Almost four decades later, Roots comes back to TV

Roots stars (from left) Erica Tazel, Page, Rose and Chad L. Coleman. ; Photos: History

When the miniseries Roots aired in the United States in 1977, it showed the ugly truth of oppression borne from another atrocity – slavery.

Based on Alex Haley’s 1976 novel, it traces the author’s lineage from his ancestor, who was taken from West Africa and shipped to the US as a slave.