This is nightline. Tonight, 10 million names. The massive undertaking to reunite americans with their history stolen by the brutal legacy of enslavement. Were with our Michael Strahan. Im aretha. On an emotional journey. This is kind of mind blowing to come back here and see my grandfather, who i never had a chance to meet, wow. History. Its all history. The beautiful and powerful love story at the center of his familys roots. Its amazing, you think of two people, right here where we stand, responsible for us standing here. Absolutely. And the quest to help others reconnect with their lineage. Plus adina minute zell. Let it go let it go letting it go with the reallife voice behind frozens elsa. I am theatrical. I am passionate and fiery. How the Lgbtq Community has inspired her professional and personal journey. The Queer Community has really supported me, embraced my creativity. And what shes saying about the highly anticipated frozen iii. 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Many black americans can trace their ancestry to a certain point before the tree goes blank. Abc news is the exclusive media partner with 10 million names which plans to use Genealogy Research to unearth the ancestry of 10 million formerly enslaved people. Were with abcs Michael Strahan as he follows his roots to a small town in texas and its connection to a love story for the ages. Hello, family. All right. Good, good. Its hot. Sure is. Im larisa. Im stephanie. Michael, good to see you. Billy. How you doing . Good to meet you, man. Good to see you. Reporter imagine meeting family for the first time in a town steeped in American History and your history. Most black americans came to the land owned and cultivated by their 18 sister fors who were formerly enslaved people. Here i am meeting my longlost cousins in the east Texas Community of shankelville. My mom braved the texas heat and tagged along. Trying to take care of him. Reporter many times, the family tree of descendents from enslaved people only go back a few generations before going blank. But mine doesnt. It actually connects me to folks that were born into slavery, set free at the end of the civil war, and went on to build their own selfsufficient black community. Theres an incredible story within Michael Strahans Family History that was passed down largely through oral tradition, and it was the power of genealogy and Family History that made it possible for Michael Strahan to connect up with that community all these years later. Reporter confirmed by historians, shankelville is a prime example of one of americas more than 500 settlements also known as freedom colonies. Freedom colony is a term often used to describe a black community, a community of black ownership that took root after emancipation. Founded by formerly enslaved men, women, and children, these communities became safe havens for many from the broader experience of the jim crow era. Reporter a few years ago, researchers looked into my family tree and those behind the groundbreaking 10 million names project, said it confirmed i was part of this community and its rich legacy. It all began with jim and winnie shankel. Tell me the story of jim and winnie shankel. Jim and winnie shankel were enslaved in mississippi, and winnie was sold to a texan and so jim really missed her, and you know, wanted to know where she was. He kind of asked around, found out about where she was. And so he ran away. Reporter now a runaway slave, jim was risking his life, dodging police, slave patrols, and professional slave catchers to find winnie. He somehow managed to make it 400 miles on foot across the Mississippi River and found his beloved winnie. There was a spring a few yards from here, and she was out gathering water, washing clothes. And she heard a call. She was like, that sounds like jims call. And sure enough, it was jim. Reporter jim arranged to be purchased by winnies owner so that he could stay with her. They eventually had six children of their own. So its love story . Yes. Over 400 miles to find the woman he loved. Exactly. Right, exactly. Reporter they were freed from slavery in 1865 as the civil war winded down. With money jim saved up from several postemancipation jobs along with the help of a family friend, the couple bought up more than 4,000 acres and built their own community. This neighborhood had a store, schools for kids, a college, a cotton gin, grist mills, farms, cemeteries, undertakers, and churches. Things unheard of or unavailable to most black americans at that time. Historically, recovering the names, contributions, and stories of enslaved black americans has been extremely limited. Im among the few who were lucky enough to have access to my familys history. Mike, this is our church, cme Methodist Church and community. It was the first church in this community. We had three at the time. We had a lot of renovations done since the Original Church building. I see what you mean by those big windows of the church. It had a lot of sunlight. Yes. Let the lord in. Reporter across the way at the cemetery, we paid tribute to