Last Thursday’s episode of Who Do You Think You Are? rounded off the series with athlete Katarina Johnson-Thompson’s episode.
Katarina was keen to follow her father’s family in the Bahamas, where Katarina herself was born before moving to Liverpool as a small child.
We got a glimpse of Bahamian history — though perhaps if the episode had spent a little more time on this part of the family’s story, it would have made it even better — before following Katarina’s ancestors as they emigrated to Miami in Florida.
Florida at the beginning of the 20th Century was relatively close to the Bahamas geographically, but worlds away in terms of culture and society — especially for Black people.
Jim Crow and the Civil Rights Movement is a part of history that we rarely get to explore in the UK version of Who Do You Think You Are?
It’s quite refreshing to see these fairly modern, but uncomfortable, parts of history brought to our attention — shocking though it sometimes is.
The Civil Rights movement still lies in living memory, after all, and the first time that Katarina’s ancestor, Clara Thompson, was able to register to vote was in the mid-1960s.
What came across most in this episode was the strength and hope of the generations who came before us — which is a nice way to finish off a series.
I have to say, this series of Who Do You Think You Are? has been one of the best - which isn't an easy feat, 23 series into its run!
Anyone looking for a history series to fill the void in their viewing schedules might want to try David Olusoga's A House Through Time, which returns tonight (13th August) on BBC Two, at 9pm.
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