The Long Arm of the Roots Legacy: A 50th Retrospective
CALL FOR PAPERS
In January 2027 , the nation will mark the 50th anniversary of the premiere of the Roots, which aired during miniseries. Its primetime release appeared on the ABC network to record viewership over its eight-night run. This never-before- seen televised movieminiseries broughtexposed the history of enslavement toon the small screen. Critically acclaimed, the series garnered severalwon nine Emmysy nominations (it won nine).
Never before had the American viewership been made so poignantly made aware of the barbarity of the African slave trade in America. While the history books had glossed over the brutality of the bullwhip, the racial denigration of the nation, its Black citizens, and the systemic ways racism had been built into the American framework. To this day, Roots remaintains its place as the preeminent mediated slave story. Several hundred films have tried to replicate its supremacy, including Twelve Years a Slave, the 2014 winner of the Academy Award Winner for Best Picture. No film has come close to the Roots in audience reception or critical acclaim.
It’s time for a full-scale evaluation of the media landscape. As we alight upon the 50th anniversary of the original airing of the Roots miniseries, I have been surprised by the lack of scholarship on this important film—other than its commercial and box office success. Little evidence exists examining its depictions of the institution,, nor its viewership, nor its role in teaching the hard history, nor its role in advancing the charge of racism in American television history. Despite earning its heralded spot in American television history with its star-studded cast (LeVar Burton, John Amos, Ed Asner, Leslie Uggams, Louis Gossett, Jr., Ben Vereen, and Robert Reed, to name a few).
The 50th anniversary will likely draw increased interest in the genre; new scholarship is necessary to offset meet this renewed interest. This book will attempt to offer support to a critical lens upon the lineage of this important film. We will attempt to showcase what makes a slave narrative film—its film economics, its critical reception, the depictions and characterizations, and/or how well the story pays attention to the history. Whose voice is heard? Whose gaze is the story told through? Why was the film made? For whom? Does a slave film need to be barbarous, or can it be artful and devoid of bloodthirst? These are just some of the questions I’ll attempt to answer as I endeavor to explore the cinematic impact of this film.
In the end, it is important to examine how this film may have been responsible for helping open America’s eyes to the horrors of slavery and how it has impacted how students learn this complicated history. How are newer slave films advancing these classroom conversations?
Scholars of film and media studies, communications, sociology, and other humanities are invited to submit (up to 8500 words, double spaced, APA style) essays (up to 8,500 words, double spaced, APA style) examining the critical legacy of this important film. I am especially interested in comparative analyses of one or more of the slave films that postdate Roots (a non-exhaustive list appears below). None of these films have managed to earn the critical acclaim of their predecessor.
Abstract proposals are expected by August 1, 2026, and accepted final drafts are due by October 1, 2026. Papers can be emailed (via attachment) to rootsat50@gmail.com.
About the editor: Brian C. Johnson, PhD, retired from the PA State System of Higher Education after a career in advising underrepresented students. Having earned the doctorate in communications media from Indiana University of PA. [SM5] Dr. Johnson is the author of Reel Diversity: Aa Teacher’s Sourcebook (2015), and We’ve Scene Iit All Before: Using Film Clips in Diversity Awareness Training, and Reel Big Bullies: Teaching to the Problem (2018) as well as historical fiction titles Send Judah First: The Erased Life of an Enslaved Soul (2019) and Free Indeed (2025). His edited collections include The Problematic Tyler Perry (2016) and Glee and New Directions for Social Change (2016).
Slave Films Since 1977
Amistad
Glory
Brother Fortune
Django Unchained
Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter
Amazing Grace
Antebellum
Free State of Jones
12 Years a Slave
Belle
Beloved
Birth of a Nation (2016)
Cloud Atlas
Emancipation
Ill Gotten Gains
Jefferson in Paris
CSA (Confederate States of America)
Manderlay
Nightjohn
The Quest for Freedom
The Retrieval
Harriet
A Woman Called Moses
This collection is under consideration for publication by McFarland Books.
Dr. Brian C. Johnson