If America has a civic religion, the First Amendment is its central article of faith. — Henry Louis Gates Copy Share Image
Wherever you go in the history of America, there have been Black people making contributions, but their contributions have been obscured, lost,… — Henry Louis Gates Copy Share Image
The story of the African-American people is the story of the settlement and growth of America itself, a universal tale that all… — Henry Louis Gates Copy Share Image
I would like to do a series about sequencing the human genome, and also analyze more human diversity among other ethnic groups… — Henry Louis Gates Copy Share Image
In America one drop of black ancestry makes you black. In Brazil, it's almost as if one drop of white ancestry makes… — Henry Louis Gates Copy Share Image
In America there is institutional racism that we all inherit and participate in, like breathing the air in this room - and… — Henry Louis Gates Copy Share Image
Patriotism is best exemplified through auto-critique. When you're willing to stand up within the group and say, 'It is wrong for Black… — Henry Louis Gates Copy Share Image
In 1957, when I was in second grade, black children integrated Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas. We watched it on… — Henry Louis Gates Copy Share Image
The only people who live in a post-black world are four people who live in a little white house on Pennsylvania Avenue.… — Henry Louis Gates Copy Share Image
All of the guests on 'Faces of America' were deeply moved by what we revealed about their ancestry. We were able to… — Henry Louis Gates Copy Share Image
Color categories are on steroids in Latin America. I find that fascinating. It's very difficult for Americans, particularly African-Americans to understand or… — Henry Louis Gates Copy Share Image
Where do real conversations about citizenship occur? In our schools. Think about the things you learned in first grade. "My Country 'Tis… — Henry Louis Gates Copy Share Image
There haven't been fundamental structural changes in America. There's been a very important symbolic change and that is the election of Barack… — Henry Louis Gates Copy Share Image
America is the greatest nation ever founded. The ideals are the greatest ever espoused in human history, and we just need the… — Henry Louis Gates Copy Share Image
Very few Black people ever embraced back to Africa movements, and very few actually, a tiny number actually went back to Africa.… — Henry Louis Gates Copy Share Image
In Ethiopia, the black people became Christians 1700 years ago, hundreds of years before Northern Europe turned to Christianity... And here, most of the… — Henry Louis Gates Copy Share
Politicians will not put forth programs aimed at the problems of poor blacks while their turnout remains so low. — Henry Louis Gates Copy Share
I'm a tech geek. Whenever I read about something new, I think to myself, How can I take this and make it black? — Henry Louis Gates Copy Share
I think that the implication of King's assassination has not been fully appreciated. — Henry Louis Gates Copy Share
I want to be remembered as someone who tried to bring the story of our ancestors to the broadest possible audience. I want to… — Henry Louis Gates Copy Share
In 1957, when I was in second grade, black children integrated Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas. We watched it on TV. All… — Henry Louis Gates Copy Share
Since the day Martin Luther King was killed, the black middle classes have almost quadrupled, but the percentage of black children living on or… — Henry Louis Gates Copy Share
Because Lincoln is so closely identified with what it is to be American, everyone wants to claim him, to rewrite his story to satisfy… — Henry Louis Gates Copy Share
Wherever you go in the history of America, there have been Black people making contributions, but their contributions have been obscured, lost, buried. — Henry Louis Gates Copy Share
The act of writing for the slave constituted the act of creating a public, historical self, not only the self of the individual author… — Henry Louis Gates Copy Share
You can say I had a severe case of 'Roots' envy. I wanted to be like Alex Haley, and I wanted to be able… — Henry Louis Gates Copy Share
