John Legend's Path to Freedom

Who knew that an archived last will and testament held the key to singer John Legend's ancestral past? Legend sat down with The Root's editor-in-chief, Henry Louis Gates Jr., on his PBS show Finding Your Roots to unearth the mysteries of his slave relatives -- two of whom were bequeathed the gift of a lifetime: freedom.

"Even in the depths of this awful institution, these are still human beings," Legend said after the reveal. "I think spending enough time around slaves, [slave owners] realize that they're human beings. too. I think [the man who freed my ancestors] grew to love them, probably. So he looked at them as family."

Watch a clip of Legend on Finding Your Roots below. Catch the full episode to find out all of Gates' findings on Sunday, May 13, at 8 p.m. EDT/7 p.m. CDT on PBS.

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Watch more Finding Your Roots clips:

Samuel L. Jackson's Surprising Roots

On Finding Your Roots, the actor talks about racism in his youth and learns about his ancestors.

 

'Finding Your Roots': Tracing the Canadas

An absent father left Harlem activist Geoffrey Canada with questions about his paternal ancestry.

 

Martha Stewart's Inherited Profession

On Finding Your Roots, Martha Stewart learns that she's not the only craftsman in her family.

 

Iron Man's Revolutionary Ancestry

On Finding Your Roots, Robert Downey Jr. learns that a relative fought for America's independence.

 

A Mega-Church Pastor's Deep Religious Roots

On Finding Your Roots, Henry Louis Gates Jr. explores Rick Warren's family legacy.

 

Ruth Simmons, When Past Meets Present

On Finding Your Roots, Ruth Simmons learns about her great-grandfather and a newfound relative.

 

The Early Road to Emancipation

On PBS' Finding Your Roots, comedian Wanda Sykes learns about her ancestors' early emancipation.