Jan 2, 2019
Topics: Roots, by Alex Haley, with commentary by Adam DeCollibus (@adam_decollibus), author of "Caravan". (Bonus Artist: Luck Pacheco) (***Audio quality is spotty***)
1977
1. General News snapshots
2. Jimmy Carter President
3. Jan - The
world's first personal computer, the Commodore PET (Personal
Electronic Transactor) released
4. Jun - The
Apple II released
5. Aug - TRS-80
released (Byte magazine referred to these as the "1977 Trinity" of
personal computing)
6. Aug - U.S.
President Jimmy Carter signs legislation creating the United States
Department of Energy.
7.
Aug - Elvis
Presley, the king of rock and roll dies in his home in
Graceland at age 42.
8. Oct - Atari 2600, this popularized the use of
microprocessor-based hardware and cartridges containing game
code.
9. Open Comments
10. Economic Snapshots
11. Min Wage = $2.30 (+.10)
12. Avg. Income = $15,070
13. New House = $49,300
14. New car = $4,785
15. Avg. rent $240
16. Black unemployment 12.1% vs 7.6%
17. Open Comments:
18. Black News Snapshots
19. Jan - Roots
airs on ABC.
20. Jul - The New
York City blackout of 1977 lasts for 25 hours, resulting in looting
and other disorder.
21. Popular Music Snapshots
22. Record of the Year: The Eagles for "Hotel
California"
23. Album of the Year: Fleetwood Mac for Rumours
24. Song of the Year (Tied): "Evergreen (Love Theme
from A Star Is Born)"
performed by Barbra
Streisand & "You Light Up My Life" performed
by Debby Boone
25. Best New Artist: Debby Boone
26. Popular Movie Snapshots
27. Top Grossing Movies
28. 1 - Star Wars
29. 2 - Smokey and
the Bandit
30. 3 - Close
Encounters of the Third Kind
31. Notable Black Films
32. A Piece of the Action: Crime comedy film directed
by and starring Sidney Poitier and co-starring Bill Cosby. It was
the third film pairing of Poitier and Cosby, following Uptown Saturday Night (1974) and
Let's Do It Again (1975). The films are considered a trilogy, even
though the actors play characters with different names in each
film. It was also Poitier's last acting role for more than a
decade, as he focused his attentions on directing only.
33. Which Way is Up? Comedy film starring Richard
Pryor. It is a remake of the 1972 Italian comedy film The Seduction of Mimi. Richard Pryor plays
three roles: an orange picker who has two women at the same time,
the orange picker's father, and a Reverend who gets the orange
picker's wife pregnant.
34. Popular TV Shows
35. 1 - Laverne & Shirley
36. 2 - Happy Days
37. 3 - Three's Company
38. Notable Black TV Shows & Snapshots
39. The Richard Pryor Show was an American
comedy-variety show starring Richard Pryor. [Lasted for only 4
episodes]
40. Benson DuBois (Robert Guillaume) debuts on Soap as
the wisecracking African-American cook/butler. In 1979, Benson
leaves for his own spin-off.
41. Janet Jackson (@11 yrs. old) joins the cast of the
CBS sitcom Good Times for its final two seasons as Penny Gordon, an
upstairs neighbor who is abused her biological mother.
42. Open Comments:
43. Black Social Scene [+ Television]
44. Roots: The Saga of an American Family - “One
of the most important books and television series ever to appear,
Roots, galvanized the nation, and created an extraordinary
political, racial, social and cultural dialogue that hadn’t been
seen since the publication of Uncle Tom’s Cabin. The book sold over
one million copies in the first year, and the miniseries was
watched by an astonishing 130 million people. It also won both the
Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award. Roots opened up the
minds of Americans of all colors and faiths to one of the darkest
and most painful parts of America’s past.” - www.litlovers.com
45. Special guest commentator: Adam DeCollibus, Author
of Caravan.
46. Brief explanation for why Adam was invited
47. Adam’s personal/writing background
48. Adam’s professional/company background
49. Adam’s personal/professional goals
50. Adam’s biggest obstacles (past, present, or
future)
51. Summary of Adam’s book, “Caravan”
52. Transition to Roots discussion
53. Roots tells the story of Kunta Kinte - a young man
taken from The Gambia when he was seventeen and sold as a slave -
and seven generations of his descendants in the United States,
which includes the author himself. [The Television mini-series
focused mainly on Kunta, his daughter Kizzy, and her son “Chicken”
George.]
54. Open comments/general reactions to the story
55. Brief layout of the main Characters / Conflicts /
Resolutions
56. Discussion Topics: [American-born
African-Americans broken Identity with Africa / Kizzy's
relationship with Missy Anne [i.e., happy pet and owner type
relationship] / George's skin color]
57. [Open floor topics]
58. Has the context changed in 21st century America?
Do different themes seem important now?
59. Concluding question: Did you find anything hopeful
about the story? [i.e. a spark curiosity / or pride / or
determination]
60. Thanks to Adam [Caravan recap/contact info]
61. Black Music Scene
62. Billboard Top 40 “Black” songs
63. 3 - "Best of My Love", The Emotions
64. 5 - "Angel in Your Arms", Hot
65. 7 - "Don't Leave Me This Way", Thelma Houston
66. 8 - "(Your Love Has Lifted Me) Higher and
Higher", Rita Coolidge
67. 11 - "I'm Your Boogie Man", KC and the Sunshine Band
68. 18 - "Sir Duke", Stevie Wonder
69. 20 - "Got to Give It Up", Marvin Gaye
70. 23 - "Rich Girl", Hall & Oates
71. 25 - "Hot Line", The Sylvers
72. 26 - "Car Wash", Rose Royce
73. 27 - "You Don't Have to Be a Star (To Be in My
Show)", Marilyn McCoo &
Billy Davis Jr.
74. 33 - "Easy", Commodores
75. 35 - "I've Got Love on My Mind", Natalie Cole
76. 40 - "Enjoy Yourself", The Jacksons
77. 41 - "Dazz", Brick
78. Vote:
79. Billboard Top Soul Albums
80. Jan - Songs in the Key of Life, Stevie Wonder
81. Jan - Good High, Brick
82. Mar - Ask Rufus, Rufus featuring Chaka Khan
83. Apr - Unpredictable, Natalie Cole
84. Apr - Ahh... The Name Is Bootsy, Baby!, Bootsy's
Rubber Band
85. Apr - Live at the London Palladium, Marvin Gaye
86. May - Go for Your Guns, The Isley Brothers
87. May - Commodores, Commodores
88. Jul - Rejoice, The Emotions
89. Aug - Floaters, The Floaters
90. Oct - Rose Royce II: In Full Bloom, Rose Royce
91. Oct - Something to Love, L.T.D.
92. Oct - Barry
White Sings for Someone You Love, Barry White
93. Nov - Brick, Brick
94. Dec - All 'n All, Earth, Wind & Fire
95. Vote:
96. Movie Scene [Covered during Popular Movie
Discussion]
97. Television Scene [Covered during Social
discussion]
98. Biggest Legacy from 1977