Henry Louis Gates

About Henry Louis Gates

African-American author, historian, PBS miniseries host, and public intellectual who wrote about race, politics, history, and culture. His scholarly book, The Signifying Monkey, earned the American Book Award in 1989.

Henry Louis Gates before fame

He earned a bachelor's degree in history and a doctorate in Afro-American studies from Yale University. He went on to teach at Cornell University, Duke University, and Harvard University.

Achievement of Henry Louis Gates

He was wrongly detained outside his own home in Cambridge, Massachusetts, after someone reported an attempted break-in. The arrest in 2009 triggered a heated debate over the prejudiced attitudes of law enforcement.

Henry Louis Gates family life

He detailed his childhood in West Virginia in his best-selling memoir, Colored People. He has two daughters with his wife, Sharon Lynn Adams. He and Adams later divorced.

Associations of Henry Louis Gates

After being jailed for"breaking into" his own home, he appeared on Oprah Winfrey's talk show to discuss race relations.

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