Roots, the legacy of slavery, and civil rights backlash in 1970s America

In chapter 1, “Roots, the Legacy of Slavery, and Civil Rights Backlash in 1970s America,” Clare Corbould examines the outpouring of letters that viewers sent to newspapers, executive producer David L. Wolper, author Alex Haley, ABC headquarters in New York, and local affiliate television stations. The letters, primarily written by self-identified black and white Americans, ranged from sympathetic, praiseworthy, and pensive, to resentful, belligerent, and hateful. Ultimately, the rhetoric in ...