In 1750, in Gambia, West Africa, Kunta Kinte, son of Omoro and Binta, distinguishes himself among his tribesmen in manhood training rituals. But he does not enjoy his new status long: slave traders ...
Despite a violent rebellion, the slave ship Lord Ligonier completes its voyage in 1767, and Kunta Kinte endures the indignity of an Annapolis slave auction. Fiddler, the slave in charge of Kunta's ...
Although the series was originally aired in 8 parts in the US, it was reedited into 6 parts for its UK release. This is part of episode 3 in the UK version. By 1780, Kunta accepts his fate, settles ...
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Title: Roots (1977)
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A saga of African-American life, based on Alex Haley's family history. Kunta Kinte is abducted from his African village, sold into slavery, and taken to America. He makes several escape attempts until he is finally caught and maimed. He marries Bell, his plantation's cook, and they have a daughter, Kizzy, who is eventually sold away from them. Kizzy has a son by her new master, and the boy grows up to become Chicken George. He's a legendary cock fighter who leads his family into freedom. Throughout the series, the family observes notable events in U.S. history, such as the Revolutionary and Civil Wars, slave uprisings, and emancipation. Written by Eric Sorensen <Eric_Sorensen@fc.mcps.k12.md.us>
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Too many people still believe that Roots is the true story of Alex Haley's ancestors. It is their story, all right, but almost entirely a work of fiction.
Mr Haley's claims to have spent 20 years under-covering his family history were quickly found to be false. The book (even Haley admitted it was a novel, and "largely" fiction) is a work of the imagination, not history. And not even his own imagination. It was freely plagiarized - whole pages intact -from the work of Harold Courlander - who incidentally wasn't an African-American.
Roots is compelling TV, but like Frankenstein or The Shawshank Redemption, it is a work of fiction, and a mistake to read too much into it.