Is Roots really that controversial that it needs to be banned? Haven't watched the movie cause I quit pot and haven't read the book but isn't it like historical or something?

haven't watched the movie cause I quit pot

Uh, pardon?

How does quitting pot relate to seeing a movie? 🤨

Anyway, it's about as controversial as Huck Finn. Except the main heroes are black slaves, not some white kid who helps a single slave. Getting it banned carries serious racist undertones.

"Roots" was among the first widely read works of fiction to offer a detailed account of the Middle Passage, the horrific transatlantic journey to America endured by enslaved Africans between the 16th and 19th centuries.

"Prior to its release, the impact of slavery was easy to diminish or deny by those that benefited the most from that system," said Annastasia Williams, bookshop director at The Bottom bookstore and cultural organization.

https://www.knoxnews.com/story/news/education/2026/05/15/knox-county-schools-bans-historical-novel-roots-by-alex-haley/90080042007/

Less controversial, more "reminds the US of a time it would like to forget."

This is an aside, but what does quitting pot have to do with you not watching the movie?

Not sure what quitting pot has to do with not watching roots, but no, it isn't that controversial a series/movie/book

It is, however, highly symbolic to go after it. It's basically a declaration that things are changing, and this time they're going after the black people openly.

We were shown Roots in high school, and given a stern brow-beating as if we had personally overseen the slave trade (all-white high school/community). Then they told us to act like racism was solved for everyone's good. It was... all fairly confusing.