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Henry Louis Gates Jr. was born in Piedmont, West Virginia, and later moved to Keyser.
Answer: False
Explanation: Henry Louis Gates Jr. was born in Keyser, West Virginia, and grew up in the neighboring town of Piedmont.
DNA analysis revealed that Henry Louis Gates Jr. has no European ancestry, confirming his purely West African heritage.
Answer: False
Explanation: DNA analysis revealed that Henry Louis Gates Jr. has partial descent from the Yoruba people of West Africa and also has 50% European ancestry, including Irish forebears.
Henry Louis Gates Jr.'s childhood hip injury resulted in his right leg being two inches shorter than his left, requiring him to use a cane.
Answer: True
Explanation: At age 14, Henry Louis Gates Jr. sustained a hip injury that, due to misdiagnosis, resulted in his right leg being two inches shorter than his left, necessitating the use of a cane.
Gates completed his undergraduate studies at Harvard University before pursuing graduate work at Cambridge.
Answer: False
Explanation: Henry Louis Gates Jr. completed his undergraduate studies at Yale University, earning a B.A. *summa cum laude* in history, before pursuing graduate work at Cambridge.
Henry Louis Gates Jr. was initially hired as an assistant professor in the Afro-American Studies department at Yale immediately after withdrawing from law school.
Answer: False
Explanation: After withdrawing from law school, Henry Louis Gates Jr. was initially hired as a secretary in the Afro-American Studies department at Yale, later becoming a lecturer and then an assistant professor.
During the *African American Lives* series, Gates discovered he was descended from John Redman, a free African American veteran of the American Revolutionary War.
Answer: True
Explanation: During the *African American Lives* series, Henry Louis Gates Jr. discovered his descent from John Redman, a mulatto veteran of the American Revolutionary War, which led to his induction into the Sons of the American Revolution.
Henry Louis Gates Jr. is a distant relative of the famous American author, Stephen King.
Answer: False
Explanation: Henry Louis Gates Jr. is a distant relative of the actor John Lithgow, not the author Stephen King.
Gates was inducted into the Sons of the American Revolution in 2006 after tracing his lineage to a free African American who fought in the Revolutionary War.
Answer: True
Explanation: Henry Louis Gates Jr. was inducted into the Sons of the American Revolution in 2006 after successfully tracing his lineage to John Redman, a free African American who fought in the Revolutionary War.
In 2010, Henry Louis Gates Jr. became the first African American to have his genome fully sequenced.
Answer: True
Explanation: In 2010, Henry Louis Gates Jr. achieved the unique scientific distinction of becoming the first African American to have his genome fully sequenced.
Henry Louis Gates Sr., Gates's father, worked exclusively as a janitor.
Answer: False
Explanation: Henry Louis Gates Sr., Henry Louis Gates Jr.'s father, worked in a paper mill and also as a janitor, not exclusively as a janitor.
In what year was Henry Louis Gates Jr. born?
Answer: 1950
Explanation: Henry Louis Gates Jr. was born on September 16, 1950.
What significant personal discovery did Henry Louis Gates Jr. make about his ancestry through DNA analysis?
Answer: He is partially descended from the Yoruba people of West Africa and has 50% European ancestry.
Explanation: Through DNA analysis, Henry Louis Gates Jr. discovered he has partial descent from the Yoruba people of West Africa and 50% European ancestry, including Irish forebears.
What was the lasting effect of Henry Louis Gates Jr.'s childhood hip injury?
Answer: His right leg became two inches shorter than his left, leading him to use a cane.
Explanation: Henry Louis Gates Jr.'s childhood hip injury resulted in a misdiagnosis that left his right leg two inches shorter than his left, requiring him to use a cane.
Which university did Henry Louis Gates Jr. attend for his undergraduate studies, earning a B.A. *summa cum laude*?
Answer: Yale University
Explanation: Henry Louis Gates Jr. attended Yale University for his undergraduate studies, where he earned a B.A. *summa cum laude* in history.
