"Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr." has returned for its 12th season on PBS. Over the course of ten new episodes, Gates and his team use genealogical detective work and cutting-edge DNA analysis to trace the family trees of twenty compelling guests, telling stories that illuminate America's fundamental diversity.

As the pages turn in each guest’s book of life, emotional revelations give way to complex questions about identity. Through Gates’ discerning touch, his guests learn what every family history shares—love, courage, and sacrifice—and how our histories transcend borders, merging to form a national root system fortified by difference as well as commonality. Along the way, viewers are transported from coastal Africa to rural Texas; from Muslim communities in northern India to the ancestral lands of the Cherokee Nation; from villages in the Philippines to George Washington’s camp at Valley Forge—all in search of the stories that will bring our guests’ ancestors to life.

Guests include actors Kate Burton, Lizzy Caplan, Kristin Chenoweth, Liza Colón-Zayas, Darren Criss, Danielle Deadwyler, America Ferrera, Sanaa Lathan, and Delroy Lindo; comedian Hasan Minhaj; basketball stars Brittney Griner and Chris Paul; musicians Flea, Rhiannon Giddens, Lizzo, and Wiz Khalifa; playwright Tracy Letts; talk show host Sara Haines; media mogul Barry Diller; and filmmaker Spike Lee. 

For more on the series, visit pbs.org/show/finding-your-roots.

Corporate support for Season 12 of FINDING YOUR ROOTS WITH HENRY LOUIS GATES, JR. is provided by Gilead Sciences, Inc., Ancestry and Johnson & Johnson. Major support is provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Support is also provided by Ford Foundation; Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation; W.K. Kellogg Foundation; Candace King Weir; by the Inkwell Society together with many of its members; and by public television viewers. 

Find kin and kinship in genealogy: How to Find Your Roots

Henry Louis Gates Jr., host of the PBS series "Finding Your Roots," makes the research work of genealogy look easy. But many of us don't really know where to start.

So Panhandle PBS brings you "How to Find Your Roots," inspired by Season 8 of the national series.

The show features advice and tips from local expert Cindy Wallace, an Amarillo Public Library reference librarian who specializes in genealogy and guides patrons as they begin to explore the backgrounds of their family members.

Wallace and other genealogy enthusiasts introduces in the episode have traced their lineage back to the American Revolution and, in some cases, much further.

"How to Find Your Roots" shares the rich history revealed in treasured family bibles, tintypes and photographs, and a scrapbook that illustrates the rapidly changing culture of the United States in the early 1900s.

The show provides a glimpse into the extensive collection of reference materials available at Amarillo's downtown library, as well as worksheets for budding genealogists.

Most of us have cherished family heirlooms, but these treasures passed from generation to generation don't come alive unless their stories are told. 

Panhandle PBS's digital series "Shadowbox Stories" was inspired by "Finding Your Roots" Season 8 and highlights these objects and what makes them so special.

Inspired by "Finding Your Roots" Season 11, Panhandle PBS's limited digital series "Family Treats" featured interviews on family food heritage featuring Serbian, Turkish, Paraguayan, and North American recipes.  More information, including videos, is available here.