Product Details

• Actors: Maya Angelou, Don Cheadle, Morgan Freeman, Henry Louis Gates, Chris Rock
• Directors: Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
• Format: Color, Dolby, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 5.1)
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Studio: PBS
• DVD Release Date: May 6, 2008
• Run Time: 240 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0012Z36E4
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #22,317 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "African American Lives 2" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

In February 2006 the PBS series African American Lives narrated by acclaimed Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates showed the results of extensive genealogical searches of prominent African Americans including composer and producer Quincy Jones talk show host Oprah Winfrey and comedian Chris Tucker. Reaction to the show spurred thousands of black Americans to begin or renew the search especially with the help of DNA testing to find their origins. Gates and PBS have teamed up for a sequel that will air in February 2008 but this version will have a twist: A member of the general public will be selected to have his or her genealogical roots traced. The winner s story will be told along with those of several celebrities including Chris Rock Morgan Freeman Tom Joyner Maya Angelou Don Cheadle and others.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: DOCUMENTARIES/HISTORY UPC: 841887052320 Manufacturer No: 705232

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Tina Turner is 1/3 "white"! Chris Rock is 1/5 "white? Native Americans owned Don Cheadle's family? "African-Am.Lives 2-PBS", February 15, 2008

By 

KerrLines ""Movies,Music,Theatre"" (Baltimore,MD) - See all my reviews

This review is from: African American Lives 2 (DVD)

If you have followed the PBS 4 hour mini-series "African American Lives 2" this February, then you will want to purchase the DVD I am certain.This amazingly well documented and directed expose of 12 "black" people, including the likes of Pop Diva Icon Tina Turner,comedian Chris Rock,everybody's favorite narrator Morgan Freeman,actor Don Cheadle as well as historians,preachers and Harvard Professors,whose racial identity is disclosed to them through court documents,wills,ship manifests and the newest advances in DNA technology yielding surprises beyond belief to them as well as myself!!!
Who we are is simply not that easy to say.Where we come from is not as simple as black or white.What is being "black" anyway? What is being "white"? What do you do with information when culture tells you that you are one "race", but DNA tells you either way more or the opposite? These are the complex questions that are answered in great detail for these 12 people,identified as "black" or "African-American." (Frankly, this is so interesting that any "race" will benefit immensely from this documentary film!)

This documentary brilliantly is non-biased and quite moving.See how Don Cheadle reacts when he finds that his family was owned by Native Americans!!!! Tina Turner is one third European and NO Native American blood! Chris Rock is 1/5 "white"! There is even the authoress Briss Bryson who has always been "white" who discovers that she has more African blood than most "negroes"!!!! What do we do with such information? Does it change who we are,or does it complete who we are? Henry Gates,Harvard Professor is 50% Irish, and yet has always identified as "African." African-American Radio personality Tom Joyner is overwhelmed when he sees a painting of his 5th-great grandfather, a white Supreme Court Judge who has the exact same grey eyes.This stuff is overwhelming! Lots of myths are dispelled about certain long held beliefs about slavery.Others are confirmed.Did all blacks come from slavery? No.Did "free blacks" live in the Old South-overwhelmingly! Anyone interested in their heritage, whatever it may be, will be touched and challenged to dig into their past and ask questions about whence they came.Will what you find,though, affect where you are going?
A fascinating companion film to this would be Frontline By PBS ; Jefferson's Blood, and African American Lives.I cannot give a higher recommendation for purchase than this documentary.LOOK FOR THIS TO AIR AGAIN IN THE NEXT WEEKS ON PBS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Who are we and is it important?, February 15, 2008

By 

All Red "Red" (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: African American Lives 2 (DVD)

After 40 years of knowing that I was an American of Scottish descent with the looks and the family tree to substantiate it, my sister unveils that I (we) are one-quarter French! What a shock and also a pleasant surprise.I don't look the least bit French, but suddenly in one minute,I am! How does this change my perspective on myself? Well, can you imagine having been certain all your life that you were African-American and part Indian only to find out that you are actually more white than you are either of the other two strains of humanity? I must say, that PBS has outdone itself this time!
African American Lives,Part One was good, but the ongoing saga/sequel is stupendous.I was captivated for 4 hours (and that is tough for me!) with the indepth look into the racial makeup of such well known people as Olympic Gold Medalist Jackie Joyner-Kersee,The Shawshank Redemption (Two-Disc Special Edition)'s Morgan Freeman, Hotel Rwanda's Don Cheadle and others whose backgrounds are shown to them through the latest technological advances in DNA testing.Not only were the twelve African-Americans involved in this documentary,who have always identified themselves as such, surprised,amazed,moved and aghast at the findings,but they are asked to either reject or embrace what they discover about their lineage.
As I will never see myself as pure Scottish ever again, neither will the likes of Linda Hamilton Rice,Tina Turner,Tom Joyner.Bliss Brysen,Rev.Gomes and Henry Gates ( I have missed someone else-oops!).If this PBS Special fails to win an Award for something, than I will give up on Award Shows altogether!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars African American Lives 2, August 8, 2008

By 

Anthony W. Ramsey "Ramz58" (Baumholder, Germany) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: African American Lives 2 (DVD)

Wow! It's kind of creepy, but it will make you want to follow your roots.
Honestly, I'm not sure that I would want to know!!!