Take actor LeVar Burton, famed for his role in the 1977 slavery mini-series "Roots." His recent DNA test revealed an unexpected revelation – he descends from a Confederate soldier. In a surprising turn, Burton, a black individual, discovered that his great-grandfather was a white member of the Confederate Army's junior reserves.
Now, that's an ironic twist...
From Western Journal:
“Are you kidding me?” Burton said while shaking his head in disbelief.
Gates, a Harvard scholar, hosts weekly episodes of the genealogy research show.
Burton, meanwhile, received a 1977 Primetime Emmy nomination for his portrayal of Kunta Kinte, a West African teenager kidnapped and transported to North America as a slave in the middle of the 18th century.
The 66-year-old actor appeared on “Finding Your Roots” in large part because he knew so little of his own heritage.
“It was very difficult to get stories of her upbringing,” Burton said of his mother, Erma Gene Ward.
Gates then speculated that perhaps, based on researchers’ findings, Erma had reasons for keeping secrets.
