During cell division, mitotic chromosomes separate from the transcriptional machinery, silencing gene expression, but cell type–specific transcriptional programs persist through cell division and preserve lineage fidelity. Now, Gerd Blobel and colleagues show that the GATA1 transcription factor performs a 'bookmarking' function, transmitting hematopoietic transcriptional programs through mitosis (Cell 150, 725–737, 2012 ). The authors showed that GATA1 remains associated with mitotic chromatin in live erythroid cells, and they used chromatin immunoprecipitation with high-throughput sequencing to characterize the genome-wide occupancy of GATA1 in FACS-purified mitotic cells. This analysis showed retention of GATA1 occupancy during mitosis at some sites bound during interphase. Loci occupied by GATA1 in both interphase and mitosis (bookmarked loci) were enriched for genes that are essential for erythroid lineage differentiation. The authors further showed more rapid transcriptional reactivation of three target genes that remain occupied by GATA1 during mitosis compared to three target genes that are occupied by GATA1 only during interphase. Finally, the authors devised a method to degrade GATA1 specifically during mitosis; this caused a slowing of transcriptional reactivation of GATA1-bookmarked genes. This work advances the understanding of the epigenetic mechanisms used to transmit gene expression programs through cell division.