Roots: The Next Generations (1979)

Overview
Roots: The Next Generations is a television miniseries, introduced in 1979, continuing, from 1882 to the 1960s, the fictionalized story of the family of Alex Haley and their life in Henning, Lauderdale County, Tennessee, USA. This sequel to the 1977 miniseries is based on the last seven chapters of Haley's novel entitled Roots: The Saga of an American Family plus additional material by Haley. Roots: The Next Generations was produced with a budget of $16.6 million, nearly three times as large as that of the original.
Starring Cast
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Bias Dimensions
Overview
Roots: The Next Generations is a television miniseries, introduced in 1979, continuing, from 1882 to the 1960s, the fictionalized story of the family of Alex Haley and their life in Henning, Lauderdale County, Tennessee, USA. This sequel to the 1977 miniseries is based on the last seven chapters of Haley's novel entitled Roots: The Saga of an American Family plus additional material by Haley. Roots: The Next Generations was produced with a budget of $16.6 million, nearly three times as large as that of the original.
Starring Cast
Where to watch
Detailed Bias Analysis
Primary
The film's central thesis explicitly critiques systemic racism and champions the multi-generational struggle for civil rights and social justice, aligning its core narrative with progressive ideology.
This historical drama features a predominantly Black cast, reflecting its focus on the African-American experience. The narrative strongly critiques historical injustices and systemic racism, portraying the perpetrators of these systems in a negative light.
Secondary
The film portrays Christianity, particularly the Black church, as a foundational source of community, resilience, and moral strength for the Kinte family descendants. It highlights its crucial role in the Civil Rights Movement, while simultaneously critiquing the hypocrisy of those who use faith to justify racism.
The series acknowledges the Kinte family's Muslim heritage and, in the 20th century, depicts the emergence of Black Muslim movements as a significant path for identity and resistance against systemic racism. It portrays Islam as a source of strength and alternative empowerment for some Black Americans.
Judaism is depicted positively through the portrayal of Jewish individuals and organizations as allies in the Civil Rights Movement. The narrative emphasizes shared struggles against discrimination and solidarity in the pursuit of social justice.
Roots: The Next Generations is a historical miniseries chronicling the multi-generational journey of an African-American family. The narrative primarily focuses on themes of slavery, racism, and civil rights, and does not feature identifiable LGBTQ+ characters or themes within its storyline.
The movie does not contain any action or adventure elements.
This miniseries continues the story of the original 'Roots' by following new generations of the same families. It introduces new characters within the established lineage rather than re-gendering any previously established or historical figures from the source material.
The series continues the saga of an African-American family, with all major characters portrayed by actors of the same race as established in the source material and historical context. No characters canonically or historically established as one race were depicted as a different race.
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