There are a lot of reasons to argue that Roots: The Next Generations would be inferior. The Alex Haley series follows one of the most historic moments in TV history, drawing in millions over the course of a week while helping to raise interest in genealogy. Kunta Kinte became a triumphant figure in pop culture, serving as an African Warrior who held onto his identity even in enslavement, helping to give his family a foundation of respect. Every episode took a moment to remind audiences, and the family, of who came before. For those who become obsessed with “Roots” as a narrative, it’s easy to get caught up in the mythology because what Haley had done was capture something groundbreaking. He gave the slave narrative a bigger identity.
The thing that makes Roots more exceptional is that it tells a story that’s more concise. Between the first and last episode, they explore the idea of what it means to be free. It’s easy for audiences to explore the idea of the family while watching the involved lives of these characters. Slavery wasn’t (sometimes literally) Black and white. It was sometimes abusive relationships, managing to escape peril, and how the rise of southern racism following The Civil War meant that no matter what, there were going to be obstacles for Kinte’s family. You believed in them, having watched them for over a century, which only makes it more triumphant.
It also has an easier selling point. Roots is a story of being enslaved and the generations-long journey to become free. It’s a piece of American history that makes the most sense. For The Next Generations, it’s much more difficult. How do you make a story of freed people into engaging TV, especially if their stories aren’t as exciting as the ones that came before? Haley’s reverence for the characters in Roots is exceptional, though one has to wonder if he’s used up all of his potential before the story even got to the 20th century.
That is mostly true when starting the sequel miniseries. It takes place right where the last ended, finding them moving and starting their own life. The new journey is not how they can become free, but what it means to have self-worth. One of the more daunting tasks of The Next Generations is that every episode averages two hours, making the lesser chapters feel incessant, finding momentum screeching to a halt. While every life is meaningful in this narrative, it’s unfortunate to note that the low points of the series come right off the bat, hitting too similar of chords to Roots to have their own identity.
They’re stories that feel free of conflict because it’s coming off of something more triumphant. The end of Roots has so many high points that you become underwhelmed to see things fall into simpler stories, of doomed romances and the death of everyone’s favorite chicken fighter Chicken George. While these moments are rich, they’re stuck in longer establishing episodes that hit a lot of familiar notes, most of which have to do with the familiar conflict of racial inequality. Haley lets us in on the perspective of white government officials, turning to law books to find ways to oppress the culture. While it’s beneficial to understanding the richer narrative, it also is a bit of a lull.
It’s around episode three that things begin to become more interesting as a new generation is introduced that have personal agency. The story is rarely better than when it’s questioning the difference between these generations. On the one side is someone who has been enslaved their whole lives, who are constantly being told that their lives have no deeper value besides indentured servitude. As a result, they’re surprised when they’re offered to run lumber mills following a strong work ethic that they know they need in order to impress the white class, who still looks down on them. Nobody believes that they can run a lumber mill and takes to vandalizing it out of frustration, some intimidation meant to put them in their place.
Compare that to a child who has never known enslavement and you begin to see what the shift in identity will be. For the first time, they can see themselves as American citizens, capable of going a day without being whipped, fear that running away will remove their foot. Yes, there’s still racism boiling under the surface, but they watch at the side of their parents as these people try to keep them from bettering their opportunities. When given a chance to better their education, there’s even concern that they will fail, wasting their potential on something new and scary. Why break away from physical labor?
It’s here that the whole journey begins to become something more incredible. By itself, The Next Generations is a very solid series. When watched in tandem with Roots, the journey becomes fuller, reflecting the gradual evolution and understanding of the Black characters that make something as simple as an education feel more meaningful. For the first time, there is a talk about their own agency, that their lives hold a deeper purpose besides physical labor. That isn’t to say that Haley’s ancestors weren’t resourceful, it’s just that they lacked the dreams that most of The Next Generations ponder in.
In these small ways, it may even be a superior series. While there’s no denying that Roots shifted how the public talked about slavery in American history, there’s something more interesting about seeing Black characters not as martyrs, but as people worthy of The American Dream. It’s in watching generations form an optimism and complex understanding of thought, this belief that they could change the world instead of simply working on it.
Even then, there’s the tragedy that underlies this small advancement. A Negro college cannot be offered opportunities without pandering to white ideology. At one point the head of the school goes so far as to imitate Paul Robeson, performing a mammy-type role because he knows that will give them fundraising. When questioned about it, he believes that these are small sacrifices that need to be made so that the culture can get ahead. There’s the hope that they will eventually be free to be seen as equals, and that is what the most interesting piece of the story is.
