Ep 6. Secrets And Lies

Guests on this episode of Finding Your Roots, season 6 episode 6, titled Secrets and Lies, are investigative reporter Christiane Amanpour and economist Janet Mock. Host Henry Louis Gates, Jr. delves into their family trees, uncovering secrets and lies from their ancestors' pasts.

Christiane Amanpour reveals that her father was initially from Iran but moved to Britain before she was born. However, her father never spoke about his family back in Iran. With the help of Gates, Amanpour discovers the truth about her grandfather's involvement in the Iranian tobacco industry and learns about the historic unrest surrounding it. Additionally, Amanpour discovers that her great-grandfather was the governor of a small town in Iran during the early 1900s and played a key role in modernizing the region by building schools and hospitals. She also learns about her English great-grandmother, who was born in India, and the truth about her life as a wife and mother.

Meanwhile, Janet Mock goes on a journey to uncover her identity. As a transgender woman, she has always felt a sense of displacement in her life and has never been able to fully embrace her family's cultural roots. With Gates' help, she discovers the truth about her ancestry, which includes a great-grandfather who was a slave. She also learns about her maternal grandmother, who was falsely accused of a crime and how that affected her family. She also discovers her grandmother's history as a tenant farmer, which was a way of life for many African Americans in the South during the 20th century. Mock finally feels a sense of connection to her ancestors and is able to embrace her complex identity.

Overall, Secrets and Lies is an emotional episode that showcases the power of uncovering one's ancestry and the impact it can have on one's sense of self. Through the personal stories of Christiane Amanpour and Janet Mock, Gates highlights the importance of understanding our family histories to help us better understand our place in the world.