For eight consecutive nights in 1977, a television miniseries with a deceptively simple title appeared and changed the way America looked at its past. Never before had the story of slavery been told through the eyes of the slaves–and the new perspective opened our eyes.
This Friday, NBC explores the impact of Roots on our society with Roots–Celebrating 25 Years.
Surprisingly Personal
Many retrospectives, especially about TV shows, go into excruciating detail about the making of the show and the backstage dramas. That style of voyeurism is thankfully missing here; instead, numerous interviews with everyday people reveal the power of Roots in the life of the average Joe.
From all walks of life and every race, these people create the narrative for the retrospective as they talk about experiencing the miniseries and its impact on their lives. It’s not until the end that you realize how little script there was. An hour of television has been crafted from the words of ordinary people–and they’re elegant, thoughtful and insightful enough to make you appreciate a 25-year-old miniseries even more than you thought you did.
Addressing Slavery and Race
Roots-Celebrating 25 Years discusses the bitterness and sadness evoked by Roots‘ realistic portrayal of slavery, but doesn’t dwell on it. The interviewees discuss honestly how they reacted to the injustice of slavery and racism–not only as the series portrayed it, but also as they experienced it in their own lives. This is the most powerful section of the retrospective, reminding us that Roots brought much of that era’s pain to the forefront so that we could begin to deal with it as a nation.
The show also explored the way Roots sparked a desire in many African-American to seek out their African heritage, despite seemingly overwhelming odds. Most African-Americans can trace their roots no further back than the plantations; Alex Haley’s success in tracing his back to Africa is rare.
The ‘Roots’ of a Series
Although its focus is on the average American’s reaction to Roots, the show doesn’t leave out the principals of the series. The first part of Roots–Celebrating 25 Years deals with Alex Haley’s book and the how the series came to be, and Levar Burton, who played the young Kunta Kinte, is interviewed.
Bottom Line
Roots deserves to be celebrated, and Roots–Celebrating 25 Years delivers what its title promises. No retrospective can have the power of its subject, but this show is a fitting and powerful tribute to a miniseries that became a cultural event.
Roots–Celebrating 25 Years airs on NBC Friday, Jan. 18 at 8 p.m. ET.
