kunta kinte. ♪ ♪ fernando: i'm fernando espuelas.come to "matter of fact." donald trump is turning up the attacks on hillary clinton. mr. trump: you know i call her crooked hillary. fernando: dialing up donors for support, and twisting arms to win the endorsement of party leaders who have been holdouts. it's all part of pulling the gop together, and building a national campaign team. which raises the question: whose advice is he seeking? how much is he listening? i'm joined now by doctor ben carson. dr. carson, welcome to the program. dr. carson: thank you. nice to be with you. fernando: you recently that said that donating to donald trump would be a good investment for the big donors in the republican party. can you elaborate more? how is this a good investment? dr. carson: well, in comparison to bernie sanders and hillary clinton, who feel like the solutions to everything come from the rich. if we take their money we can solve all the problems. the fact of the matter is, we are in so much trouble right now, not just the national de

the new cast full of hollywood star power, but the starring role, kunta, played by malachi kirby. >>ne of the biggest things i took from playing this is where his strength came from is in knowing where he was from. >> tobet. >> it's been a long time coming n this moment. >> reporter: they originated the first. >> it is an important story. >> it is an important story. >> reporter: burton is the co-executive producer of the new series and the two men formed a close bond. >> to be given the opportunity to portray him is a huge responsibility. i can't imagine doing what it is he did. >> but you did it first? >> but it's easy to be the first in that sense. because then no one has anything to compare you to. >> reporter: much like the character he plays, kirby found inspiration by drawing on his own roots. >> this felt very much like my story. my last name is kirby. i'm from africa, but my name is not african. >> reporter: when it aired, the country stood still. an unheard of 85% of american households caught a part of the series. >> i think it's important that you saw this picture. >> rep

>> kunta. >> reporter: and the dignity one man and family reclaimed. >> there will be another day. >> "roots" was a seminal event in our nation's history. >> reporter: the actor was a 19-year-old college kid when he got the role of his life. >> the story had never been told before from the point of view of the africans. >> you are kunta. >> reporter: now almost 40 years later, it's back. reimagined and remade by the history channel. the new cast full of hollywood star power, but the starring role, kunta, played by malachi kirby. >> one of the biggest things i took from playing this is where his strength came from is in knowing where he was from. >> tobet. >> it's been a long time coming n this moment. >> reporter: they originated the role and met onset in africa first. >> it is an important story. >> it is an important story. >> reporter: burton is the co-executive producer of the new series and the two men formed a close bond. >> to be given the opportunity to portray him is a huge responsibility. i can't imagine doing what it is he did. >> but you did it first? >> but it's easy to b

>> kunta.ortray in "roots," kunta kinte as an adult, was a dream role. >> it was really genius to cast all of america's favorite television dads in the roles of the white slave owners and the villains. >> i'll be by to fetch you in the morning, captain. sleep well. >> it is difficult to explain in today's culture how unprecedented "roots" was. no one had ever seen the story of slavery before told from the point of view of the africans. >> it may be the first time that television allowed an embracing of black pride. >> we's free. we's free, honey. >> one of the reasons that "roots" was so incredibly popular is not because abc had so much faith in it, but because abc didn't. >> earlier miniseries were broadcast in weekly installments. and the abc executives determined that if "roots" were to fail, they could just be done with it in seven or eight nights. >> it was high risk, high reward. if it didn't work, you were out a lot of tv time and not many people watching. >> the television premiere on e

>> kunta. kunta kinte. >> congress has no right to interfere with the media. >> excuse me! >> you have a responsibility to give the audience what it tuned in to see. ♪ ♪ >>> the years of the '60s which end in a few hours, have a bad reputation that is not entirely justified. some things got worse but some got better. we simply developed more demanding standards. >> when i think of tv, i think of the '70s. >> what is this world coming to? >> the american public was hungry for more. >> more was allowed. that hadn't been before. >> it was the last decade where it was a campfire television where there was one in the living room. >> i want to watch all-black show for a change. >> where you going to find one? >> here's one, the las angeles lakers against the milwaukee bucks. >> young people were interested in relevant things. and so television began to reflect that. >> this is cbs. >> really it was very simple, you had three channels and plus pbs. >> when the decade turned over into the '70s, televis

kunta kinte. ♪ ♪

it stars malachi kur by as kunta. one person won't be tuning and that's snoop dogg. strong feelings against the remake. similar films today about american slavery. >> i mean, i don't want to understand america. we see the abuse we take hundreds and hundreds years ago and we're taking the same abuse. >> snoop asked others to boycott the new series in question. when a movie about the successes of african-american successes would be made. you catch it on a&e and lifetime at 8:00 p.m. >> let's change gears for a second. dr. henry heimlich, the creator of the heimlich maneuver has taught in the technique. it was put to the test when he saved a choking woman sitting next to hi him in the retirement home. >> i said god put me in this seat next to you because i ordered a hamburger and the next thing i know, i couldn't breathe. >> i did compressions and a piece of meat came out and she started breathing. >> unbelievable at 96 years old. he said he felt wonderful about saving another person's life. now, according to dr. heimlich this is the first time he actually performed the

