Ep 1. Grandparents And Other Strangers

In the season 5 premiere of the popular PBS series Finding Your Roots, host Henry Louis Gates Jr. delves into the ancestral histories of three highly accomplished individuals: actor Andy Samberg, author George R.R. Martin, and activist Radhika Jones. Through genealogical research and DNA testing, Gates uncovers surprising and sometimes difficult truths about the families and communities that shaped their lives.

The episode delves into the lives of the guests' grandparents, aunts, uncles and other relatives, in an effort to highlight the importance of familial ties and uncover pieces of history that may have been lost over time.

First up is Andy Samberg, best known for his comedic roles on Saturday Night Live and in Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Gates reveals that Samberg's maternal grandfather, Alfred J. Marrow, was a respected labor activist who fought for better wages and working conditions for New York City's garment workers during the early 20th century. Marrow's commitment to unionization and fair labor practices stemmed in part from his own experience working in the textile industry.

Gates also uncovers information about Samberg's paternal grandfather, Meyer Samberg, who emigrated from Poland to the United States in the early 1920s. Meyer struggled to make ends meet as a peddler on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, but eventually became a successful businessman. Along the way, he faced discrimination and witnessed the rise of anti-Semitic sentiment in the United States.

Next, Gates turns his attention to George R.R. Martin, the creative mind behind the Game of Thrones franchise. Martin's maternal grandparents, Margaret Brady and Robert Martin, were a source of great inspiration to him. Though they died when he was young, he remembers vividly their stories of growing up in the hardscrabble mining communities of Pennsylvania.

Through extensive research, Gates uncovers new information about Martin's paternal great-grandfather, Jacob Martin, who came to the United States from Germany in the mid-19th century. Jacob was a farmer in New Jersey and, like many German immigrants at the time, spoke only limited English. Gates also investigates Martin's maternal ancestors, who were deeply affected by the coal mining industry that dominated their region.

Last but not least, Gates looks into the family history of Radhika Jones, editor-in-chief of Vanity Fair magazine. Jones grew up in a multicultural household, with a mother who was of Indian descent and a father who was African American. Throughout the episode, Gates highlights the ways in which Jones' ancestors were shaped by the political and social forces of their time.

Jones' paternal grandfather, Edward Jones, was a celebrated physician and civil rights activist who played a key role in the desegregation of hospitals in the United States. But Gates discovers that Edward's own father, Edmond Jones, had a less glamorous past. Edmond was a sharecropper in Alabama who ultimately abandoned his family and left them to move north in search of better opportunities.

As always, Finding Your Roots sheds new light on the personal histories of its guests, revealing the complex web of connections that link us all to our ancestors and to each other. Through its careful research and emphasis on personal storytelling, the show reminds us of the importance of knowing where we come from and how we got here.