Tonight I made a purchase that was a long time coming. I procured a copy of the newly released 30th Anniversary Edition of the 1970s miniseries Roots based on Alex Haley’s book.

I wasn’t cognizant enough in 1977 to appreciate the social impact of the book or miniseries but I did pick up the first DVD version from the library a few years back and I was engrossed by how much history and drama was packed into the piece. Being a huge Star Trek: The Next Generation fan, I was fascinated to discover the Levar Burton actually had an acting career before 1987 and what a fantastic job he did as Kunta Kinte.

You guys know that history fascinates me and the fact that it’s a true story just endears the story even more to me. Look, I’m a white kid from a pretty affluent upper middle class background. I didn’t want for much growing up and I don’t want for much now but as a student of history, I believe it is very important to understand where America came from and slavery is a big part of that story as is the social struggle to make it right. I found the story inspiring, uplifting and the acting and cinematography top notch for the time it was produced. And I’m very much looking forward to reviewing this along with all the new bonus material.

I’d appreciate any thoughts or memories (positive or negative) that any of you have about the show.

TAGS:

Post to Twitter Tweet This Post

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

You Should Also Check Out This Post:

More Active Posts: