ISALC: ESL 411: College Prep. Reading/Writing
Diversity and Civil Rights in the U.S.

Impressions of "Roots" --An Electronic Conversation--

From: Michael
Date: Thursday, January 29, 1998, 10:27 am

Hello class,

After having seen Roots 1 and 2, choose one scene or one idea that impressed you the most or taught you the most. Please describe it in a paragraph of at least 100 words.

Also, do you think that slavery still affects African Americans today? If so, how?

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When you reply to this message, please put in a New Subject. For example: "violence against slaves" or "voyage" or "life in The Gambia" or whatever.

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After posting your message, read the others. Choose one message with which you disagree. Reply to that message with a paragraph (write for at least 10-15 minutes). Use phrases such as "I have a different point of view (or perspective)." "We don't see eye to eye on that". "I completely disagree." "I see your point, but I don't agree with you."

The scene which Kunta kinte was catched and he was put in a cage made me depressed. The white men treated African people like animals. I thought that they seemed to misunderstand about irreplaceable lives of African people. In my opinion, at that time, European countries and the U.S. were developed countries, on the other hands, most of African countries were developing countries, so the people who were living in developed countries had a prejudice that they were superior to people who were living in developing countries. They robbed the right to live of African people. I was shocked about the scene and I started to think to live.

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Subject: Arrival at the United States.
From: Kei
Date: Thursday, January 29, 1998, 11:25 am

What impressed me most about Roots 1 and 2 was the scene after Kunta arrived at the United States. I could imagine that Kunta would be treated as a slave there. However, I did not know how, so it impressed me very much. All black people were chained each other so that they couldn't escape from there and treated as animals. It may be less than animals because white people did not believe that black people were the same human being as them. Especially, in the scene that black people were painted with tar to hide their scars to look healthy and strong when they were in auction impressed me very much.

Moreover, I think the discrimination against black people is happening even today. Of course, the society tried not to have such a discrimination, but I am sure that happens often somewhere we couldn't see. I have seen the news that police men in the United States hit a black man hardly many times for no reason. Then, the discrimination seemed to continue for a long time.

I have been thinking about the relationship between White people and Black people. I have heard that most of crimes happened in the United States were caused by black people. However, now I could understand a little. Becuase of the discrimination happening in the United States, they may not be able to understand each other. In general, if violence between people happened for no reason, no one could do anything but just detest each other. Although this is very difficult problem to solve, it made me think about it.

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Subject: Auction
From: Susung
Date: Thursday, January 29, 1998, 11:25 am

If we can put a price tag on our own life,how much will it be? Maybe noone want to change his life with money. But on Oct,1767 in Annapolis,the whites were selling human being's life by auction. The price of a woman was just below $ 100,and a man was just slightly over $ 100. How humans could think other humans as so cheap things.

The whites came to America to seek their freedom for religion or for their better life. They also treated unfairly in their homeland. But at this time, they were holding auction for other's life. They thought they had that right. Auction for human! Who can even imagine this in other side of the world?

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Subject: Re: What impressed you most?
From: Eri
Date: Thursday, January 29, 1998, 11:30 am

A scene impressed me the most was when Fiddler let him go. He knew he'll get into a trouble and will loose his position that he has now but in order for Kunta to get freedom he did it. I'm sure that he wanted to run away as well but he didn't. I think this is because since he is in charge among the all slavers and so couldn't run away leaving all the other slavers behind. It must have been such a difficult decision for him to make. At the same time he hoped Kunta will get freedom and one day he'll bring them back freedom. Because he is still young, smart that he found a blade and cut the chain off and also very brave too.

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Subject: prejudice
From: Dai Ichikawa
Date: Thursday, January 29, 1998, 11:31 am

I think still today, slavery still affects African Americans. Many people still have prejudices that Arican Americans are low educated or poor or dengerous and so on. certainly, nowadays, the treatment for African American by white people or other people have changed

like they can get much numbers of job than before, and their incomes are growing up. However, I think it is not completed. Actually, they still have some hardships in this country for examle, the treatments when they have a trouble are differents between African Americans and white people in some cases.

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Subject: as a slave
From: Tomoko Kakiya
Date: Thursday, January 29, 1998, 11:32 am

As I watched the movie, the most impressed scene was that they were caught by force and were put in a small room in the ship for a weeks. Also, white people treated them as a thing, not as a human reing and they didn't give any food and they beat them. They seemed to enjoy to do that. All of black people must have had a feeling that what happened to us and what was going to happen. I thinh it must be a terrible experience to them. People become weak mentally and physically when they are in a bad condition. When I think about their feeling, I feel very sorry for them. During they were in a ship, they seemed to have no hope. Before they were caught, they lived peacepully. In that scene, I heard only their scream.

