Roots: The Saga of an American Family Race Quotes

For a young Kunta, the concept of race doesn't really exist. He doesn't get the sense that the white men he sees in Africa come from a country where people endure the same struggles as he does. Instead, they're just strange, otherworldly bogeymen, which makes sense given the horrendous deeds of slave traders.

In his childhood, Kunta is taught that one's blackness is beautiful. Sadly, he'll have the exact opposite belief spouted at him once he is stolen from his homeland.

Remember how Kunta was taught that blackness was beautiful? How's he supposed to hold on to that belief in a country that tells him he should be ashamed of it? That's the quandary he faces in America.