Another good movie to watch is Mama Flora's Family with Cicely Tyson, Mario Van Peebles, Blair Underwood, etc. I liked that tv movie so much I bought a copy of it-good movie and also depicts some injustices of racism, etc. A nice family movie, makes me cry every time I watch it

Harlepolis said:

Check the sequel - Roots: The Next Generation. You'll enjoy this one too.

Yea I'm tryin to find it on DVD too.

musicjunky318 said:

Harlepolis said:

Check the sequel - Roots: The Next Generation. You'll enjoy this one too.

Yea I'm tryin to find it on DVD too.

I ordered it new from Amazon for $5.99. 4 double sided dvds in the collection! Great bargain and collection. I think its essential to have both collections. I watch them over and over again, I love history. I have Queen as well, another great story.

DaphneLovesPR1NCE said:

musicjunky318 said:

Yea I'm tryin to find it on DVD too.

I ordered it new from Amazon for $5.99. 4 double sided dvds in the collection! Great bargain and collection. I think its essential to have both collections. I watch them over and over again, I love history. I have Queen as well, another great story.

I have the DVD set also. No matter how many times I see the scene where they tie Kunta Kinte up and beat him with the whip until he absolutely can't take it anymore and is forced to say his name is Toby, it makes me actually cry every time I see it and I'm a grown 43 year old white man. The part that gets me every time is when his best friend Fiddler tells him after he's been cut down to not worry about what they say, his name will always be Kunta.

The whipping itself is bad enough but the purpose of the beating is what gets to me the most. They were actually trying to force him to give up his identity and accept the identity that they want him to have as if they are God. That really pisses me off and to see them physically beat him into trying to accept the name they gave him outrages me. I totally admired Kunta for being so hard headed and stubborn and refusing to give up his identity so seeing them try to force him to do so really got to me. They even gathered up all the rest of the slaves and made them watch to show them what would happen if they ever disobeyed them.

I know the movie hurts a lot of black people when they see it but actually, I think this movie should be a requirement in the schools to watch, especially for white kids. I mean, if a scene in the movie can make a grown white man actually cry, then it has served it's purpose of being made. Imagine the good it could do being shown in school to classrooms of all races and sparking discussions between them. A lot of grown white people already have their minds made up that a movie like that is made to throw the mistakes of their past in their face so they won't watch it objectively. However, but a young white child who hasn't been around for years and heard all the racial arguments yet is going to watch the movie without thinking the purpose is to throw their ancestors mistakes in their face. They are going to watch it and feel and understand the pain the characters felt like I did.

Harlepolis said:

Check the sequel - Roots: The Next Generation. You'll enjoy this one too.

That's a good one too with Irene Cara.

nursev said:

1sotrue said:

I dont want to see it again either, I remember when I was a child my mother forced me to watch it and I had no idea what the series was about. She said to me its part of your history I was just happy to stay up to watch to tv late on a school night.There were scenes that really affected me and it was very hard for me to go to sleep cause I was too emotional.

I didnt want to see it again because I couldnt believe "Master Reynolds" aka 'Mike Brady' aka 'Robert Reed' coldheartedly sold "Kizzy". that scene remains embedded in my head.

As a child, it was kinda shocking/graphic to watch but slavery was by no means pretty so I guess Alex Haley did the best he could do with such a terrible subject. Those feelings about the movie just stuck with me and I've never wanted to see it again.

It needed to be graphic in order to get its point across. You can't sugarcoat racism because if you do, people will think that it's not really as bad as it is and they will dismiss it as black people belly aching and needing to "get over it".

All this political correctness these days is the reason a lot of white people make these type of statements because most of them have never seen racism that blunt in their lifetime. Sometimes the extreme graphicness of just how ugly it is needs to be revealed because when you see it and actually feel something when you see it, then you start to understand how bad it really is.

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[Edited 2/26/11 9:34am]

vainandy said:

nursev said:

As a child, it was kinda shocking/graphic to watch but slavery was by no means pretty so I guess Alex Haley did the best he could do with such a terrible subject. Those feelings about the movie just stuck with me and I've never wanted to see it again.

