Civil Rights Activist Angela Davis Learns Surprising Genealogy on “Finding Your Roots”

On Tuesday’s episode of “Finding Your Roots,” civil rights activist Angela Davis learned a series of surprising facts about her ancestral history, but one revelation left her outright shocked.

{snip} Davis grew up not knowing her maternal grandparents since her mother had grown up in a foster home, so she was eager to see if host Henry Louis Gates Jr. could solve that life-long mystery for her. {snip}

“You are descended from one of the 101 people who sailed on the Mayflower,” Gates said, presenting Davis with a manifest including the name of her 10th great-grandfather.

William Brewster, a decedent from Davis’ father’s side, was born in England roughly around 1570, according to research conducted by Gates, and was one of the first settlers in America {snip}

“Do you know what you’re looking at? That is a list of the passengers on the Mayflower.”

Our researchers discovered #AngelaDavis’s ancestors traveled to the US on the Mayflower and here is her reaction. #FindingYourRoots pic.twitter.com/G2HhA9BSrT

— Henry Louis Gates Jr (@HenryLouisGates) February 22, 2023

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