Finding Your Roots

(quiet acoustic music) Records suggest that Michael's family has likely been in the same part of South Carolina since the early 19th century, if not earlier. First in slavery, then in freedom. This is unusual; over 40% of all the slaves who came into the United States arrived in this country through the port of Charleston, South Carolina, but most were then shipped elsewhere. Michael's ancestors, however, appear to have stayed very close to where they likely landed. So they entered through Charleston. And then usually they were dispersed. Your family stayed in South Carolina that whole time. I was expecting to hear this journey, they went over here, they went over there. No, they went to Greeleyville! (laughs) To Greeleyville. They didn't go down to Mississippi, Alabama. I mean maybe extended family did. Yeah, but not the core, the core stayed. And your father left New York to find home, it was like a magnet drawing him back man, because your family's lived there forever. In your family tree, there was Africa, and then there was South Carolina. It's like, wow. My bloodline's been here in America for a long time. -

Henry

A long time, man.