alex hayley. i will go to my grave believing that roots is america s story, not just black americaers story. you might have come over in the bottom of the ship, but we all come over in ships. they men stay put, but it don t mean stay a slave. as a 19-year-old kid, you know, roots was my first job. what s your name? gunta, gunta quinte. the character i got to portray in roots was a dream role. snoo it was really genius to cast all of america s favorite television dads in the roles of the white slave owners and the villains. by morning, captain, sleep well. it is difficult to explain how unprecedented roots was, no