"Roots" was not the gospel truth, but a dramatization, an account put together based on research and the passing down of a family's trials.
In 1977, more than 130 million people watched the series, helping to establish the mini-series as a viable commerical vehicle; it received nine Emmy Awards; five TV Critcs awards; and a special Peabody Award.
So I was shocked and dismayed to hear people (black and white) say they had no plans to watch either the special or re-broadcast of the series because it was too painful. For some, the achingly real portrayal of slavery is just too much to bear and they have no desire to revisit the emotions "Roots" conjures.
For blacks "Roots" evokes anger, sadness and a need to seek vengence for the injustices served to our ancestors. For whites the emotions are often tied to guilt and shame for knowing their ancestors likely took some part in those atrocities.
But you're missing the point if you consciously avoid the mini-series because it actually makes you feel something. Although its the story of one man's family, "Roots" symbolized the strength of an entire race. Watch it in rememberance of that, if nothing else!
Blacks have overcome many struggles - slavery and racial prejudice chief among them. Surely we're strong enough to watch a show that depicts things that - while hard to bear - reminds us that we must always strive to overcome the barriers placed in our way.
When "Roots" premiered I was seven years old and already a nervous nelly about anything mildly related to prejudice. The sight of the Ku Klux Klan could cause nightmares for weeks. My aunt owned a book which depicted photographic images of the atrocities committed against Blacks. The one which burned in my memory was that of a black man being burned alive on a spit - not unlike how you would roast a pig - while white men stood around laughing and drinking.
Those images haunted me, frightened me and were certainly more than any child could comprehend. Despite the anger I felt, even as a seven year old, I loved that movie. And at the age of 13 I read the book, a very thick novel ripe with three times the detail of the movie. Since then I've watched "Roots" anytime its broadcast, as well as "Shaka Zulu."
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