Changing Portrayal of Civil Rights Issues in Fiction and Film (Edexcel A-Level History): Revision Notes
Television Mini-series Roots, 1977
Background: Black Americans on television before Roots
American television in the 1950s and 1960s consistently portrayed black Americans in ways that reinforced negative stereotypes. These portrayals typically presented black people in:
- Supporting roles rather than leading positions
- Servile occupations such as:
- Railroad attendants
- Domestic servants
- Hotel porters
- Unskilled workers
I Spy (1960s) marked a significant breakthrough as the first US television series to feature a black American actor (Bill Cosby) as co-star alongside white American Robert Culp. This represented an important step towards more equal representation on screen.
Television portrayals in 1976
By 1976, shows featuring major black characters faced criticism for depicting black Americans as poorly educated, comic characters. Examples included:
- Good Times – A comedy about a poor family in an inner-city ghetto, featuring a character named J.J. who regularly yelled "Dy-No-Mite!"
- Sanford & Son – A story about a junkyard operator and his son
- The Jeffersons – A comedy focusing on a rude black character who owned a chain of cleaning stores
These stereotypical portrayals would change dramatically with the arrival of Roots in 1977.
Overview of the Roots miniseries
Roots transformed the portrayal of black Americans on US television when it aired in January 1977. The miniseries was based on the best-selling book of the same name by Alex Haley, a black American writer who published his work in 1976.
Key facts about Roots
- Original broadcast: 23-30 January 1977
- Duration: 12 hours across eight evenings
- Television ratings: Between 45% and 66% of viewers
- Sequel: Roots: The Next Generation (18-23 February 1979, seven evenings)
- Sequel ratings: Between 30% and 45% viewing share
- Total audience: An estimated 140 million Americans watched all or part of both series
The scale of these viewing figures made Roots one of the most widely watched miniseries in US television history. This massive audience meant that the miniseries had an unprecedented opportunity to influence American perceptions of race and history.
Content and narrative structure
The power of personalised history
One of the most significant reasons for Roots' popularity was its approach to presenting history. Rather than offering a detached documentary-style account, the miniseries personalised the history of black Americans by following one family's journey across generations.
First series (Roots, 1977) traced the family from:
- Capture in West Africa
- Through the experience of slavery
- To emancipation at the end of the Civil War
Second series (Roots: The Next Generation, 1979) continued the family story through:
- The Reconstruction period
- The era of segregation
- Alex Haley's own life as a coastguard and writer
- His collaboration with Malcolm X on Malcolm's biography
The family tree approach
The narrative followed specific family members across generations:
- Kunte Kinte – The African ancestor captured in West Africa and given the slave name "Toby"
- Kizzie – Kunte Kinte's daughter
- Chicken George – Kizzie's son
- Later generations – Eventually leading to Alex Haley himself
This genealogical approach brought the story of slavery to life in a way that traditional documentaries had failed to achieve. By showing how real people lived and the problems they faced, the miniseries made history feel immediate and personal for viewers.
Notable casting and Hollywood involvement
A particularly powerful feature of both Roots miniseries was the participation of major Hollywood white actors in roles as slavers, slave owners, and racists. This casting was significant because these actors were typically known for playing "good person" characters. In Roots, they appeared as villains:
- Edward Asner – Appeared in the series
- Lorne Greene – Played Kunte Kinte's slave owner
- Lloyd Bridges – Played a Confederate officer in the Civil War
- Chuck Connors – Portrayed a character who raped Kizzie
- Marlon Brando – Appeared in Roots: The Next Generation as Norman Rockwell, leader of the American Nazi Party, interviewed by Alex Haley
The involvement of these well-known actors made the miniseries virtually a "must watch" experience for many Americans. Seeing familiar faces in such challenging roles added to the series' impact and credibility.
Impact on American society and race relations
National discussion and debate
Roots and its subject matter – the black American historical experience over 200 years – became a topic of national discussion and debate. The miniseries sparked conversations across American society about race, history, and identity.
