In the 1977 TV drama mini-series "Roots", John Allen Amos Jr. (born December 27, 1939) is the American actor known for his role as Kunta Kinte in the television series "Roots" (1977). Amos because of his acting obtained an Emmy nomination. He gave a very strong and truly outstanding performance.

Within the series, as the adult Kunta Kinte (Amos) is a chattel slave and feels haunted by his African (Mandinka) roots. He has very good memories of freedom in Africa. Because his owner, John Reynolds (Lorne Greene), does not receive all the money he expected from the sale of his crop of tobacco, he used slaves to settle a debt to his brother, Dr. William Reynolds (Robert Reed), the local physician. John transfers ownership of his slaves, Kunta and Fiddler.

Kunta once again tries to escape from his owner, but a pair of slave-catchers seize him. They bind him and chop off about half his right foot (to limit his ability to run away again). After these actions, Kunta meets Bell (Madge Sinclair), the cook for the William's family. Bell is a person who is able to successfully treat both Kunta's mangled foot and his wounded spirit. Kunta has a harsh life, but he learns how to make his life have meaning.

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