“Laughing on the Inside,” an upcoming episode of Finding Your Roots, tells the family stories of two comedians, Grammy-winner Lewis Black and Roy Wood Jr., correspondent for The Daily Show. As host Henry Louis Gates Jr. explains, the lives of the ancestors of both guests were “more inclined towards drama than towards comedy.” The show airs Tues., May 4, at 8 p.m. (ET) on PBS.
Lewis Black says that one of the reasons he agreed to appear on Finding Your Roots is that he hoped to finally learn about the origin of his last name—something he’s wanted to know since childhood. That question is answered when Gates reveals details about Black’s paternal grandfather’s immigration to America from Russia in 1905. The comedian also hears about the Russian roots of his maternal great-grandparents who briefly lived in Palestine before family members began their trek to the U.S.
Roy Wood Jr.’s late father, a civil rights activist and pioneer radio announcer, rarely spoke about his family’s background. Gates uncovers the story of Wood’s grandmother and her move from the Deep South to Chicago during The Great Migration. Her detailed obituary, as Gates explains, “turned out to be a goldmine for our researchers.” The Daily Host correspondent’s paternal roots are traced back to an African-born ancestor.
The show concludes with DNA admixture results for Black and Wood each finding they are related to guests from previous episodes.
Photos: Courtesy of McGee Media