It needed to be graphic in order to get its point across. You can't sugarcoat racism because if you do, people will think that it's not really as bad as it is and they will dismiss it as black people belly aching and needing to "get over it".

All this political correctness these days is the reason a lot of white people make these type of statements because most of them have never seen racism that blunt in their lifetime. Sometimes the extreme graphicness of just how ugly it is needs to be revealed because when you see it and actually feel something when you see it, then you start to understand how bad it really is.

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[Edited 2/26/11 9:34am]

This is why every kid (of all races) should watch "Roots" so they'll realize that while things may appear better, no one should lose sight of what was going on then.

I saw Roots as a child when it originally aired. I now own it, and it was required learning for my kids. My daugther, by the time she was 8 was asking a lot of questions about the history here in this country....and she watched the series over and over.....and asked more questions each time...I swear she practically memorized it. My son who is 2 years older was more like I was and watched and left it alone. This wasn't the only film I used to help them understand what went on. Amistad, Glory were 2 films that I felt were quite helpful. As they got older, so they had some inkling of the legal injustices, I introduced them to additional films, civil rights documentaries and just discussions with old timers.

We also watched a presentation/documentary video put together by the American Slavery Museum. You have to know, Roots was the cleaned up versiion to give you a small hint of what went on. The things that actually happened are far worse that what Roots displays. Many who think they know what went on, just have no idea about the holes in their knowledge. If you can go to the museum, go there. The link to the website is : http://www.lestweforgetmu...avery.com/. It was one of the best and most moving experiences I ever had...dont let the basic nature of the website fool you--it should be a required presentation for all.

I attended a presentation they did for my college and it changed my whole perspective on what it was like for those who endured the torture of slavery, and mind you I had been educated by my parents. However, when I learned that slave babies that were born less than perfect (wandering eye, club foot etc) were taken and used as hunting bait for the alligators in the south....I cried for days. Only at that moment did I understand the images I occassionally saw of alligators and little brown skinned babies. I cried, and I still choke when I think of the barbarianism. I will never forget, and I will make sure my children's children never forget. Before my children graduate, I hope to personally sponsor a presentation at their school.

vainandy said:

Harlepolis said:

Check the sequel - Roots: The Next Generation. You'll enjoy this one too.

That's a good one too with Irene Cara.

I actually prefer that one.

When Alex Haley's character played by James Earl Jones finally met his African family, I broke down. What a poignant scene.

Beautiful ensemble. I mean, you're talking about Henry Fonda, Marlon Brando, Olivia De Havilland, Ossie Davis, Stan Shaw, Brock Peters, Debbie Allen, Diahann Carroll, Dorian Harewood and my FAVE of them, Mr.Paul Winfield, among many.

The scene where Paul sang a negro spiritual to that white lady while hiding his disgust stood out for some reason, he always managed to put a lasting impression on me in most of his films.

Harlepolis said:

vainandy said:

That's a good one too with Irene Cara.

I actually prefer that one.

When Alex Haley's character played by James Earl Jones finally met his African family, I broke down. What a poignant scene.

Beautiful ensemble. I mean, you're talking about Henry Fonda, Marlon Brando, Olivia De Havilland, Ossie Davis, Stan Shaw, Brock Peters, Debbie Allen, Diahann Carroll, Dorian Harewood and my FAVE of them, Mr.Paul Winfield, among many.

The scene where Paul sang a negro spiritual to that white lady while hiding his disgust stood out for some reason, he always managed to put a lasting impression on me in most of his films.

I agree. That was a great follow-up.

Thanks to DNA-testing, it's easier for us today to find our 'roots'. If y'all have the spare cash, I highly recommend you do it.

I took both the African ancestry and admixture test, and the results blew my mind.

uPtoWnNY said:

Thanks to DNA-testing, it's easier for us today to find our 'roots'. If y'all have the spare cash, I highly recommend you do it.

I took both the African ancestry and admixture test, and the results blew my mind.

I've thought of doing that for YEARS but I doubt my parents would invest in spending on a credit card to find out about our heritage.

I recorded it on DVD, but never watched it. Just like I never watched "Life is beautiful". I know watching any of these would break my heart too much .

