Roots:
On January 23, 1977, The First Episode Of The 12-Hour Miniseries, Roots, Aired On ABC Television.
For Eight Nights, An Estimated 130 Million Americans Watched The Extraordinary Drama About The Experience Of Slavery In America, Told From The Slaves' Point Of View.
Roots Was Based On Alex Haley's Best-Selling Novel, Roots: The Saga Of An American Family. The Story Begins In A Village In Gambia, West Africa, With Haley's Own Forefather, Kunta Kinte. While Hunting For Material To Make A Drum, Kunta kinte Was Captured And Brought To Maryland As A Slave. Roots Traces The Lives Of Kunta Kinte's Offspring.
Roots Was Considered Innovative For Covering Such A Wide Sweep Of History And Bringing To Light, The Universal Cruelties Of History During The 18th And 19th Centuries.
In Addition The Miniseries Showcased Some Of Hollywood's Best Black Acting Talents, Including: Levar Burton, John Amos, Leslie Uggams, Ben Vereen, Maya Angelou Louis Gossett, Jr., Cecily Tyson And George Stanford Brown.
A True Cultural Phenomenon, Roots Ignited Americans' Interest In Charting Geneology.
Roots Won Both The Emmy And Golden Globe Award. It Is Still Ranked As The Number One Miniseries Of All-Time.
CLICK HERE To See A Scene From Roots
"In Order For Black History To Live, We Must Continue To Breathe Life Into It." -- Hubert Gaddy, Jr.