What was Henry Louis Gates Jr.'s initial role at Yale University after withdrawing from law school in 1975?
Answer: Secretary in the Afro-American Studies department
Explanation: After withdrawing from Yale Law School in October 1975, Henry Louis Gates Jr. was initially hired as a secretary in the Afro-American Studies department at Yale.
What personal genealogical discovery led to Henry Louis Gates Jr.'s induction into the Sons of the American Revolution?
Answer: His lineage to John Redman, a mulatto veteran of the American Revolutionary War
Explanation: Henry Louis Gates Jr.'s induction into the Sons of the American Revolution was a result of tracing his lineage to John Redman, a mulatto veteran of the American Revolutionary War.
What spiritual experience did Henry Louis Gates Jr. report after learning Transcendental Meditation in 1974?
Answer: A 'moment of transcendence' where he felt 'the top of my head opened up'.
Explanation: In 1974, after learning Transcendental Meditation, Henry Louis Gates Jr. reported a profound spiritual experience, describing a 'moment of transcendence' where he felt 'the top of my head opened up'.
Which actor is Henry Louis Gates Jr. a distant relative of?
Answer: John Lithgow
Explanation: Henry Louis Gates Jr. is a distant relative of the acclaimed actor John Lithgow.
What unique scientific achievement did Henry Louis Gates Jr. accomplish in 2010?
Answer: He was the first African American to have his genome fully sequenced.
Explanation: In 2010, Henry Louis Gates Jr. became the first African American to have his genome fully sequenced, a significant scientific achievement.
What was the occupation of Henry Louis Gates Sr., Henry Louis Gates Jr.'s father?
Answer: Paper mill worker and janitor
Explanation: Henry Louis Gates Sr., Henry Louis Gates Jr.'s father, worked in a paper mill and also as a janitor.
What was Henry Louis Gates Jr.'s childhood nickname?
Answer: Skip
Explanation: Henry Louis Gates Jr. is also known by his childhood nickname, 'Skip'.
Henry Louis Gates Jr. is primarily known for his work as a physicist and a political commentator.
Answer: False
Explanation: Henry Louis Gates Jr. is primarily known as an American literary critic, professor, historian, and filmmaker, not a physicist or political commentator.
Gates's work has been instrumental in advocating for the recognition of African-American literature as a distinct, separate canon from Western literary traditions.
Answer: False
Explanation: Henry Louis Gates Jr. advocates for integrating Black works into a larger, pluralistic canon, rather than establishing a distinct, separate one from Western literary traditions.
Jodie Foster, while at Yale, was mentored by Henry Louis Gates Jr. and wrote her thesis on Toni Morrison.
Answer: True
Explanation: During his time at Yale, Henry Louis Gates Jr. mentored Jodie Foster, who majored in African-American Literature and wrote her thesis on Toni Morrison.
Henry Louis Gates Jr. accepted a tenure offer from Duke University in 1985 after Yale declined to match it.
Answer: False
Explanation: In 1985, Henry Louis Gates Jr. accepted a tenure offer from Cornell University after Yale declined to match it, teaching there until 1989 before moving to Duke University for two years.
Gates's literary criticism combines deconstruction techniques with native African literary traditions, rejecting Eurocentric literary canons.
Answer: True
Explanation: Henry Louis Gates Jr. employs deconstruction techniques alongside native African literary traditions in his criticism, challenging Eurocentric literary canons and advocating for Black literature to be judged by its own cultural aesthetic.
*The Signifying Monkey* won a Pulitzer Prize for its exploration of African-American cultural aesthetics.
Answer: False
Explanation: *The Signifying Monkey* won an American Book Award in 1989 for its exploration of African-American cultural aesthetics, not a Pulitzer Prize.
Henry Louis Gates Jr. discovered *Our Nig* by Harriet E. Wilson, which was initially believed to be the first novel written in the United States by an African American.
