SOURCE: Gerber, David A. “Haley's Roots and Our Own: An Inquiry into the Nature of a Popular Phenomenon.” Journal of Ethnic Studies 5, no. 3 (fall 1977): 87-111.

In the following essay, Gerber examines the social and popular culture phenomenon of Roots-inspired interest in family ancestry and African culture.

For the moment let us withhold judgment and consider the following:

—While ABC-TV originally assumed it could lay claim to approximately 50,000,000 viewers for its ＄6,000,000 production of Roots, in fact at least 85,000,000 and perhaps as many as 135,000,000 Americans watched the prime-time special during one or more nights of the eight consecutive evening broadcasts in the week of January 23-31, 1977. This was considerably more than watched the recent Superbowl or the perennial rerun of Gone with the Wind. Seven of the eight telecasts ranked among the all-time Top Ten-rated TV programs in audience size, and the series doubtless had the largest viewing audience...