Poet Maya Angelou had already participated in a museum exhibit about the family trees of four famous black people.So it seemed unlikely that anything new would be unearthed when she was featured in the PBS documentary "African-American Lives 2," which traces the family histories of prominent black celebrities using genealogical research and DNA analysis.But host Henry Louis Gates Jr., a Harvard University professor, described Angelou as "thunderstruck" by some of the revelations.For example, an ancestor that she thought was part German was actually part Irish but was raised in a German community. Another ancestor sued the man who had enslaved her for paternity years after she was freed."So there are always new stories," Gates said. "There is always more research to do."Angelou, who lives in Winston-Salem, said she has "much to learn.""I also think it's important for each of us, whatever the background, to know the people who have been courageous before us so we can elicit from our history some encouragement to be courageous ourselves.""African-American Lives 2" is the follow-up to two previous programs that Gates hosted.Angelou compares the series with "Roots," the 1977 miniseries (in which she was a co-star) that led to renewed interest in genealogy."It behooves us to at least know who paved the way for us," she said.

Duncanville/Cedar Hill community calendar

GRIEF SUPPORT: Richard Mabry, retired physician and author of The Tender Scar: Life After the Death of a Spouse will speak to the Women of Hope at 7 tonight at Trinity United Methodist Church, 1302 S. Clark Road in Duncanville. The grief support group is open to widowers.

MARRIAGE CONFERENCE: The House of Hope will host a marriage conference Friday and Saturday at the Hilton Garden Inn, 800 N. Main St. Registration is $99 per couple before Friday, or $119 thereafter. Leroy and Cynthia Armstrong will speak. Call 972-572-1986.

SPAGHETTI AND DANCING: The annual Spaghetti Dinner and Dance sponsored by the youth at Trinity United Methodist Church will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Saturday at the church, 1302 S. Clark Road in Duncanville. Prepayment of $10 for adults and $5 for children is required.

More News

Black History Month has roots in many important milestones in African-American history that have often occurred during the month of February. These include the passage of the 15th Amendment in 1870 that granted blacks the right to vote and the founding of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) by black and white Americans in 1909.

In February 1960, the civil rights movement reached a seminal moment when black college students from Greensboro, N.C., organized a sit-in at a Woolworth’s lunch counter.

Guy Djoken, president of the Frederick County NAACP, said Black History Month is an opportunity for all to learn about civil rights issues and the contributions of African Americans.

The civil rights organization makes an effort to educate and interact with residents and especially with young people at schools and churches, Djoken said.