Answer: True
Explanation: As a MacArthur Fellow, Henry Louis Gates Jr. discovered *Our Nig* by Harriet E. Wilson, which was initially considered the first novel written in the United States by an African American.
*The Trials of Phillis Wheatley* (2003) was based on Gates's 2002 Jefferson Lecture, the highest honor for achievement in the humanities from the U.S. federal government.
Answer: True
Explanation: Henry Louis Gates Jr.'s 2003 book, *The Trials of Phillis Wheatley*, was indeed based on his 2002 Jefferson Lecture, which is the highest honor for achievement in the humanities from the U.S. federal government.
*Colored People: A Memoir*, published in 1994, is one of Henry Louis Gates Jr.'s authored books.
Answer: True
Explanation: *Colored People: A Memoir*, published in 1994, is indeed one of Henry Louis Gates Jr.'s authored books, offering a personal account of his life experiences.
Henry Louis Gates Jr. co-authored *The Future of the Race* with Cornel West in 1998.
Answer: False
Explanation: Henry Louis Gates Jr. co-authored *The Future of the Race* with Cornel West in 1996, not 1998.
Henry Louis Gates Jr. was recruited to Harvard University in 1991 after spending two years at Duke University.
Answer: True
Explanation: Henry Louis Gates Jr. was recruited to Harvard University in 1991, following a two-year period teaching at Duke University.
Which of the following is NOT one of Henry Louis Gates Jr.'s primary professional roles?
Answer: Astrophysicist
Explanation: Henry Louis Gates Jr. is known as a literary critic, professor, historian, and filmmaker, but not an astrophysicist.
Who did Henry Louis Gates Jr. mentor at Yale, and what was the subject of her thesis?
Answer: Jodie Foster, on Toni Morrison
Explanation: While at Yale, Henry Louis Gates Jr. mentored Jodie Foster, who wrote her thesis on Toni Morrison as part of her African-American Literature major.
What is Henry Louis Gates Jr.'s current endowed chair position at Harvard University?
Answer: Alphonse Fletcher University Professor
Explanation: Henry Louis Gates Jr. holds the Alphonse Fletcher University Professor endowed chair at Harvard University, to which he was appointed in 2006.
What is Henry Louis Gates Jr.'s stance regarding a 'separatist' Black literary canon?
Answer: He works towards integrating Black works into a larger, pluralistic canon, not a separatist one.
Explanation: Henry Louis Gates Jr. does not support a 'separatist' Black literary canon; instead, he advocates for integrating Black works into a larger, pluralistic American literary canon.
Which novel, discovered by Henry Louis Gates Jr. as a MacArthur Fellow, was initially believed to be the first novel written in the United States by an African American?
Answer: *Our Nig*
Explanation: As a MacArthur Fellow, Henry Louis Gates Jr. discovered *Our Nig* by Harriet E. Wilson, which was initially believed to be the first novel written in the United States by an African American.
What was the subject of Henry Louis Gates Jr.'s 2003 book, *The Trials of Phillis Wheatley*?
Answer: An early African-American poet
Explanation: Henry Louis Gates Jr.'s 2003 book, *The Trials of Phillis Wheatley*, focuses on Phillis Wheatley, an early African-American poet.
Which of Henry Louis Gates Jr.'s authored books is a memoir published in 1994?
Answer: *Colored People: A Memoir*
Explanation: *Colored People: A Memoir*, published in 1994, is a personal account and one of Henry Louis Gates Jr.'s authored books.
With whom did Henry Louis Gates Jr. co-author *The Future of the Race* in 1996?
Answer: Cornel West
Explanation: Henry Louis Gates Jr. co-authored the book *The Future of the Race* with Cornel West in 1996.
What major encyclopedia did Henry Louis Gates Jr. edit with Kwame Anthony Appiah in 1999?
Answer: *Africana: The Encyclopedia of the African and African American Experience*
Explanation: In 1999, Henry Louis Gates Jr. edited *Africana: The Encyclopedia of the African and African American Experience* with Kwame Anthony Appiah.
