Roots Less Traveled

Siblings seek their Japanese heritage beginning in 1890s Japan in California's farmlands in the 1940s; a mother and daughter discover their ancestor was freed from enslavement by President Lincoln and became a Civil War hero.

Cousins Patti and Damon learn that their African American ancestors were farmers and landowners pre-Emancipation with help from a family of Quakers, and a family discovers how their ancestors gained freedom through a monumental Kentucky court case.

Gwendolyn and her daughter, Gabrielle, discover that her great-grandfather was liberated on one of the most significant days of President Abraham Lincoln's presidency and later became a hero with the U.S. Colored Troops 1st Infantry in the Civil War.

Faruq Tauheed hosts as brother and sister Jimmy and Katie seek out their Japanese heritage beginning in 1890s Japan, then in San Francisco, and finally in the farmlands of the Central Valley of California in the 1940s.

Faruq Tauheed looks back at memorable moments, including a cousin who gave the keys to Mexico City to John F. Kennedy, a grandfather who owned 32 blocks in Havana, Cuba, and an African American ancestor who owned Tennessee land before the Civil War.

Aunt Tammy and nephew Julian revisit the ancestral journey they took through Brooklyn, New York, sharing what it was like to try their hand at ironworking after learning their ancestor was a key player in building and maintaining the Brooklyn Bridge.

Mum and son Sharee and DeVonn revisit their Nashville trip where they discovered the positive impact their ancestors made in the African American community and followed in their ancestors' footsteps to get the people of Nashville registered to vote.

Siblings Ashley and Elliott reminisce about their trip to Martha's Vineyard, Mass., where they sailed on a boat much like the one their ancestor was taken prisoner on during the Revolutionary War and visited an inn with special family ties.

Host Faruq Tauheed looks back at memorable moments, including a relative who gave John F. Kennedy the keys to Mexico City, a connection to downtown Havana, Cuba, and an African American ancestor who owned land in Tennessee before the Civil War.

Host Faruq Tauheed takes brother and sister Ashley and Elliott back to their grandparents' hometown of Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts. During their trip, they get a sailing lesson and learn that their fifth great-grandfather Henry Osborn was taken prisoner on a boat in the Revolutionary War. While feasting on lobster, they discover that their third great-grandfather Samuel Osborn went from debtor's prison to owning a fleet of whaling ships. A surprise visit from their parents allows them to share their found history.

Host Faruq Tauheed takes father and daughter Paul and Kalina to the Civil War battleground in Port Republic, Virginia, where they discover that Paul's great-grandfather Austin D. Springer was a drummer boy for the Union Army. At the battlefield, Paul and Kalina learn that Austin was taken prisoner by the Confederate Army but escaped and hid in slave huts until he made his way back to the Union Army. Paul, a Vietnam veteran, connects his own experience and believes that being a combat vet is in his genes.

Host Faruq Tauheed takes uncle and nephew Al and Jr. on an ancestral trip to Havana, Cuba, where Al learns that his grandfather Joseph Barlow owned and developed 34 blocks of downtown Havana, including the now-famous suburban neighborhood Buena Vista. But due to an unfortunate turn of fate, Joseph Barlow lost his riches in a political coup. As the two men connect over their own entrepreneurship, they learn where their family's resilience came from.