Henry Louis Gates, Jr.

Celebrating great Americans — A new series of blogs

Time for something different here at takenote.ca. Setting aside stories of the dark fascist in the white house and his posse of oligarchal henchmen I want to commence a series celebrating great modern day Americans. Today I feature Henry Louis Gates, Jr., someone I have only seen in passing on PBS television though clearly someone I need to watch more carefully. A recent Facebook post from Cambridge in America brought his accomplished story to life for me in the context of February, Black History month.

[From Facebook] “February is Black History Month, and Cambridge in America stands with the generations of African Americans who struggled with adversity to achieve full citizenship in American society.

We celebrate CAm Board Director Professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr. (Clare College 1973), an American literary scholar and Emmy award winning documentary filmmaker who serves as the Alphonse Fletcher University Professor and the director of the Hutchins Center for African and African American Research at Harvard University. Professor Gates is the recipient of numerous awards and honorary degrees, including from the University of Cambridge.

In 2024 he received a Primetime Emmy nomination for “Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr.”, a documentary television series that uses genealogical research and genetics to discover the family history of well-known Americans, and he is the 2024 recipient of the Spingarn Medal from the NAACP for his contributions to the literary world and commitment to Black history.

He is also the host of “Great Migrations: A People on the Move,” a new docuseries that explores the transformative impact of Black migration on American culture and society. He recently received the 2025 Vilcek Prize for excellence in Literary Scholarship.”

[KJG] The citation for Gates’s Vilcek Prize award continues in a similar vein:

“Gates’s contributions to contemporary discourse on race, literature, and immigration are unmatched. He has spoken openly about the need for increased funding and funding equity in public education. His initiative in this area ensures that future generations will have access to tools to succeed . . .

Through his work, Gates continues to bring African American history into the mainstream. In doing so, he fosters a deeper understanding of the complexities and richness of the Black experience, while promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in American society . . .

Being awarded the 2025 Vilcek Prize for Excellence is a testament not only to Gates’s scholarly achievements, but to his vital cultural contributions. His recognition underscores the importance of African American history in shaping the nation’s identity and highlights his role as a champion of diversity and inclusion.”

[KJG] Clearly, Henry Louis Gates, Jr. is an important and timely voice as America struggles to recover its own history of inclusion and welcome, a tradition that many seek to deny and even extinguish. American friends, thoughts and prayers from your northern neighbour.