Which university recruited Henry Louis Gates Jr. with a tenure offer in 1984, which Yale declined to match?
Answer: Cornell University
Explanation: In 1984, Cornell University recruited Henry Louis Gates Jr. with a tenure offer that Yale declined to match, leading him to accept the position at Cornell in 1985.
The television series *Finding Your Roots*, hosted by Henry Louis Gates Jr., has been airing on PBS since 2012.
Answer: True
Explanation: Henry Louis Gates Jr. has hosted the popular PBS television series *Finding Your Roots* since 2012, which explores the genealogical histories of its guests.
The Black Periodical Literature Project, integral to Gates, is a physical archive of rare Black newspapers and magazines.
Answer: False
Explanation: The Black Periodical Literature Project, to which Henry Louis Gates Jr. has been integral, is a digital archive of Black newspapers and magazines, not a physical one.
Henry Louis Gates Jr. is leading a new dictionary project for the *Merriam-Webster Dictionary of African American English*.
Answer: False
Explanation: Henry Louis Gates Jr. is serving as editor-in-chief for the new *Oxford Dictionary of African American English*, not the *Merriam-Webster Dictionary*.
Gates's 1995 BBC *Great Railway Journeys* program documented a trip through South America.
Answer: False
Explanation: Henry Louis Gates Jr.'s 1995 BBC *Great Railway Journeys* program documented his 3,000-mile journey through Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Tanzania in East Africa.
The *Faces of America* series focused exclusively on the genealogy of African American celebrities.
Answer: False
Explanation: The *Faces of America* series explored the genealogy of 12 North Americans from diverse backgrounds, including but not exclusively African American celebrities.
Henry Louis Gates Jr. was involved in the creation of a new college-level course called AP European History.
Answer: False
Explanation: Henry Louis Gates Jr. was involved in the creation of the new college-level course, AP African American Studies, developed by the College Board.
Gates made a cameo appearance in *The Simpsons* in 2023, voicing a fictionalized version of himself as a historical figure.
Answer: False
Explanation: Henry Louis Gates Jr. lent his voice to himself in *The Simpsons* episode 'Carl Carlson Rides Again' in 2023, rather than a fictionalized historical figure.
The *Oxford Dictionary of African American English* will compile popular phrases used exclusively by modern-day Black Americans.
Answer: False
Explanation: The *Oxford Dictionary of African American English* will compile popular phrases used by both historical Black figures and modern-day Black Americans, not exclusively modern-day usage.
What is the name of the popular PBS television series that Henry Louis Gates Jr. has hosted since 2012?
Answer: *Finding Your Roots*
Explanation: Since 2012, Henry Louis Gates Jr. has hosted the popular PBS television series *Finding Your Roots*, which explores the genealogical histories of its guests.
What project, integral to Henry Louis Gates Jr., is a digital archive of Black newspapers and magazines?
Answer: The Black Periodical Literature Project
Explanation: The Black Periodical Literature Project, a digital archive of Black newspapers and magazines, has been integral to Henry Louis Gates Jr.'s work in preserving historical texts.
What new dictionary project is Henry Louis Gates Jr. leading as editor-in-chief?
Answer: *Oxford Dictionary of African American English*
Explanation: Henry Louis Gates Jr. is serving as editor-in-chief for the new *Oxford Dictionary of African American English*.
What regions did Henry Louis Gates Jr.'s 1995 BBC *Great Railway Journeys* program document?
Answer: East Africa
Explanation: Henry Louis Gates Jr.'s 1995 BBC *Great Railway Journeys* program documented his journey through Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Tanzania, located in East Africa.
The *Faces of America* series, hosted by Henry Louis Gates Jr., explored the genealogy of individuals from what backgrounds?
Answer: 12 North Americans from diverse backgrounds
Explanation: The *Faces of America* series, hosted by Henry Louis Gates Jr., explored the genealogy of 12 North Americans from diverse backgrounds, including various ethnicities and public figures.