Serious said:

I recorded it on DVD, but never watched it. Just like I never watched "Life is beautiful". I know watching any of these would break my heart too much .

That one seems to hurt me more every time I watch it. I think the approach is great, although some say the whole thing is somehow exaggarated. And the acting is excellent.

Aelis said:

Serious said:

I recorded it on DVD, but never watched it. Just like I never watched "Life is beautiful". I know watching any of these would break my heart too much .

That one seems to hurt me more every time I watch it. I think the approach is great, although some say the whole thing is somehow exaggarated. And the acting is excellent.

I have been told it is an excellent movie, but I know I would just cry too much.

I will always remember how Benigni jumped over the seats when he won the academy award .

Both movies would touch me anyway, but "Life is beautiful" would touch me even more because I am Austrian and Roots because my bf is black.

Serious said:

Aelis said:

That one seems to hurt me more every time I watch it. I think the approach is great, although some say the whole thing is somehow exaggarated. And the acting is excellent.

I have been told it is an excellent movie, but I know I would just cry too much.

I will always remember how Benigni jumped over the seats when he won the academy award .

Both movies would touch me anyway, but "Life is beautiful" would touch me even more because I am Austrian and Roots because my bf is black.

Well, while many movies and books touched me, I have to say I have never cried watching a movie as much as I cried to Dead Poets Society. I couldn't believe how much it touched me. It could be because I can relate so much to what the movie deals with at this point of my life.

Haha, I remember that too!

Yeah, some things are hard to face, especially when they happened so close and so recently, yet not recently enough for you to see it and feel that period in general, at least in my case. Whenever I try to think about it more and look further than mere facts we were taught at school, I'm just horrified.

Timmy84 said:

Harlepolis said:

I actually prefer that one.

When Alex Haley's character played by James Earl Jones finally met his African family, I broke down. What a poignant scene.

Beautiful ensemble. I mean, you're talking about Henry Fonda, Marlon Brando, Olivia De Havilland, Ossie Davis, Stan Shaw, Brock Peters, Debbie Allen, Diahann Carroll, Dorian Harewood and my FAVE of them, Mr.Paul Winfield, among many.

The scene where Paul sang a negro spiritual to that white lady while hiding his disgust stood out for some reason, he always managed to put a lasting impression on me in most of his films.

I agree. That was a great follow-up.

I been watching it today...

for anyone that hasnt seen it its in full on youtube. must see.

NMuzakNSoul said:

Timmy84 said:

I agree. That was a great follow-up.

I been watching it today...

for anyone that hasnt seen it its in full on youtube. must see.

I loved what YouTube has been doing lately concerning full movies. I watched Bowie's "The Man Who Fell to Earth". Great film.

Aelis said:

Serious said:

I have been told it is an excellent movie, but I know I would just cry too much.

I will always remember how Benigni jumped over the seats when he won the academy award .

Both movies would touch me anyway, but "Life is beautiful" would touch me even more because I am Austrian and Roots because my bf is black.

Well, while many movies and books touched me, I have to say I have never cried watching a movie as much as I cried to Dead Poets Society. I couldn't believe how much it touched me. It could be because I can relate so much to what the movie deals with at this point of my life.

Haha, I remember that too!

Yeah, some things are hard to face, especially when they happened so close and so recently, yet not recently enough for you to see it and feel that period in general, at least in my case. Whenever I try to think about it more and look further than mere facts we were taught at school, I'm just horrified.

My parents told me how things were in Hitler times. Really scary. And to think that the ancestors of David were probably slaves is scary too.

Serious said:

Aelis said:

Well, while many movies and books touched me, I have to say I have never cried watching a movie as much as I cried to Dead Poets Society. I couldn't believe how much it touched me. It could be because I can relate so much to what the movie deals with at this point of my life.

Haha, I remember that too!

Yeah, some things are hard to face, especially when they happened so close and so recently, yet not recently enough for you to see it and feel that period in general, at least in my case. Whenever I try to think about it more and look further than mere facts we were taught at school, I'm just horrified.

