Traces of the Trade: Examining an Uncomfortable Past

2008 marks the bicentennial of the United States’ abolition of the slave trade on its shores. That’s a landmark event in the nation’s history, and yet, it’s been largely overlooked. Maybe it’s because we like to pat ourselves on the back about the quantum leaps we’ve made in the two centuries since, or perhaps it’s because old wounds leave ugly scars best left unmentioned in polite conversation. It’s more likely a combination of the two, made all the more muddled by mythologies on all sides regarding the evolution of race relations in the United States.

Traces of the Trade, the season opener of the PBS acclaimed documentary series P.O.V., looks at some of these issues from a uniquely personal perspective. First-time filmmaker Katrina Browne, discovers that her privileged life is linked to her lineal ancestors’ business in the slave trade. In fact, her Rhode Island ancestors, the DeWolfs, were the largest slave-trading family in United States history.

The news is something of a shock to Browne, considering the DeWolf name is revered in the family’s hometown of Bristol, Rhode Island. The family has a prominent place in history, with a lineage of professors, philanthropists, legislators, Episcopal priests and bishops. Slave trade was hinted at in the family annals, brushed off as poor relations in the family.

As she looks deeper into the family’s slave-trading roots, and learns more, she embarks on a journey with other DeWolf descendents, to retrace the routes of the infamous Triangle Trade—from Ghana, where the slaves were bought to the family’s sugar plantation in Cuba, where the slaves labored in the sugar fields, to make it into rum, to Rhode Island, where the product was sold, and the cycle began anew.

While Traces of the Trade falters in parts, veering dangerously from objective history into moments of white guilt and overly intellectual rationalization, it manages to point out that the history of race relations in America has been drastically altered over the generations. In so doing, it points out many of the myths of our history. In the end, we find that it wasn’t a matter of North versus South. It was more a matter of regional economic interests, wherein everybody was more complicit than textbook history suggests. There are wounds in our history that need to be healed, and the most expedient way to do that is to accept that history, as we were taught it, has some serious flaws.

As much as it drips of white guilt, and as much as it focuses on one family’s attempt at forgiveness for the sins of the fathers, Traces of the Trade: A Story of the Deep North forces us to look at look at our sometimes unsavory past.

Traces of the Trade, part of the PBS series P.O.V., premieres on PBS Tuesday, 24 June, at 10P EST. Check your local listings, of course, but make it a point to view it.

Perception of the Doors

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It’s easy to make a case that the Doors were one of the greatest bands in the history of rock. They were, after all, one of the first bands to top the charts by exploring the darker side of the flower power generation. It’s an equally simple matter to claim the Doors as the godfathers of pretension in rock. It takes a bit more than leather pants and concho belts to signal a death knoll to love power.

The one thing that can’t be argued is that the Doors’ eponymously titled debut remains, over forty years after its release, one of the most auspicious debuts in the annals of rock. As part of its continuing series, Classic Albums: The Doors explores the making of the album, as seen mostly through the memories of the survivors of those sessions. It’s equal parts retrospective and a fond remembrance, as seen primarily through the reminiscences of Ray Manzarek, Robbie Krieger and John Densmore, as well as recording engineer/ Bruce Botnick.

Love them or hate them, when their debut was released in January 1967, there was no band quite like the Doors. The members were educated—film school refugees (Morrison and Manzarek) and accomplished music theorists (Krieger and Densmore) who, consciously or not, would rewrite the rules of rock. They weren’t really interested in teen angst or Utopian visions of love—the Doors looked at what lay beyond those paths, and explored the more shadowy aspects of a world in the midst of a cultural revolution.

Classic Albums: The Doors touches on that mystique, but doesn’t waste a lot of time dwelling on it. Instead, it focuses mostly on the process of making the album. Much of it is anecdotal, of course, largely paced by the perpetually animated Manzarek, who often comes across with a Vegas veneer with his reminisces about the band’s origins. Botnick balances that vaguely schmaltzy exuberance with an engineer’s love of how the songs broke down technically.

Densmore and Krieger provide the greatest insights into how the band achieved its unique sound. Between the two of them, they managed to meld blues, bossa nova, flamenco guitar and funk in a single riff. With Manzarek, whose keyboard bass and soul and jazz inclinations cemented the Doors’ sound, they emerged as a band that sounded lie no other.

Despite all that, it’s impossible to discuss the Doors without placing Jim Morrison in the center of the context—not just of the album, but of the shift in American culture as a whole. The spectre of the Vietnam war would fragment the hippie movement, and Morrison’s lyrics, while not overtly political, reflected the gnawing restlessness of American society at the time. The Doors weren’t about love and peace so much as they were about inner turmoil.

The people involved in the album recognize that, as do such current personalities as Perry Ferrell and Henry Rollins, who provide a contemporary take on the legacy of the Doors. Sadly, aging Beat poet Michael McClure’s recitations of “Break On Through” only serve to diminish the impact of the song. His attempt to elevate the lyrics to the level of high poetry come off more as a Steve Allen routine than serious dissemination of the work.

