Alfre Woodard Goes on a Memorable Roots Journey

(courtesy of TLC)

Actress Alfre Woodard's grandfather died when her father was only a toddler, so this part of her family tree is a mystery. To uncover the past, Ms. Woodard goes an ancestral journey through Georgia and Louisiana, and learns the triumphant story of her great-grandfather, Alec (coincidentally, the same name as the grandfather of Alex Haley of Roots fame).

Alec endured the horrors of slavery, so Ms. Woodard has the gut-wrenching of seeing a price tag attached to her ancestor. But he overcame and ascended from servitude to successful landowner, an extraordinary feat for his time. And his famous descendant makes some special connections -- both personal and generational -- while following his trail.

Tune in Sunday night, August 9th at 9/8c on TLC.