Michael Strahan Gets Emotional After Returning to ‘GMA’

Michael Strahan made a return to Good Morning America this week after a period of absence. Neither Strahan nor his co-hosts mentioned the reason for his time away. Speculations suggest that he took the time off to be with his daughter, Isabella, who recently completed her cancer treatment and is now preparing to return to school at USC.

During his break, it seems Strahan and his daughters spent some time vacationing in the Bahamas. Upon his return, he found himself getting emotional during one of his first segments back on the show.

On Tuesday’s episode of Good Morning America, Strahan became visibly emotional as his co-star, Pierre Thomas, shared a deeply personal story. The segment centered around the 10 Million Names Project.

The 10 Million Names Project is a significant initiative that aims to recover the names of African descendants whose ancestors were enslaved before the Civil War ended. Pierre Thomas, a senior justice correspondent at ABC News, delved into his own family history as part of this project.

“It took me two months to make the decision to do this project,” Pierre revealed. “I always wanted my family’s history to start with my grandmother, who lived to be 100 years old.” As he embarked on this journey, he uncovered some startling information.

Pierre traveled to Huntington, West Virginia’s outskirts, where his ancestors had been enslaved at the Green Bottom Plantation. The plantation was managed by Confederate General Albert G. Jenkins, and Pierre’s great-grandmother, Adeline Jenkins, was born into slavery there in 1858.

It turns out that Adeline was likely the biological daughter of Albert Jenkins, her enslaver. “It’s hard for me to be here; it’s a challenge,” Pierre admitted. “The owner of the plantation had the power of life and death. I wish [my ancestors] didn’t have to go through what they went through.”

Following the segment’s broadcast, Pierre joined Michael Strahan, Robin Roberts, and George Stephanopoulos in the Good Morning America studio to discuss the 10 Million Names Project further.

Michael Strahan expressed to Pierre how touched he was by the segment. “Pierre, watching that, I know how emotional it made me feel,” Strahan said. “You said, ‘I’m happy to be here, I think.’ This is initially a journey you didn’t want to go on?”

Pierre agreed and shared that he now feels a “combination of rage, sadness, and immense pride that my ancestors could survive that.”

What are your thoughts on Pierre’s video about the 10 Million Names Project on Good Morning America? Did it move you as much as it did Michael Strahan? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Source: TV Shows Ace