This is an update to the PBS Ancestry scandal. A story involving the founder of the Ben Affleck production company. Ben Affleck is in hot water over a slavery cover-up scandal involving PBS and the show “Finding Your Roots” hosted by Professor Henry Gates.
For those who may not be familiar with the story, Affleck contacted Gates and asked that the segment about his slave owning ancestor not be included in the final production. Affleck said that this was out of embarrassment for the actions of his ancestors.? Affleck isn’t the only white person whose ancestors were a bunch of racists. I feel that his apology lacks the understanding that his privilege allowed him to essentially re-write his family’s history. Perhaps PBS can start selling hyped up ancestry like cosmetic surgery? PBS can call it the “PBS Ancestry” treatment.
Affleck also seems to congratulate himself for contributing to the “conversation” about slavery. I think this statement is loaded with unintended arrogance, but you can be the judge.
Here is his full statement,
“After an exhaustive search of my ancestry for ?Finding Your Roots,? it was discovered that one of my distant relatives was an owner of slaves.
I didn’t want any television show about my family to include a guy who owned slaves. I was embarrassed. The very thought left a bad taste in my mouth.
Skip decided what went into the show. I lobbied him the same way I lobby directors about what takes of mine I think they should use. This is the collaborative creative process. Skip agreed with me on the slave owner but made other choices I disagreed with. In the end, it’s his show and I knew that going in. I’m proud to be his friend and proud to have participated.
It’s important to remember that this isn’t a news program. Finding Your Roots is a show where you voluntarily provide a great deal of information about your family, making you quite vulnerable. The assumption is that they will never be dishonest but they will respect your willingness to participate and not look to include things you think would embarrass your family.
I regret my initial thoughts that the issue of slavery not be included in the story. We deserve neither credit nor blame for our ancestors and the degree of interest in this story suggests that we are, as a nation, still grappling with the terrible legacy of slavery. It is an examination well worth continuing. I am glad that my story, however indirectly, will contribute to that discussion. While I don’t like that the guy is an ancestor, I am happy that aspect of our country’s history is being talked about.”
Here’s a video report on the story.