All in all, Classic Albums: The Doors is an erstwhile addition to a series that is in itself proving to be an important chronicler of important pop music. As with the rest of the series, the Doors entry sidesteps hype in favor of focusing on how the album came to be, and what makes it an enduring classic. In the Doors’ case, this DVD focuses not on the decline and fall of a seminal band, but on the efforts that made them a seminal band. It’s objective reportage, laced with live footage and outtakes (notably the evolution of “Moonlight Ride”). Itdoesn’t shed any new light on the Doors mythos, but it does open a new perspective on the band. It’s been over forty years since The Doors was released, yet it remains a major influence on music today. By anybody’s standards, that constitutes a “classic” album.

Why the Boomers Are a Big Noise

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From 1946 through 1964, America experienced a population growth unprecedented in human history. World War II had ended in 1945, and the country was collectively anxious to enjoy the new prosperity they now had, including rushing headlong into parenthood. Over the next eighteen years, Americans did just that-- with gusto. The result was a baby boom that increased the population by nearly 80 million. I was born right in the middle of that boom, and that may explain in part why I found the new PBS documentary The Boomer Century: 1946-2046 so fascinating.

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The Boomer Century is hardly a nostalgic romp, however. Instead, it looks at the boomer generation's past, present and future in an insightful and entertaining way. The result is a documentary that spans not only the the concerns of the boomers themselves, but addresses the impact they will have on future generations of Americans. Hosted by psychologist and gerontologist, Dr. Ken Dychtwald, The Boomer Century is a fast-paced story in three parts.

The first part focuses on how post -war American society shaped the generation, from the explosion of television culture (In 1946, only 6000 homes owned televisions; within a decade that number had mushroomed to nearly forty million.), to rock and roll, to the social upheaval of the sixties, to the student activism that followed. The second part delves into how this generation reshaped the workplace and redefined lifestyle, for better or worse. The third, and perhaps most important, part examines the impact aging boomers are having on society as a whole. The boomers are such a huge part of the populace, that every eight seconds, another one turns 60. The implications of that are enormous.

