In a message dated 1/23/07 10:26:38 PM, [log in to unmask] writes: > I don't want to violate a copyright by giving the entire article, but here > are several statements from the article in today's Winchester Star. > > > > Oprah's Roots' debuts on PBS > Area genealogist assists with research for book, program > > By Kathryn Parker > Special to The Winchester Star > > Winchester - Jane Ailes, a professional genealogist who lives in White Post, > has been helping Harvard University professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. to tell > the story of African-American roots for millions of PBS television viewers. > > The first program, "African American Lives," aired in February 2006. The > sequel, "Oprah's Roots," will premiere at 8 p.m. on Wednesday. It is about > Oprah Winfrey, her ancestors, and the methods used to discover them. Ailes > appears in both shows. > > > > Genealogist Jane Ailes looks through a record book in the Frederick County > Circuit Court clerk's office in Winchester. She assisted with a genealogy > program, "Oprah's Roots," which will premiere at 8 p.m. on Wednesday on PBS. > > (Photo by Rick Foster) > > "What moved people in 'African American Lives' was the genealogy," said > Gates in a recent phone interview. > > Audiences were so affected by the conversations between Gates and Winfrey > that the second of the series focuses totally on Winfrey. > > "If you have ever wondered why Oprah is Oprah, look at her family tree. Look > at Constantine Winfrey, her great-great-grandfather," Gates said. > > Constantine's story is told in "Oprah's Roots." > > Gates and Winfrey also discuss the fact that slavery was never mentioned by > their families and the probable reasons in this very personal program. > > Gates calls Ailes, who helped with the research, one of the finest > genealogists in America. "She's a genius. I hired her to do my own > genealogy." > > Born and raised in Romney, W.Va., Ailes is an eighth-generation descendant > of early Hampshire County settlers. She studied biology at Bridgewater > College and the University of Virginia and genealogy at the University of > Toronto. > > As a professional genealogist, Ailes knows what she is seeking and how to > find it. She has experience with database design and is used to dealing with > large sets of data. > > ...more to the story plus a list of valuable references and sources. > > > > Wilmer L. Kerns > > Dear Wilmer: Cool! Thanks for the info, will tune in tomorrow! Anita To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the instructions at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html