What new college-level course was Henry Louis Gates Jr. involved in creating with the College Board in 2022 and 2023?
Answer: AP African American Studies
Explanation: In 2022 and 2023, Henry Louis Gates Jr. was involved in the creation of AP African American Studies, a new college-level course developed by the College Board.
In which HBO television series did Henry Louis Gates Jr. make a cameo appearance as a fictionalized version of himself as the Secretary of the Treasury?
Answer: *Watchmen*
Explanation: In October 2019, Henry Louis Gates Jr. made a cameo appearance as a digital presentation of a fictionalized version of himself as the Secretary of the Treasury in the HBO television series *Watchmen*.
Henry Louis Gates Jr. has chaired the jury for the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award since 1995, an award he also won in 1989.
Answer: True
Explanation: Henry Louis Gates Jr. has chaired the jury for the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award since 1995, an award he previously won in 1989 for editing 'The Schomburg Library of Women Writers'.
Gates's documentary series *The African Americans: Many Rivers to Cross* received a Peabody Award and an NAACP Image Award.
Answer: True
Explanation: Henry Louis Gates Jr.'s six-part PBS documentary series, *The African Americans: Many Rivers to Cross*, received both the 2013 Peabody Award and an NAACP Image Award.
Henry Louis Gates Jr. received the Don M. Randel Award for Humanistic Studies from the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2021.
Answer: True
Explanation: In 2021, Henry Louis Gates Jr. was the seventh recipient of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences' Don M. Randel Award for Humanistic Studies.
Gates's web series 'Black History in Two Minutes (Or So)' has won multiple Emmy Awards.
Answer: False
Explanation: Henry Louis Gates Jr.'s web series 'Black History in Two Minutes (Or So)' has won multiple Webby Awards, not Emmy Awards.
Henry Louis Gates Jr. received the National Humanities Medal in 1998, an award presented by the President of the United States.
Answer: True
Explanation: Henry Louis Gates Jr. was awarded the National Humanities Medal in 1998, a prestigious honor presented by the President of the United States.
What award did *The Signifying Monkey* win in 1989?
Answer: American Book Award
Explanation: Henry Louis Gates Jr.'s scholarly work, *The Signifying Monkey*, won an American Book Award in 1989.
What two major awards did Henry Louis Gates Jr.'s documentary series *The African Americans: Many Rivers to Cross* receive?
Answer: Peabody Award and NAACP Image Award
Explanation: Henry Louis Gates Jr.'s documentary series *The African Americans: Many Rivers to Cross* received both the 2013 Peabody Award and an NAACP Image Award.
For what achievement did Henry Louis Gates Jr. win an Anisfield-Wolf Book Award in 1989?
Answer: Editing 'The Schomburg Library of Nineteenth-Century Black Women Writers'
Explanation: Henry Louis Gates Jr. won an Anisfield-Wolf Book Award in 1989 for editing the 30 volumes of 'The Schomburg Library of Nineteenth-Century Black Women Writers'.
What is the highest honor for achievement in the humanities from the U.S. federal government, which Gates received in 2002?
Answer: Jefferson Lecture
Explanation: In 2002, Henry Louis Gates Jr. received the Jefferson Lecture, which is the U.S. federal government's highest honor for achievement in the humanities.
What award did PEN America bestow upon Henry Louis Gates Jr. in 2021?
Answer: Audible Literary Service Award
Explanation: In 2021, PEN America honored Henry Louis Gates Jr. with its Audible Literary Service Award for his significant contributions to literature.
What is the name of Henry Louis Gates Jr.'s web series that has earned five Webby Awards?
Answer: Black History in Two Minutes (Or So)
Explanation: Henry Louis Gates Jr.'s web series, 'Black History in Two Minutes (Or So),' has earned five Webby Awards for its educational content.
In what year did Henry Louis Gates Jr. receive the National Humanities Medal?
Answer: 1998
Explanation: Henry Louis Gates Jr. received the National Humanities Medal in 1998.