1977: Roots: The Saga of Alex Haley

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Slate Podcasts

Documentary, True Crime, Society & Culture, History

4.3 • 1.3K Ratings

🗓️ 12 August 2021

⏱️ 54 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Alex Haley’s Roots displayed the brutal realities of slavery to more than 100 million Americans. The book and mini-series also made a bold claim: that Haley was the first Black American to trace his lineage all the way back to Africa, and to a specific ancestor captured into slavery. What would it mean, for Haley and America, if he hadn’t found what he said he’d found? Slate Plus members get to hear more about the making of One Year and more about the culture of 1977 in supplementary episodes this season. Get access to those episodes, listen to the show without any ads, and support One Year by signing up for Slate Plus for just $1 right now. For a behind-the-scenes look into some of the articles we read when we create the show, check out our Pocket collection at http://getpocket.com/slate. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:22.4	Discounts available to Eon Next customers in 30th of December 2023, Teas and Seas, Eligibility
0:27.2	Criteria and Geographical Restrictions apply.
0:32.2	On Sunday night January 23rd, 1977, 10-year-old Zenobea Harper found a comfortable spot in the
0:39.5	Danifer South Carolina home.
0:42.4	Zenobea's mom had made her take a nap earlier that day, to be sure she could stay awake
0:47.1	past 9pm.
0:48.1	We already had our night clothes on, um, get our little snack, popcorn or whatever, and
0:55.0	we lay on the floor, and we were there ready to watch.
0:59.0	There's a conversation about whether or not we should watch, but then it was determined
1:02.7	that I don't know, no, we had to watch it.
1:04.9	Hundreds of miles away in Indiana, Stephanie Donne was sitting on her mom's lap.
1:09.0	That was very young, but I still will never forget it.
1:13.1	Tonight, we present a landmark in television entertainment.
1:18.4	After two years of production, we present this incredible saga in an epic motion picture,
1:24.2	Roots.
1:27.8	Roots was one of the most ambitious television projects ever.
	...

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