It’s arguably a more charming and fascinating story as it enters the 20th century, with the characters becoming more personable. There are generations who participate in The Great War, finding their rank and file not making them as respected by their superiors. There’s talk about Black soldiers who were hung, showing how this intimidation and place in history makes every sacrifice scarier. They want to be American, but will they be treated as such? Even things as simple as using your college education to teach farmers how to better grow their crops are met with disdain solely because of the belief that Black people are stupid and thus can’t have that much of reason, to begin with.
As one can predict, the closer to Alex Haley himself that it gets, the richer the details become. He begins pulling from his own life, and it’s where everything begins to reach a satisfying conclusion. As a child, he is introduced to a tree in his garage, the “roots” of his family tacked on to the many rings. There is a sense of respect for everyone who has come before. As a child, it’s something that seems uninteresting, but as one grows older, it becomes much more important, as conversations around the porch lead to diatribes about family, hitting the familiar beats longtime viewers will recognize. Even then, there’s the fear that Kunta Kinte is being forgotten slowly. The words he passed along to his family are slowly being forgotten, as the older generation begins to lose their memory.
But God bless Haley, there was a fascination of learning about that African Warrior. It’s a journey that takes him through endless obstacles, including dropping out of college and joining the naval reserve. Haley gets life experience and, while it may be questionable if this helps the narrative, it helps to create his own satisfying identity as an observant writer. It builds character and suddenly you understand that Haley is forming his own legacy, fitting in a tapestry that has included slaves, scientists, the military, and soon a writer for Playboy. Centuries later, there’s still an animosity, but it’s become more subtle.
Again, The Next Generations’ greatest achievement is destigmatizing the idea that Black culture needs to be erased from history. It isn’t just the idea of slavery, but that the sick ideas that they’re an inferior race have lasted well into Haley’s adulthood, finding him interviewing leaders of the nazi party and coming face to face with discomfort. The show has done an incredible job of subliminally disproving these arguments. Black people are capable of doing so many great things, whether it’s running their own business or helping to teach farmers how to better rotate crops. There is worth that is even discussed in collegiate courses with W.E.B. DuBois. While this is a survey at best, The Next Generations asks audiences to see not only their past as significant but those in everyone’s families.
It helps that Haley’s story is punctuated by perfect timing. With The Civil Rights Movement, there is a change in conversation. They’re no longer Negroes. They’re Blacks. Again, this creates differing opinions among the generations, and it’s where the show is at its best. Everyone’s story matters and you begin to see how diverse the perspectives of one family can be, especially when they’re allowed to try so much harder. Simple word choice begins to divide people, and yet it's all understandable.
Nowhere is that clearer than when Haley is interviewing Malcolm X, whose very name reflects a lack of identity. The controversial figure promoted Black identity and pride, and it caused Haley to look at his own life and find answers. He had a clue to his past, and he needed to figure out just who Kunta Kinte is. The final episode is a mystery unto itself, finding everything from the whole series culminating in a trip that combines not only every generation Haley has discussed, but everyone going back to his earliest ancestors.
There’s joy and for good reason. For those who have been watching over two miniseries now, it’s an overwhelming journey of overcoming erasure. It’s about proving that imprisonment doesn’t necessarily mean that your story matters any less. If anything, Haley’s ambitions are worthy of applauding. He’s able to paint these people as they were, bringing history to life and forcing the world to ask what other stories are deserving. They’re ones meant not only to add value to the bigger picture but to better understand the conflicting history of this country. There’s so much more than what the books say, and even Haley’s penultimate journey reflects how daunting it is to get anywhere near a conclusion.
If The Next Generations seems less impressive, it’s because of how concise Roots was. It arguably has the more impressive cast, the most streamlined ideas, and presents a side of history that is far enough away. The sequel starts off a bit sluggish but slowly gets into a groove that is inspiring, reflecting something that hadn’t really been discussed in the decades since. Black lives didn’t end just because slavery did. They were allowed to create their own legacies in society, and there’s something fascinating about watching them overcome the racism that never truly goes away. They're allowed for the first time to be recognized by their success.
It’s more than an excuse to watch Haley’s grand genealogy report. While it will make you want to research your family, it does plenty to reveal a side of history that deserves to be much richer. Imagine if everyone had the opportunities that Haley did when he wrote “Roots.” It may be foolish to say, but it feels like there would be more reason to believe in one’s self-worth, that this country is more of a melting pot than some claim. It’s about trying to reach that acceptance not only socially, but personally. Haley has found his roots, and the world was better for hearing all of these stories.
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