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Subject: Whipping slaves
From: Ryoko Tomita
Date: Thursday, January 29, 1998, 11:34 am

Every scene impressed me strongly because I had never seen wovies about slaves. Especially, the scene impressed me most was

that the owner was looking for Kunta and after that, he was whipping Kunta. When Kunta escaped, the owner made many dogs look for him. His face was threatening that he tried to catch his slave even if he kills him. When Kunta was caught, he was hung up and whipped very hard until he said his name was Tobi. I understand

"break a horse" was very important to tame salves, and it was the most important that the owner force slaves to recognaze their new name to tame them. By that, slaves seemed to forget their native country and they regarded them as slaves. However, I cannot forgive what they did for slaves and I cannot believe that was human did to human.

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Subject: Face Expression
From: Mayu Otsuka
Date: Thursday, January 29, 1998, 11:39 am

On Each scene, I was glued to the Kunta's face expresstion.

When he saw whites first time, his eyes were stopped, then broadened. It was like a animal seeing his prey.

When he was chased by blacks with whites, his mouse were bended.

As he breathed, his nose and mouth sucked up whole the air. As he screamed, his mouth became a cave. As he was caught, his teeth were exposed. There was no explanation at the scene, however, more than that, his face appeled for me his terrify.

When he was taken to the ship, he looked around the cage. Not only Kunta but also a lot of black people were there. As he knew the wrestling coach was also caught, and Fanta was crying, he expressed distress by his look. His eyes were disappointed, at the same time, angry. His persistance gave him power.

When Kunta was sold, he had already seen Fanta was sold . In the cage, he stared fixedly. It seemed that he was frustrated because he couldn't do anything for her.

From his expression, we can know the transition of his feeling.

The face tells us feeling clearly.

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buying slaves
From: mayumi
Date: Thursday, January 29, 1998, 11:52 am

My biggest impression was when all slaves were bought by whites. They seemed like things as we buy. I can not imagine how they feel. They treated like animals. I do not think they felt like being alive at that moment. Kunta does not want his parents meet him. I think he has strong will and he leads everybody. If I were them,I could not stand what whites done at that time. Now there are many African American who have high educate and make a lot of efforts. Their anccesters are telling them what had done before and I did not have opportunity to see these movie so far. I did not think about slaves but after I watched "Roots" I am thinking about there are many people treated badly.

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Subject: Difference of the Civilization
From: Taka
Date: Thursday, January 29, 1998, 11:52 am

Hello, everyone. When I watched this movie, I am interested in the difference of the civilization between whites and blacks. For example, we could see it in the scene of training in the village.

Although, in fact blacks had trained themselves by their way, it didn't work to whites because blacks trained only how to fight without weapons but whites created the guns. Consequently, blacks were caught by whites notwithstanding their training. Whenever blacks tried to do something against whites, they were defeated.

That is, I would be able to say that the difference of the civilization was the main cause of the salvery. So, I think that the slavery is the unavoidable problem. If there is a man who can't follow the class in your class, I think you would despise him or her. It is same thing with the slavery. However, I didn't permit it.

I am also interested in another scene. It is the final scene of ROOTS 2. When I saw it, I thought that Fiddler was going to get the freedom while he kept his situation. That is, if he fought against whites at that time, he recognized that he was going to be defeated.

He needed the power. So, I think he dicided that he was going to get the power as the slave.

I think the United States still have the discrimination.

It is getting better because blacks have gotten the power little by little.

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Subject: Re: Difference of the Civilization
From: Susung
Date: Thursday, January 29, 1998, 12:10 pm

I see your point,but I don't agree with your point of view that only power can protect people from discrimination. I think most of discriminations come from misunderstanding. It's not merely a physical aspect,but psychological. We can make harmony with other people when we try to understand them better whether they are strong or not.

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Subject: Re: Arrival at the United States.
From: Ryoko Tomita
Date: Thursday, January 29, 1998, 12:12 pm

I agree with you that the descrimination against black people still continues today. Also, I think the problem is not only the descrimination. I feel the different feeling and opinion between black and white people. For example, at O.J. Sympson's trial, most black people are for him and most white people are against him.

