Paris speaks with renowned historian and public intellectual Henry Louis Gates Jr. about race, identity, and how history continues to shape American life. Gates challenges long‑held assumptions about Blackness, explaining why race is not a biological fact but a social construct rooted in power and history. Drawing on genetic ancestry research, he unpacks what DNA reveals about African American identity, including the lasting impact of slavery and racial hierarchy. The conversation also surfaces often‑erased stories of Black and Indigenous people in early American history, particularly during the Revolutionary War, and examines why these narratives remain contested today amid debates over education and memory.

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