at the center was kunta kinte played by levar burton. get his thoughts on why the time is right for a new "roots." levar burton, thank you for being here. >> it's a pleasure, joy. >> and congratulations on a really masterful remake of a classic. >> i am really proud of this. yeah. >> you know, in watching it, i was actually taking myself and transporting myself back to when i saw it first when i was a kid. and wondering, number one, why did you feel you had to remake it because the first one was so classic. why do you think it was important to remake it. >> initially i was not. when i heard about the remake, i was like this is not a good idea. but then i got a call from mark wahlberg and he told me his story and it changed my mind instantly. he said he had shown the original to his children and it was difficult to get them to sit still. they thought it was old, it felt dated. it didn't have relevance to them in their lives. they said, you know, dad, we get why it's important but it's kind of like your music, it doesn't speak to us, right

in 1977, lavar burton played kunta. this time he is an executive producer, and british actor malachi kirby plays the iconic role. >> what tip did you give him? >> the only tip i can possibly give malachi is to make it his own. >> forrest whittaker is the role louis gossett junior. and ben vereen takes on chicken george. the original is mostly shot on the disney lot, where as this was shot here in louisiana. but also in south africa. ♪ the slave ship scenes were done in cape town, south africa. in louisiana, seven different plantstations were used. they have been historically preserved down to the original slave cabin. >> that's a real slave cabin. >> yes it is. >> how many people lived in that? >> no telling. probably about 20. >> today they're shooting one of the most emotional scenes of the entire miniseries. this is when kunta kinte's daughter kizzy has been sold and now she is about to leave the plantation. part of "root's" realism comes from costume designer ruth carter. explain what these are. >> this is a slave t

. >> kunta. kunta kinte. >> congress has no right to interfere with the media. >> excuse me!what it tuned in to see. ♪

. >> kunta kinte. >> that's your african name.gram follows several generations of the lives of a family enslave inside the light on an aspect of american history. >> a young african warrior. >> and sparking poignant conversation across the country. >> i can't imagine your ancestors would do this stuff. >> reporter: almost 40 years later, "roots" has been redone for a new generation. >> no, i have seen a bird such as this. >> reporter: the four-episode series on the history channel. i got a chance to sit down with the cast. >> when i watched the original 1977, it made me angry and proud. and when i watch your version, it made me angrier and prouder. why take on this project? >> because it's necessary to continue to tell this story. the glory of what africa was. >> i grew up in zimbabwe in africa. this is one of the most ambitious portrayals of african history. >> for many of us, we see it as an american story. >> also, it would be disingenuous to pretend we can tell the story, the history of america, without also telling the histor

to me, i stood in the cell where kunta kinte was in tears.nority on this set. your journey was so unique. i read about you crying while filming this role. it was a character, very different from you, but this was your journey. >> my grandmother said she didn't even like me. i was definitely the bad girl. >> you were. >> is it true you couldn't bring yourself to watch it? >> i haven't yet. >> you still haven't? >> still have not? >> no. >> will you watch it on the rerelease? are you ready? >> i don't know. i know that the conversation, as ben said to me earlier, has got to go on and be kept alive. >> it will. >> for someone 7 years old, not to be aware, is criminal in this world. >> you've changed lives together, and it is an honor to be in your presence. thank you so much and congratulations. >> thank you. >> thank you for having us. >>> we'll be back in a moment. this is "today" on an amazing day on nbc. ♪ dream pat intoomey started his careers an investment banker. then, a wall street wheeler-dealer overseeing stock trades in new york, lond

. >> kunta kinte. >> charges were leveled at the commercial television networks. >> congress has no right give the audience what it tuned in to see.

. >> kunta quinta. >> you were 19 years old when you played that.d, what did playing that scene mean to you as a 19-year-old? >> it's funny, rev. from the first time i read the scenes for the purposes of auditions, when i read those initial signs, i knew, i knew who that kid was. i knew what he was thinking, i knew what he was feeling. and i was really just looking for the truth of the moment. it's interesting. it's been poecinted out to me tt in the original version, he takes about ten lashes. and in this new one, that scene goes on for about 20 lashes longer. >> wow. now, did you give any advice to the young man playing your character now? >> he didn't need any advice from me. he had it well in hand before i arrived on the set. he is an amazing actor and a remarkable humming. i could not think of anyone better to hand this role over to. he is quite extraordinary. >> now, one of the other things i want to talk to you about for a minute, because you phrased your heritage, your background back to sub sahara africa. i once was traced -- a newspaper in

. >> kunta kinte. >> that's your after can name. reporter: the now-iconic program followed several families enslaved in the south. shining a well-needed light on that aspect of america life. and sparking poignant conversations across the country. >> can't imagine that people, your ancestors would do this stuff. >> reporter: and now, almost 40 years later, "roots" has been redone for a new generation. the four-episode series premieres tonight on the history channel. i got a chance to sit down with the cast. i watched the original 1977 it made me angry and proud. and when i watch your version it made me angrier and prouder. why take on this project? >> because it's necessary to continue to tell this story. >> i grew up in zimbabwe africa. this is one of the most respectful and ambitious portrayals of african history. >> you see it as an african story. for more of us we see it as an american story. >> it's an american story but it's also it would be disingenerous that we can tell the history of american without telling the history of a