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A Family of Sharecroppers

Brown University President Ruth Simmons grew up in a family of sharecroppers.

Aired 04/28/2012 | Rating NR

FromHenry Louis Gates, Jr.

Finding Your Roots

A Family of Sharecroppers

Clip: Season 1 Episode 7 | 1m 24sVideo has Closed Captions

Brown University President Ruth Simmons grew up in a family of sharecroppers.

Brown University President Ruth Simmons grew up in a family of sharecroppers, a notorious system in which farmers pick cotton and live on someone else's land for a share of the profits. But they had to pay such high charges for rent, they often fell into a cycle of debt.

Aired 04/28/2012 | Rating NR

FromHenry Louis Gates, Jr.

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Corporate support for Season 11 of FINDING YOUR ROOTS WITH HENRY LOUIS GATES, JR. is provided by Gilead Sciences, Inc., Ancestry® and Johnson & Johnson. Major support is provided by...

Support provided by:

AncestryMoore FoundationThe Inkwell SocietyGileadBank of AmericaCandace King Weir

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Corporate support for Season 11 of FINDING YOUR ROOTS WITH HENRY LOUIS GATES, JR. is provided by Gilead Sciences, Inc., Ancestry® and Johnson & Johnson. Major support is provided by...

GileadBank of AmericaCandace King Weir
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