the towns two brave founders. So jim and winnie, are they buried here . Yes, they are. Theyre over this direction. See a lot of familiar names. Shankel, spike, strahans, peacocks. If they have roots in this community, they will be buried back here in shankelville. Im looking at this headstone. Original headstone. Father, mother, at the bottom, remembered for what they have done. Yes. Powerful, very powerful. Yes, it is. Whats amazing is thinking of two people, right here where we stand, responsible for us standing here. Absolutely. Reporter as we walk across this sacred ground, i notice a familiar name on a headstone. And find myself a bit overwhelmed. My grandfather, abe, who used to go by abe, hes buried here. I never had a chance to meet him. I was born 14 years later. Oh, goodness. This is a little shocking, you know . To see this. He obviously was a great man. All those frontiers. They really worked hard. They had to. It wasnt an easy existence. Right. Well, this is kind of mindblowing to come back here and see this. To see my grandfather, who i never had a chance to meet, and wow. History. Its all history. Yeah. Reporter the next stop on our tour, the odom homestead, a house built in 1922 by a. T. Odom, another shankel descendent. This home was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2012. We stand outside the odom house. Right. Im looking at this gate. This gate. No fence. With no fence. Right. Thats because my grandmother would judge peoples character by how they came in the gate and whether they closed it. As we were restoring the house we were like, okay, the fence is gone and everything, but were going to keep the gate. Were in the vestibule of the house. Im looking at the telephone here. This was the original telephone that was here. A. T. Odom built this house in 1922. Our restoration efforts are going back to 1945. Its an unbelievable story. Because what theyve done here, 1880s or 1800s at some point, over 4,000 acres, build a community with everything in it. Why is this not more nationally known . I like to say there are two ways people tend to look at african American History. One is, oh, i dont have a history. The other is, i dont want to talk about that. Luckily for me, my mother was very, very instrumental in talking about it. The reason that we have all of the genealogy of so many people is because she would come to homecoming, pull people off to the side, tell me who was in your family, write it all down. Wow. And the heart of every home . Kitchen. So heres the kitchen. You look at this picture, you can see that we basically have the same set of peers in that picture. Smells good. I know, because im cooking. Youre cooking. Exactly. Reporter lucky for me, a big pot of purple whole peas made from peas originating in africa and grown here for generations, cooked to perfection by cousin laretha. Mm, mm, mm aint made no cornbread with it, but ill leave you alone, ill take these peas and be happy. Oh, boy. Reporter its not just about preserving the past, but also building the future. Ever since 1941, the family gathers here yearly to celebrate homecoming where descendents who left town years ago reunite to maintain family ties. With singing all saturday night, then Church Services all day sunday. Pray for your children and grandchildren. Reporter and the next generation has big plans, including a bona fide vineyard. Why do you want to build a vineyard here . I decided on shankelville because of the history. I wanted to plant on the grounds that my ancestors acquired so long ago. Thinking about all the jobs that i could create. And im the new generation. Theres a blurb on the back of my wine bottle thats dedicated to shankelville. Lets see it. Planting red grapes and producing wine that signifies the blood, sweat, and tears our ancestors went through to acquire land and build in shankelville. This isnt someone who says, i love wine, let me make wine. This is about your family, the past, the future, preserving the community, bringing more people to the community to learn the great story of shankelville. You say it better than me. Stephanie our thanks to michael. Up next, idina menzel, the queen of broadway and the voice of elsa on her new album today and spilling the tea about frozen iii. Somedays, i cover up because of my moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. Now i feel free to bare my skin, thanks to skyrizi. uplifting music nothing is everything im celebrating my clearer skin. My way. 