Produced and directed by Joel Westbrook and Neil Steinberg, and written by Oscar winner Mark Harris, The Boomer Century offers an incisive look at the generation that has redefined how Americans view themselves, both personally and as a culture. Interspersed throughout the documentary are interviews with a number of prominent boomers, including filmmakers Oliver Stone and Rob Reiner, satirist Lewis Black, novelist Erica Jong, White House press secretary Tony Snow, civil rights pioneer Julian Bond, and futurist Alvin Toffler, among others. They're seamlessly edited into the themes of the program, adding credibility and aiding the fast-paced feel of the program.While this is a program that has an airy aura about it, it challenges all viewers with its questions about what the future holds for American society as the boomers age. It also dispels popular myths about the so-called "Me Generation." Boomers are much more likely to contribute to charities than any other demographic, and have more than 50% more buying power than the coveted 18-39 aged bracket. Eighty percent of boomers intend to keep working after retirement.
On the downside, boomers face enormous challenges in the years ahead. More than a third live paycheck to paycheck, with net assets of less than $1000. Unless a cure or treatment is found, it's projected that 15 million boomers will be stricken by dementia by the middle of the century. And since boomers are living longer, strains will be put on retirement resources over the coming years.For the most part, The Boomer Century remains optimistic about the future of the boomers. While it doesn't shy away from the possibility of "age wars" due to the financial strain that they may put on future generations, it by and large is confident that the boomers will continue to redefine society well into this century.The Boomer Century premieres on PBS March 28, 9 PM EST. Check local listings for schedules. It's a fascinating program that will give you pause to think. Or at least smile.Produced and directed by Joel Westbrook and Neil Steinberg, and written by Oscar winner Mark Harris, The Boomer Century offers an incisive look at the generation that has redefined how Americans view themselves, both personally and as a culture. Interspersed throughout the documentary are interviews with a number of prominent boomers, including filmmakers Oliver Stone and Rob Reiner, satirist Lewis Black, novelist Erica Jong, White House press secretary Tony Snow, civil rights pioneer Julian Bond, and futurist Alvin Toffler, among others. They're seamlessly edited into the themes of the program, adding credibility and aiding the fast-paced feel of the program.While this is a program that has an airy aura about it, it challenges all viewers with its questions about what the future holds for American society as the boomers age. It also dispels popular myths about the so-called "Me Generation." Boomers are much more likely to contribute to charities than any other demographic, and have more than 50% more buying power than the coveted 18-39 aged bracket. Eighty percent of boomers intend to keep working after retirement.
will continue to redefine society well into this century.The Boomer Century premieres on PBS March 28, 9 PM EST. Check local listings for schedules. It's a fascinating program that will give you pause to think. Or at least smile.Produced and directed by Joel Westbrook and Neil Steinberg, and written by Oscar winner Mark Harris, The Boomer Century offers an incisive look at the generation that has redefined how Americans view themselves, both personally and as a culture. Interspersed throughout the documentary are interviews with a number of prominent boomers, including filmmakers Oliver Stone and Rob Reiner, satirist Lewis Black, novelist Erica Jong, White House press secretary Tony Snow, civil rights pioneer Julian Bond, and futurist Alvin Toffler, among others. They're seamlessly edited into the themes of the program, adding credibility and aiding the fast-paced feel of the program.While this is a program that has an airy aura about it, it challenges all viewers with its questions about what the future holds for American society as the boomers age. It also dispels popular myths about the so-called "Me Generation." Boomers are much more likely to contribute to charities than any other demographic, and have more than 50% more buying power than the coveted 18-39 aged bracket. Eighty percent of boomers intend to keep working after retirement.
On the downside, boomers face enormous challenges in the years ahead. More than a third live paycheck to paycheck, with net assets of less than $1000. Unless a cure or treatment is found, it's projected that 15 million boomers will be stricken by dementia by the middle of the century. And since boomers are living longer, strains will be put on retirement resources over the coming years.For the most part, The Boomer Century remains optimistic about the future of the boomers. While it doesn't shy away from the possibility of "age wars" due to the financial strain that they may put on future generations, it by and large is confident that the boomers will continue to redefine society well into this century.The Boomer Century premieres on PBS March 28, 9 PM EST. Check local listings for schedules. It's a fascinating program that will give you pause to think. Or at least smile.Produced and directed by Joel Westbrook and Neil Steinberg, and written by Oscar winner Mark Harris, The Boomer Century offers an incisive look at the generation that has redefined how Americans view themselves, both personally and as a culture. Interspersed throughout the documentary are interviews with a number of prominent boomers, including filmmakers Oliver Stone and Rob Reiner, satirist Lewis Black, novelist Erica Jong, White House press secretary Tony Snow, civil rights pioneer Julian Bond, and futurist Alvin Toffler, among others. They're seamlessly edited into the themes of the program, adding credibility and aiding the fast-paced feel of the program.While this is a program that has an airy aura about it, it challenges all viewers with its questions about what the future holds for American society as the boomers age. It also dispels popular myths about the so-called "Me Generation." Boomers are much more likely to contribute to charities than any other demographic, and have more than 50% more buying power than the coveted 18-39 aged bracket. Eighty percent of boomers intend to keep working after retirement.
On the downside, boomers face enormous challenges in the years ahead. More than a third live paycheck to paycheck, with net assets of less than $1000. Unless a cure or treatment is found, it's projected that 15 million boomers will be stricken by dementia by the middle of the century. And since boomers are living longer, strains will be put on retirement resources over the coming years.For the most part, The Boomer Century remains optimistic about the future of the boomers. While it doesn't shy away from the possibility of "age wars" due to the financial strain that they may put on future generations, it by and large is confident that the boomers will continue to redefine society well into this century.The Boomer Century premieres on PBS March 28, 9 PM EST. Check local listings for schedules. It's a fascinating program that will give you pause to think. Or at least smile.Produced and directed by Joel Westbrook and Neil Steinberg, and written by Oscar winner Mark Harris, The Boomer Century offers an incisive look at the generation that has redefined how Americans view themselves, both personally and as a culture. Interspersed throughout the documentary are interviews with a number of prominent boomers, including filmmakers Oliver Stone and Rob Reiner, satirist Lewis Black, novelist Erica Jong, White House press secretary Tony Snow, civil rights pioneer Julian Bond, and futurist Alvin Toffler, among others. They're seamlessly edited into the themes of the program, adding credibility and aiding the fast-paced feel of the program.While this is a program that has an airy aura about it, it challenges all viewers with its questions about what the future holds for American society as the boomers age. It also dispels popular myths about the so-called "Me Generation." Boomers are much more likely to contribute to charities than any other demographic, and have more than 50% more buying power than the coveted 18-39 aged bracket. Eighty percent of boomers intend to keep working after retirement.
On the downside, boomers face enormous challenges in the years ahead. More than a third live paycheck to paycheck, with net assets of less than $1000. Unless a cure or treatment is found, it's projected that 15 million boomers will be stricken by dementia by the middle of the century. And since boomers are living longer, strains will be put on retirement resources over the coming years.For the most part, The Boomer Century remains optimistic about the future of the boomers. While it doesn't shy away from the possibility of "age wars" due to the financial strain that they may put on future generations, it by and large is confident that the boomers will continue to redefine society well into this century.The Boomer Century premieres on PBS March 28, 9 PM EST. Check local listings for schedules. It's a fascinating program that will give you pause to think. Or at least smile.