Hello and welcome to this day, a history show from Radiotopia. My name is Jody Avergan.

This is 50 Weeks that shaped America. Week 6, Part 2. We are in the winter of 1977 when the television show Roots first premiered on ABC over eight

consecutive nights, and it became an absolute sensation. It was not just a TV experience,

but a cultural, social, and political phenomenon. Last episode, we talked about the development

of the show and some of the initial reaction.

But let's get right back into it and break down what Americans actually saw night in and night out.

The characters, the storylines, the memorable scenes.

Here, as always, Nicole Hammer of Vanderbilt and Kelly Carter Jackson of Wellesley.

Hello there.

Hello, Jody.

Hey there.

Now, Kelly, just to reset, will you remind us and our listeners about the basic plot line of Roots,

the TV series, and then we can start to pick out some of the scenes that you think kind of

most represent what Americans saw?

Yeah, sure. So Roots tells the story of Kunta Kuntikente, who is born and living in the Gambia and is kidnapped and trafficked to the New World, to the United States.

And it follows his story as he transitions into being a free person to being enslaved.

It follows him and his many attempts to escape slavery.

And then it also shows him getting married and having a child.

And then what it means to subsequently lose that child through the auction block, through violence.

And then each generation is really fouled through after from Kizzy to Kizzy's children and so forth, all the

way down and to get to Alex Haley.

And each episode really tells a different aspect of the lived experiences of Kuntikintay, each descendant,

...