The Black Church, the Holy Ghost, and Speaking in Tongues
EXCERPTIn a new book and related PBS documentary, the author explores how the Black church is the space where cultural ties to Africa come to life in mutated but still recognizable form.
Broadway Was Made for Tupac
HistoryPouring through Tupac was the poetry of concrete ’hoods, of ganglands and cops, of the tragedy of early prison and death, prosecuting the New World for what it had robbed from so many.
The Culture Wars' Next Frontier
In an excerpt from Tradition and the Black Atlantic, Henry Louis Gates Jr. says forget the either/or struggle of America’s culture wars and embrace a multi-cultural approach to the world.
An Oscar Winner’s Secret History
In an excerpt from his book, Faces of America, Henry Louis Gates recounts the unknown story of legendary film director Mike Nichols’ family in Russia—and their escape to America.
The Mystery of Yo-Yo Ma's Name
With the help of Henry Louis Gates, cellist Yo-Yo Ma discovers a family genealogy dating back 255 years—a bamboo volume that dictates 60 generations of Ma family names.