS]

Thank you for sharing!

[@davidhoj]

great eopisode loved her reaction to the great history

[@AncestryUS]

We're so glad you enjoy it, David! 😊

[@stellacoltrane4058]

This ancestry videos ALLWAYS make me cry

[@samij5093]

Her great-grandad was a Howard Bison. You love to see it🤣

[@AncestryUS]

Hi, Poldark. The DNA results are from both sides of your family! You can learn more about what the DNA test includes in more detail and the price here: support.ancestry.com/s/article/What-to-Expect-from-AncestryDNA

[@shannanigansisme]

In this series, do they ever get into DNA results? I'm just curious to see if she has any Native American DNA.

[@shannanigansisme]

@Larry Lawayne Thank you! I'll try to check it out. (I have to figure out where to watch full episodes.)

[@shannanigansisme]

@@antoniorossiz Interesting! Thank you.

[@oceaniamonarch5404]

@@antoniorossiz he wasn't MOSTLY black.He a biracial (half black)who was able to pass as a white man.

[@Littlething41]

@@antoniorossiz Actually in the episode they revealed records where he did list White so he was passing as both Indian and White where he wanted to.

[@Littlething41]

@@shannanigansisme At the end of the episode they usually show a pie chart breaking down their background. She's 91% European and 9% Sub-Saharan African. Many blacks believed they had American Indian background too but Henry Louis Gates explained in most cases it's the mix with white that made a person look Indian.

[@garlandowls1134]

Rebecca Hall is a good actress. I hope that she will win a oscar one day.

[@Thecoochincanoocheecreek]

This explains her uniquely beautiful looks.

[@qui_etes_vous]

Yes, finding out your ancestry can help ppl to snap out of the delusion that we all do not have a SHARED history. we are sharing in everything and going through everything together, not separately in our own little worlds. When you find out that your ancestry is of mixed heritage or when you find out that your ancestors, whether they were wealthy or poor, have gone through a lot of hardships....we ALL have been suffering. Being rich or pretty has not spared anyone from having a hard, painful life. We ALL have been struggling to find happiness for our species. We are indeed one. I hope this show will open people's eyes to this reality and fact more :D

[@mindsEye09]

This show is moving, humbling and most of all educational. Dr. Henry Louis Gates Jr is keeping the spirit of heritage alive.

[@AncestryUS]

Thank you for this beautiful comment - we're so glad you enjoy the show!

[@gaelpache6776]

I guess she was not really prepared for this journey thanx to o misses hall to let this piece of here intimacy and personal frailty slip out of the editing room , a proof of great courage& generosity

[@AncestryUS]

We're glad you enjoyed it, Leta. What was your main takeaway from this episode? Let us know how this is impacting your research and what you've found while researching your ancestors.

[@jdone7619]

How much does this cost if I wanted to do something like this

[@AncestryUS]

Hey! We offer a few different memberships that can assist you in researching your family history. To get started, you'll be able to build a family tree on our site for free. Add as many names, dates of birth, death or marriage as you can, and be sure to add more distant relatives like cousins too where possible. Interview your family members to gather stories and dates, photos and other pieces of information that can be helpful like occupations and middle names, or even copies of certificates that might be hidden away in a box or cabinet somewhere. Once you've added as much information as you can to your tree, it'll then be time to start looking for historical records, which you can do with a membership. These start from just $24.99 a month for records in the USA. We also offer a DNA test, which is $99 before shipping that can be helpful for connecting with relatives. We'll link some more information here for you that we hope can help: support.ancestry.com/s/article/Why-Use-Ancestry Thanks so much for stopping by so we could provide this insight! We hope this helps a little, and we wish you every success in your research.

[@ptolemeeselenion1542]

@3:39 There has a remarkably vague resemblance bore between Rebecca Hall and her great-grandfather.

[@makeitmakesense2616]

I can't imagine the type of generational trauma she has experienced. I would imagine it is not only difficult but a lonely existence

[@brittanyhayes1043]

Generational trauma? You really believe that?

[@lindabb7064]

@@brittanyhayes1043 Science said so. Post-WWII psychology says so. Genetics says so (the so-called epi-genetics). The only thing we need is more education in the mainstream. So thanks for asking the question, it helps everyone.

[@brittanyhayes1043]

@@lindabb7064 Generational trauma does not exist. Sorry but it doesn't.

[@brittanyhayes1043]

@@lindabb7064 PTSD dose. But nit generation trauma. 🙄

[@brittanyhayes1043]

@@lindabb7064 Quite projecting your ancestors oppression as your own. You didn't go through the real oppression.

[@teresahardy5895]

It is so wonderful to know that some black Americans back then had a good life.

[@superamanda]

Is fighting a white man's war like the Revolutionary War and and being a white man's servant is not a "good life."

[@estellacohen7122]

Sorry....I missed it yesterday. I'll be looking for reruns however!!! Thanks to Dr. Gates for all he does!! XXOO

[@AncestryUS]

We're sorry you missed the most recent episode. We hope you've since managed to catch up. 😊

[@teetop5776]

We always find ourselves basing what our ethnicity/heritages from our parents/grandparents. But way back in the days. Ppl hid who they were. For social acceptance. SURVIVAL.

[@AncestryUS]

We hope you enjoyed the video!

[@karenc560]

Please don’t judge your grandfather too harshly!

[@brittanyhayes1043]

Please don't judge white peoples grandparents either.

[@adonnaharmon9303]

@@brittanyhayes1043 Her grandfather had to hide his identity because of the fact he had black in him. He wouldn’t have to have hid his identity if it weren’t for some white peoples grandparents. Let’s keep it 💯.

[@barbram8001]

@@brittanyhayes1043 Why?

[@brittanyhayes1043]

@@adonnaharmon9303 Don't blame white people grandparents. Doesn't matter.

[@isaacrosenthal2372]

@@adonnaharmon9303 exactly. As it turns out, my maternal grandmother very likely did the same.

[@enriquegilmour]

I had no idea of her heritage but to me she is beautiful and even more than that she is a very talented actress. I know she isn't the classic Barbie doll beauty but she is gorgeous to me.

[@carolwarren2020]

Native Americans were recorded as African american

[@HoneySwtDrms]

And many Whites as Native Americans

[@superamanda]

THANK YOU

[@craigblakes5499]

Learn something new everyday lol. I knew she was looking familiar and remembered her from the Kong vs Godzilla movie, but didn't know she was half lol. I encourage everyone to learn their family history. Fun and fascinating

[@lucyk2371]

I've always heard mullato could refer to any free person of color. If you were half Indian and half white you could be referred to this way.

[@engineerjac]

That is correct they even could have been white because alot of darker Italian or others white groups depending on where you were was also noted as black to include them rather than exclude them.

[@carm7518]

Europeans would often describe someone with a darker complexion as black even if the person wasn't. Many Jews were described as 'Schwarty' (translated black) by white Europeans. The concept of black back then was different.

[@engineerjac]

Expect when they wanted to take credit for something historical notable

[@AncestryUS]

What have you been able to learn about your family lines so far, @Bren7511? We hope you'll explore more videos on our KZbin channel and research to find new details about your ancestors.

[@Reborn2h2o]

Great episode 👏

[@AncestryUS]

We are glad you enjoyed it!