The Films That Make Us: Roots

LeVar Burton as Kunta Kinte in Roots (1977)

The Films That Make Us is a special series investigating the power of film from a social, cultural and historical perspective. Stephens College students conducted interviews to examine how a film affected their life and why. These personal stories on the impact of cinema show the range of perspectives around us.

“Even purchasing furniture, I experienced the price that I was given was much higher than the caucasian individual.”

Interviewer: Anadelia Medina

Interviewee: Grace Jacquet

Being born and raised in the Republic of Panama overseas, Mrs. Jacquet migrated to the United States in the 1970’s, a couple years before the film was released in 1977. She currently lives in New Jersey, and having her Masters in Nursing, she has worked in the field for 45 years before retirement. Therefore, she has gone through many experiences from then to the present day, where prejudice and racial injustices were prominent. Coming from West Indian culture, her grandparents were a part of the construction of the Panama Canal, and they have experienced the racial injustices that were aimed towards African American individuals. Down below, you will be presented with the experiences that her family has gone through while the canal was being built and how the film Roots, by Alex Haley, has helped her realize that discrimination occurs everywhere. The film Roots is based on a book, written by Alex Haley, and it showcases the struggles, sacrifices, and racial injustices that African Americans had to go through in the years of slavery, from colonial times (1700’s) into Post Civil War (1900’s). Within society today, African Americans have had to adapt to living in a lifestyle of being alert of these injustices in their everyday lives, when that shouldn’t be the case. No one should live their life in fear of the actions that certain individuals possess.

Construction of the Panama Canal, 1881

Present Day Panama Canal, 2021

Starting with the interview, the first question is explaining a day-to-day life when you were at a young age.

When I was young, I was born in Panama, Republic of Panama, and I did my elementary education there in Panama. I went to Costa Rica to a boarding school, graduated high school in Science, and then to Nicaragua to study Nursing. Day-to- day, we were a middle-class family. My dad worked on the canal zone with the Americans, helping after the construction. Our grandparents participated in the construction of the canal, but my dad didn't, he just worked after everything was completed. 

So, going on to the film, the film that you chose was Roots, correct? 

Roots, that is correct. 

Trailer for Roots Aired 1977

Okay, so with the film Roots, my next question is, have you encountered any experiences that affected you after this film was released? How so?

After viewing the film, I encountered a lot of prejudice in the workplace, even though I was a professional and also, I have friends that went through the same thing; not treated fairly. 

Did this film change your day-to-day life? Or did it not affect it as much?

Day-to-day, it just opened up your eyes to be aware, not everyone, but certain people that are prejudiced and it just made you realize that you have to be careful while dealing with certain individuals. 

My next question is, describe a societal experience from when the film was released? 

Okay, I came to the U.S. in 1970, the film was released after that date. I noticed that not only in the workplace, but in areas where you- typical example is, while you were purchasing merchandise there was an experience that I had. I sent a friend of mine to check the value on an automobile and she was given a certain price, and then when I went, my price was completely different and much higher. So, that's where society is a concern, that’s where I noticed that. Even purchasing furniture, you know I experienced the price that I was given was much higher than the other individual, the Caucasian individual. 

“So, I see that as a prejudice act in my book.”

Right, and the follow up question is, did it affect anyone other than you? You kind of explained that when some of your peers have experienced the same experience you’ve gone though, correct?

Yes, some of my friends. I have tried to teach the next generation, my grandchildren, that you just have to be cautious and not really put it in their heads that everyone is prejudiced because that’s not the case. 

Right. So, my next question is, was there a specific individual that affected society after this film was released?

I think after Roots was released, in our present times it stayed the same in certain instances, such as like; there were two people that went for a job. I have a lot of Caucasian friends, and the criteria that was given to them was completely different from the criteria that the African American person got. There was a difference there. It’s much better now, much better, but there is still a lot that we can fix that is concerning. 

Right, so these experiences, you've experienced them right after the film was released and the whole purpose of this film was to shed light on that experience so that we can better as a society when that wasn't the case. Like, the same things that happened back in the day are happening in our modern days, just in different forms. 

Yes, because everyone including the people who would interview you for a job realized that the mentality of the African American person is completely different because they are aware of those red flags.

Right, okay. We have two more questions. Second to last is, was there a specific experience that affected your mindset or actions after this film was released? 

In the workplace, I'll give you an example in the hospital. Each nurse gets a certain number of patients and one of the things that I realized was that the type of patients that I got compared to another person with the same type of credentials, was much easier than the ones that I got. In other words, my patients were more time consuming. 

Individuals digging across Panama Canal, 1881

Right. My last question is, explain your personal connection that you have with this film. 

Our grandparents came from overseas to better their financial situation to work on the Panama Canal and the environment that was created was…

“…not a positive environment.”

 They ignored it for the simple reason that they had people overseas depending on finances from them. So, they ignored certain things, but the U.S government when they realized that these people were becoming ill, because of malaria, due to the conditions that they were working in. Then, they sent a physician so that he can help better the people. Although, a lot of people perished; he bettered the situation so that there’ll be less tragedy. But what they were building was the Panama Canal and they had to dig until they hit water. The Canal is an avenue that allows ships to go through much faster than if they took another route, like from the Atlantic to Pacific. So, their trajectory was much easier going through there. So, by them digging and digging until they found water; when you have water that is tanked up, that’s just stagnant, that creates mosquitos and the mosquitos bit them and that is how they became ill with malaria. All malaria is a high fever, similar to typhoid fever, it's a high temp and if not treated it can kill you. 

Right and along with that they also experienced inhuman treatments.

Yes, yes. 

Well, thank you so much for allowing me to interview you on the film Roots and explaining your experience. I really appreciate it. Hopefully today in society, we will learn how to be better as a people and learn from these situations. So that's all we can hope for the future and our future generations. So, thank you so much for sharing your experience and explaining your personal connection to this film. 

You're very welcome.