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Let it go let it go i am one with the wind and sky reporter the voice behind frozens iconic leading lady, elsa. Actress and singer idina menzel, the queen of broadway as shes called by her fans. Now channeling her inner drama queen. Move for me im so high make you move for me i feel things, i do, really strongly. I am theatrical. I am passionate and fiery. Im very sensitive. And vulnerable. And stupid sometimes. And, you know, so all those things, though, they make us who we are. Reporter this album feels like a different side of you that we havent seen much of before. What was your inspiration for the album . I wanted to get up and move and groove, and i wanted people to dance. Reporter its fitting that the albums first single titled move. Move for me its pretty much about stepping into your spotlight, if you will, figuratively or literally in my case. And not letting anybody sort of put you in the shadow. Disco and dance is something that the women that ive loved all my life donna summer, gloria gaynor, Barbra Streisand they all had their dance, disco moments. Its actually this really organic transition. Reporter idina, wickedly beloved herself. Who can say ive been changed for the better reporter earning a tony award in 2004 for playing the original elfaba in the broadway hit wicked. Into the unknown reporter enchanting a global audience as the voice of elsa in frozen and frozen ii. Into the unknown reporter those movies have meant so much to millions of people all over the world. How does that feel to be that character . Its the greatest thing thats ever happened to me, honestly. There are these moments where i pinch myself. I remind myself, you know, when i was a little girl, jumping up from behind the couch singing to my grandfather, you know what i wanted to do from way back when. Tomorrow tomorrow i love ya tomorrow youre alwonly a day away reporter idina grew up on new yorks long island and started her career in music singing for bar and bat mitzvahs. Ill do my best to make it reporter little did anyone know it would one day lead to broadway where she first burst onto the scene in the groundbreaking rock musical rent. In which she played maureen johnson, a bisexual performance artist. Just remember that im your baby take me for what i am reporter the Lgbtq Community inspiring her performance then. And now on her latest album and Dance Project which she calls a love letter to them. How did they inspire this album . I have intense feelings about it, because the Queer Community has really supported me, embraced my creativity. Any choices i made artistically through my whole life, to sort of step into the footsteps of these characters, i needed to really understand what its like to have all this power but not necessarily know who you are until finally you see yourself and you relinquish it into the world and you do great things with it. And its my friends and my family in the Queer Community that have really demonstrated that to me through their courage and their living of their lives authentically. Reporter she also has the muchanticipated frozen iii on the horizon. I would be in a lot of trouble with my three children if i did not talk about frozen iii with elsa. Where would you like to see her journey go . Id like to see her find true love. Reporter idina herself finding true love in recent years. She married fellow actor aaron lohr in 2017. In this moment in her life, shes proud to own all of it. I write about those feelings, trying to figure out who i am. Even still at the age of 52. It doesnt go away, youre always still searching for your identity and who you are and how youre evolving and how you see the world and not changing or compromising yourself for anyone. Stephanie our thanks to rhiannon. The upcoming film frozen iii is produced by our parent company, disney. Up next, dolly parton. Why shes decided to let it be. Let it be let it be let it be let it be whisper words of wisdom let it be this isnt charmin no wonder i dont feel as clean. Hurry up dad youve been in there forever im trying this cheap stuff is too thin i told you not to get the other toilet paper. Heres charmin ultra strong. Ahhh my bottoms been saved woooo with its diamond weave texture, charmin ultra strong cleans better with fewer sheets and less effort. Whats everybody waiting for . This . Ok hon, we know youre clean. We all go, why not enjoy the go with charmin. Pepcid complete works fast and lasts for powerful heartburn relief. 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Arexvy is used to prevent lower respiratory disease from rsv in people 60 years and older. Rsv can severely affect the lungs and lower airways. Arexvy is proven to be over 82 effective in preventing lower respiratory disease from rsv and over 94 effective in those with these health conditions. arexvy does not protect everyone and is not for those with severe allergic reactions to its ingredients. Those with weakened immune systems may have a lower response to the vaccine. The most common side effects are injection site pain, fatigue, muscle pain, headache, and joint pain. Rsv can be serious. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about arexvy today. Rsv . Make it arexvy. Stephanie finally tonight, is there anything dolly parton cannot do . Now shes responsible for a mini beatles reunion. Let it be let it be stephanie the Country Music icon recorded the classic let it be with the bands two living members, Paul Mccartney and ringo starr. Let it be speaking words of wisdom let it be stephanie and thats not the only rock star power on the song. Peter frampton plays guitar, and mick fleetwood, percussion. Parton writing on