Also, I often see black people and white people get together separetelly even though their lauguages are same.

I don't know if these things happen because of the descrimination against black people. Although, it passed over one hundred years since slave system was abolished, it is true that black people are still discriminated against. We have to think about this problem seriously.

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Subject: Re: Arrival at the United States.
From: Eri
Date: Thursday, January 29, 1998, 12:14 pm

I have seen on the TV about Black people getting beatten up by the police. This kind of thing shouldn't happen. Anyone against the law about discrimination should get a very heavy punishment. Because this kind of affair shouldn't happen. People do it in order to hurt others or may not even realize that's hurting somebody else. They should definitely realize or learn it. I just don't understand what makes them think that they are better than African Americans. It's just difference between of their skin colors.

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Subject: Re: prejudice
From: Mayu Otsuka
Date: Thursday, January 29, 1998, 12:16 pm

I agree with you. Even today, though it has passed 250 years from the slavery, it is sometimes reported that white treats African American unfairly. The situation which African American live in is getting better, such as in their occupation or education. However, the prejudice has still existed in some humans' heart. Whatever rules we decide, it doesn't have any meaning as long as we have fair mind. The past cannot change. What we should do is to know the fact and reflect deeply.

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Subject: Re: as a slave
From: mayumi
Date: Thursday, January 29, 1998, 12:17 pm

I think I was disappointed at this scene. If I were them I would have scare to death. We can see their feeling through Kunta's face. There are many Black people who are educated and have a good life, however, some are still discriminated against whites some place. At office and school and so on. It is such a sad truth.

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Subject: Re: Difference of the Civilization
From: Kei
Date: Thursday, January 29, 1998, 12:26 pm

Taka writes:

>Hello, everyone. When I watched this movie, I am interested in the
>difference of the civilization between whites and blacks. For
>example, we could see it in the scene of training in the village.
>Although, in fact blacks had trained themselves by their way, it
>didn't work to whites because blacks trained only how to fight
>without weapons but whites created the guns. Consequently, blacks
>were caught by whites notwithstanding their training. Whenever
>blacks tried to do something against whites, they were defeated.
>That is, I would be able to say that the difference of the civilizatio
>was the main cause of the salvery. So, I think that the slavery is
>the unavoidable problem. If there is a man who can't follow the
>class in your class, I think you would despise him or her. It is same
>thing with the slavery. However, I didn't permit it.

>I am also interested in another scene. It is the final scene of ROOT
>2. When I saw it, I thought that Fiddler was going to get the
>freedom while he kept his situation. That is, if he fought against
>whites at that time, he recognized that he was going to be defeated
>He needed the power. So, I think he dicided that he was going to get
>the power as the slave. >

>I think the United States still have the discrimination.
>It is getting better because blacks have gotten the power little by
>little.

I could understand what you are interested in. However, I couldn't understand why you think most of us despite the man who can't follow the class. In my opinion, I don't think I will. Probably, I misundersood what you wrote, so please give more examples to explain it.

As Michael said, there are a lot of misunderstanding between whites and blacks. You know, whites did not think blacks had their own language. Futhermore, even now, discrimination happened. It is quite painful to think about it. However, we should. Because of different skin colours, they have something in their mind that they may not be able to understand each other. Therefore, if they can understand each other as they do with same skin color, the possiblity not to have a discremination will be born.

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Subject: Re: irreplaceable lives
From: Tomoko
Date: Thursday, January 29, 1998, 12:30 pm

I see your point, but, I have a little different opinion from yours. I think that it is noy only problem between black and white. Even if people are the same races, I think there is a still discrimination among those people. Many people still have the stereotype about the different ethnic group.

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Subject: Re: buying slaves
From: Dai Ichikawa
Date: Thursday, January 29, 1998, 12:33 pm

Mayumi writes:

>after I watched "Roots" I am thinking about there are many
>people treated badly.
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Japanese people treated many Asian people badly. Especially, from Meiji era Japanese treated Chinese people and Korean people cruelly. During World War Two, Japanese treated a lot of people in many Asian countries and killed them without any reasons. Japan treated Korea as a colony of Japan, and robbed the right to live. During war, there were many stupid projects by Japanese army and used a lot of Asian people to support Japan and killed them. Japanese also treated many Asian people like animals and killed very easily.

Today, Japanese government is paying money to many Asian countries, but money is not enough to solve this problem. We need to find some ways. Also, we need to teach the facts in history to next generation.

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