For those of you in the United States, a new two-part, four hour edition of African American Lives will debut this Wednesday night, February 6 at 9:00 p.m. Hosted by Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates, the series follows genealogical investigations into the ancestry of many well-known African Americans, along with that of college administrator Kathleen Henderson, who was selected from more than 2,000 applicants to have her family history researched and DNA tested alongside the series' more well-known guests.

Other individuals profiled on the show include poet Maya Angelou, author Bliss Broyard, actor Don Cheadle, actor Morgan Freeman, theologian Peter Gomes, publisher Linda Johnson Rice, athlete Jackie Joyner-Kersee, radio personality Tom Joyner, comedian Chris Rock and music legend Tina Turner. Chris Rock learns that his grandfather served as a Union corporal in the Civil War, was elected to the South Carolina legislature, and went from being a slave to owning 66 acres of land. Radio personality Tom Joyner is surprised when it's uncovered that two of his great-uncles (his grandmother's brothers) were lynched for a crime they most likely did not commit. Don Cheadle discovers ancestors who were enslaved by Chickasaw Indians and brought to Oklahoma on the infamous "Trail of Tears."

The four-part series premieres in two-hour episodes at 9:00 p.m. on Feb. 6 and Feb. 13. Check local listings or visit www.pbs.org/aalives2.