The show, hosted by historian Henry Louis Gates Jr., employs written records and DNA research to unveil the hidden family histories of its high-profile guests.
During the episode, Gates revealed to Burton a long-held family secret: the man Burton believed to be his great-great-grandfather was not his biological ancestor. Instead, his great-grandmother, Mary Sills, was the offspring of a White man named James Henry Dixon.
Upon hearing this revelation, Burton expressed his surprise, "No! No, I had no idea. So Granny was half-White! Wow."
Further investigation into Burton's lineage unveiled more startling facts. His ancestor, Dixon, was born in North Carolina in 1847 and served as a reserve troop in the Confederate army during his teenage years. Later, Dixon fathered a child with an African-American woman who was born into slavery.
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Burton, who is renowned for his portrayal of a slave in the 1977 TV miniseries "Roots," was taken aback by the revelation that his great-great grandfather had fought to uphold the institution of slavery during the American Civil War.
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Reflecting on his great-great-grandparents' relationship, Burton mused, "I often wonder about White men of the period and how they justify to themselves their relations with Black women, especially those in an unbalanced power dynamic. There has to be a powerful disconnect created emotionally and mentally."
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He continued, "So it’s possible in my mind that he could’ve contemplated it and was conflicted at worst, maybe repentant at best. And then there’s the possibility that he didn’t think about it at all."
Upon viewing a photograph of his great-great grandfather, Burton humorously remarked that he would have "fought" Gates had he been informed of his White ancestry prior to being shown the evidence. He quipped, "What? Kunta got White ancestry? What? Come on now, Skip," referring to Gates by his nickname.
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As he processed these revelations, Burton confessed, "There’s some conflict roiling inside of me right now, but also oddly enough, I feel a pathway opening up." He expressed a desire to engage in a "conversation" with Americans about the nation's history of slavery and its impact on the present, but felt hindered by political and racial polarization.
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"So I've been looking for an entry point to talk to White America," he said. "Here it is."
Despite the initial shock, Burton stated that he was surprised but is "embracing" all aspects of his family history. This revelation follows a series of similar surprises for other celebrities on the popular PBS show. Last year, former Black Panther Angela Davis was astonished to learn that her ancestors were passengers on the Mayflower.
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