Educational impact:
- College courses were established based on the miniseries
- The series became a teaching tool for understanding black American history
- It prompted academic interest in genealogy and family history
Changing perceptions
The miniseries had a profound effect on how Americans, particularly white Americans, understood race and race relations:
- Tens of millions of white Americans had their perception of race and race relations changed forever
- The personalised narrative helped viewers empathise with the experiences of enslaved people
- Showing the brutality and injustice of slavery through individual stories made abstract historical concepts concrete and emotionally powerful
- The multi-generational approach demonstrated the long-term impacts of slavery and discrimination
Why Roots succeeded in changing perceptions
The miniseries succeeded where documentaries had failed because:
- Emotional engagement – Following individual characters created emotional investment
- Accessibility – The narrative format was familiar and easy to follow
- Quality production – High production values and major stars attracted a mass audience
- Timing – Coming in 1977, during a period of increased awareness about civil rights
- Scope – Covering 200 years of history provided comprehensive context
Controversy and criticism
Despite its success, some controversy surrounded the miniseries. Alex Haley claimed in both the book and miniseries that he could trace his African ancestor, Kunte Kinte, directly back to a village in Gambia called Juffure. This claim was questioned by some critics who doubted the historical accuracy of such precise genealogical connections across centuries.
However, even with these questions about specific details, the broader impact of Roots remained significant. The miniseries succeeded in bringing the black American historical experience into mainstream consciousness, regardless of debates about particular genealogical claims.
Roots: The Next Generation (1979)
The sequel miniseries brought the Haley family tree up to the present day, ending with Alex Haley himself and his personal search for his own family tree. This search was what resulted in the book Roots, which was:
- First published in serial form in Reader's Digest in 1974
- Published as a complete book in 1976
- Became a bestseller before being adapted for television
By ending with Alex Haley's own journey of discovery, Roots: The Next Generation completed the circle. It showed viewers that the history depicted wasn't distant or disconnected – it was recent history with living connections to the present day.
Significance for civil rights
Roots represented a major development in the portrayal of civil rights issues in television and film for several reasons:
Breaking stereotypes
The miniseries presented black Americans as complex, fully realised human beings rather than stereotypes. It showed their:
- Resilience and strength
- Family bonds and love
- Resistance to oppression
- Intellectual and emotional depth
Educational value
Roots educated a mass audience about aspects of American history that had often been marginalised or sanitised:
- The reality of the Middle Passage from Africa
- Day-to-day experiences of enslaved people
- The violence and dehumanisation of slavery
- The continuation of oppression through Reconstruction and segregation
Cultural impact
The miniseries became a cultural touchstone that influenced:
- How Americans discussed race
- Educational curricula
- Subsequent television and film portrayals of black American history
- Public interest in genealogy and family history
Exam tips
When writing about Roots in an exam:
- Link to wider context – Connect the miniseries to the civil rights movement and changing attitudes in the 1970s
- Use specific evidence – Reference viewing figures, specific actors, and particular narrative elements
- Consider significance – Explain why Roots had a greater impact than previous portrayals
- Compare and contrast – Consider how Roots differed from earlier stereotypical portrayals on television
- Evaluate impact – Assess both the immediate impact (viewing figures, national discussion) and longer-term effects (education, changed perceptions)
Common pitfall: Don't just describe what happened in Roots. Always explain the significance and impact of the miniseries on perceptions of race relations.
Remember!
Key Points to Remember:
- Roots (1977) was one of the most watched miniseries in US television history, reaching an estimated 140 million Americans across both series
- The miniseries transformed the portrayal of black Americans on television by presenting them as lead characters with complex, fully realised lives rather than stereotypes
- Personalising history through following the Haley family from Africa through slavery to the present made the black American experience emotionally accessible to a mass audience
- Major Hollywood white actors playing villainous roles added credibility and attracted viewers
- The miniseries sparked national discussion and debate, led to college courses, and changed millions of Americans' perceptions of race and race relations forever