“ROOTS”, A PRE-SHOW SHOUT OUT TO
SNOOP DOGG!
Written by: Colin Bruce Munro Wood – 05/30/2016 – 07:37PM ET
1977. Cable still had not been established around the United States of America. Pockets of hatred, racism, bigotry, and segregation still existed amongst the southern states.
There were no 24-hour news stations to let us know what was going on in the world on a daily basis. Vietnam just ending recently, a young boy of 7 going on 8 in the fall, got ready to watch another show of his choosing.
As an outcast for the first almost 8 years of his own life, amongst both his brothers and his peers, this young boy found a resounding understanding of what a new television series had been promising through commercials.
He connected through a new sort of medium, which this young communicator and history buff wanted more and more of everyday.
The 19” black and white, soon to be color, came to be a way to escape the hatred, for him. Always picked on by everyone, and always outcast, or picked last for everything…. even chased home from the school bus daily, and laughed at, for close to 7 years…. only to be ridiculed at home by mom, and punished by his brothers, and beaten by the only person who did show him love…
This series was set in this young writer’s mind as something he couldn’t miss for 12 episodes! Growing up in a community filled with minorities, the hardships of life and abusive families around the neighborhood, never slipped by the eye of this young boy.
Now, I see a supposed Star, someone whom I’ve often idolized for being who he is, ripping apart an important historical remake of an important true story about an important African who was forced upon American soil against his will.
Contrary to Snoop Dogg’s belief, this story by the History Channel beginning tonight, for the next 4 nights, is not setting out to convince us all that anyone was or is, less than what they are. Nor is the show some kind of crazy reason to insult the African American community.
Just as I see bullying as something that will never die, and an important subject to stay on top of, and weary of, I still see racism and judgement the same in 2016. I still see it everywhere.
Not to say, that I don’t see more kindness than I ever used to see now. That is also a fact for sure. I smile at the people who hold doors, and say “hi” regardless of race, or offer up a space, or allow someone in, or whatever other public ways we can be kind. It is increasing around our country for sure, and the world.
Those of us who want us all to love each other, must put forth an effort to educate that hatred and racism is still out there, and most of all, how it originated in our country, and across the globe.
It doesn’t start with African Americans, but with Egyptian Africans. That is where slavery began. Although, I’m sure cavemen (whom we all come from, based upon DNA fact), had a few helpers of their own, depending on size and hunting skills.
I see “Roots” as a historical retelling of what went down over a couple centuries ago, until just a century ago. It is still fresh and new, when it comes down to how long man has existed. Slavery, is not something to just forget about.
I absolutely agree with Mr. Dogg, that African American’s have much to celebrate and show off, but I’d have to disagree with his concept that there isn’t enough already out in entertainment doing so already! African American’s are in every aspect of entertainment, sports, and I only hope to see that there are no vast oddities in the numbers of minorities and whites.
This isn’t Old America anymore. America now, is what it was always meant to be, since the creation of the Constitution of America. It was made for all men to be equal and to have a land to come to, to call home, and to be safe, but most of all…. FREE!!! That is the real America!
Showing our children, and those who our still ignorant to what occurred only a hundred to 400 years ago in America, is a lesson to be learned, and a way to teach what a tragedy it was, and how important it is to not ever judge that way.
My son doesn’t see skin color, and maybe Snoop is right, in the idea that the time has come for these movies to stop. However, will my son not run into hatred and racism in his life? Unfortunately, that would be a misnomer.
Instead, Snoop my man, I would choose to show him this more realistic version some day in the next 6 years, than the 70’s less realistic version, so that it really drums into him what actually occurred back then…. Cause you know, this version is going to be drastic, and real!
This is what we need our kids to see, so they can get the idea of how horrible and disgusting slavery has ever been in the history of men as a whole. When slavery has left the entire planet Dogg, then maybe, maybe we can forget about it…. but, should we just forget about Hitler? I think not! Let history remain, and let it teach! Please Dogg! Please!
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