I just want to add my 2 cents since I'm currently deeply involved in this subject manner
I'm turning 30 this year and I never watched the original Roots. I would tell my parents when I was younger that I didn't want to watch black people all fucked up and ashy. As a teenager I didn't want to accept that that use to be my people. Now that I'm older I understand that I wanted to know the greatness of black people and not be forced to focus on slavery.
Now I'm currently a high school World History teacher. I understand the kids because I use to think just like them. I try to throw in all the hidden history of melinated people in the lesson plans and show them the systemic oppression that has put us in the conditions we're in. This new generation is a result of terrible educational institutions. They have a short attention span and are oblivious to what's going on. We tend to take for granted that we've learned so much now that we're adults but this current generation is completely distracted from the issues of the past.
I'm in my 20s and this generation doesn't even respect my era of hip hop (Roc-A-Fella, State Property, Dipset). They have a different vibe and very little respect or awareness of what came before them.
So with that being said, my students really needed this. And I also needed this. After teaching so much of this history and me myself being of African descent, this was an emotional experience for me. It felt more relevant as well. I think the issue is not too many slave movies being made but too many slave movies not done the right way. I love that they showed the culture in Africa before slavery. In my opinion, a great movie would be one based on the Haitian revolution. If they showed the different Cultures in Africa and how many different types of Africans were shipped to Haiti it would be a great eye opener. Also, to show the greatest slave rebellion would be empowering. They also need to show the drastic measures taken by Napoleon and other white people to make sure Haiti would never be a symbol of courage to Black people.
I have no problems with movies like this as long as we leave feeling informed, empowered, and touched emotionally. And touched in a way that makes us start to move in the right direction.
I'm going to watch the original when I get some free time but I was wondering if any of the OGs that don't have any type of bias can tell me what are the major differences between New and Original Roots?