My parents told me how things were in Hitler times. Really scary. And to think that the ancestors of David were probably slaves is scary too.

This is why it's important to discuss this because I knew about it at home not school.

Timmy84 said:

Serious said:

My parents told me how things were in Hitler times. Really scary. And to think that the ancestors of David were probably slaves is scary too.

This is why it's important to discuss this because I knew about it at home not school.

We didn't learn that much about it in school. It is so important that things like that are remembered.

Serious said:

Timmy84 said:

This is why it's important to discuss this because I knew about it at home not school.

We didn't learn that much about it in school. It is so important that things like that are remembered.

Timmy84 said:

Serious said:

We didn't learn that much about it in school. It is so important that things like that are remembered.

And I just wish people would learn from history, but they don't . The current atmosphere here in Austria with all the rising hate against non Austrians reminds me so much of how it must have been when Hitler became popular here. Such a shame . I don't understand how racism can be on the rise in the 21st century .

Timmy84 said:

Serious said:

My parents told me how things were in Hitler times. Really scary. And to think that the ancestors of David were probably slaves is scary too.

This is why it's important to discuss this because I knew about it at home not school.

Absolutely. I can say teachers at my school did try to teach us about it, showing us footage, watching documentaries and discussing them with us, and I think they did a good job. But history as a school subject, which is what I was reffering to, just gives mere facts and it is very important to learn about our past in other ways, and question what we hear and think for ourselves about everything.

Sure I have talked to my parents and people twice their age about what the war was like here. Another war happened here afterwards too, relatively recently, and seeing how people can't agree on what exactly happenned and argue about it always makes me question the way history in general is interpreted in school books. In order to understand the horror I think it's enough to think about one single life that was taken in the name of war. One is way too much, and we have to deal with millions. And that's perhaps the most important thing people, especially young people, should be aware of.

Serious said:

Timmy84 said:

And I just wish people would learn from history, but they don't . The current atmosphere here in Austria with all the rising hate against non Austrians reminds me so much of how it must have been when Hitler became popular here. Such a shame . I don't understand how racism can be on the rise in the 21st century .

On the rise? You mean hidden, right?

Timmy84 said:

Serious said:

And I just wish people would learn from history, but they don't . The current atmosphere here in Austria with all the rising hate against non Austrians reminds me so much of how it must have been when Hitler became popular here. Such a shame . I don't understand how racism can be on the rise in the 21st century .

On the rise? You mean hidden, right?

No not hidden . The political atmosphere and the atmosphere in the whole polulation has been changing a lot here in the last years . Just these days they are making the laws for immigrants a lot more strict and the population would want it even more strict . We have a German term here called "Gutmensch". the translation means "good human being" and it is used as a derogatory name to make fun of people who fight for human rights, against racism and things like that.

Serious said:

Timmy84 said:

On the rise? You mean hidden, right?

No not hidden . The political atmosphere and the atmosphere in the whole polulation has been changing a lot here in the last years . Just these days they are making the laws for immigrants a lot more strict and the population would want it even more strict . We have a German term here called "Gutmensch". the translation means "good human being" and it is used as a derogatory name to make fun of people who fight for human rights, against racism and things like that.

I see. But can't say I'm surprised. It's sad but life can be cruel. And prejudice is wrong no matter where you live at. I feel for y'all over there.

Timmy84 said:

Serious said:

No not hidden . The political atmosphere and the atmosphere in the whole polulation has been changing a lot here in the last years . Just these days they are making the laws for immigrants a lot more strict and the population would want it even more strict . We have a German term here called "Gutmensch". the translation means "good human being" and it is used as a derogatory name to make fun of people who fight for human rights, against racism and things like that.

I see. But can't say I'm surprised. It's sad but life can be cruel. And prejudice is wrong no matter where you live at. I feel for y'all over there.

Thank you . It sure is .

Timmy84 said:

NMuzakNSoul said:

I been watching it today...

for anyone that hasnt seen it its in full on youtube. must see.

I loved what YouTube has been doing lately concerning full movies. I watched Bowie's "The Man Who Fell to Earth". Great film.

yeah for sure tim. who needs to rent or download...lol can just browse on youtube all day.