I know that many people would love to believe that Black History started with the Civil Rights Movement, but on this Thursday, let’s throw it back further. We all know how textbooks water down the reality of slavery, so watching Roots gave me my first glimpse of just how bad slavery was.
Based on Alex Haley’s Roots: The Saga of an American Family, Roots tells the story of Kunte Kinte, played by LeVar Burton and John Amos, from his childhood in Gambia to his life of slavery in America to the legacy he left with his descendants.
Roots was one of the most watched series in the history of television. It also won nine Emmy Awards out of thirty-seven, a Golden Globe, and a Peabody Award.
Roots gave many people a real glimpse of American history. And it gave us LeVar Burton, the man who made reading fun. Roots is a graphic tale, but it is one worth watching. It is available here and the first episode can be viewed for free.
