The Importance of Ancestry
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President Barack Obama, Dr. Gates and the arresting officer, James Crowley, sat down over mugs of beer and talked out the conflict. Since then, Dr. Gates says he and Officer Crowley have developed a really good relationship.
In fact, Dr. Gates says he and Officer Crowley are more than friends. After asking Officer Crowley to take a DNA test, Dr. Gates discovered they're distant cousins!
"He and I descend from the same Irish ancestor," Dr. Gates says. "Eight percent of the men in Ireland have our identical DNA, and we all descend from King Niall of the Nine Hostages. It was good to be the king—the guy slept with everybody in the kingdom." Regis Philbin also shares the same ancestor, a bloodline that dates back to 450 A.D.
Dr. Gates says Officer Crowley recently gave him the handcuffs used in his arrest. "They have his name, Crowley, etched on them," Dr. Gates says. The handcuffs will be donated to the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture, which is scheduled to be completed in 2015.
In fact, Dr. Gates says he and Officer Crowley are more than friends. After asking Officer Crowley to take a DNA test, Dr. Gates discovered they're distant cousins!
"He and I descend from the same Irish ancestor," Dr. Gates says. "Eight percent of the men in Ireland have our identical DNA, and we all descend from King Niall of the Nine Hostages. It was good to be the king—the guy slept with everybody in the kingdom." Regis Philbin also shares the same ancestor, a bloodline that dates back to 450 A.D.
Dr. Gates says Officer Crowley recently gave him the handcuffs used in his arrest. "They have his name, Crowley, etched on them," Dr. Gates says. The handcuffs will be donated to the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture, which is scheduled to be completed in 2015.
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