US Consul General Gregory Slayton has presented Minister of Community Affairs and Sport Dale Butler with a set of films celebrating the cultural heritage of African Americans.

The United States Department of State provided the PBS documentary, "African American Lives", to the American Consulate General for use as part of an outreach programme.

The four-hour documentary takes Alex Haley's "Roots" saga to a new level through stories of personal discovery.

It uses genealogy, oral history, family stories and DNA analysis to trace lineage through American history and back to Africa, providing a life-changing journey for a diverse group of highly accomplished African Americans, a statement said.

Oprah Winfrey, Dr. Ben Carson, Whoopi Goldberg, Bishop T.D. Jakes, Dr. Mae Jemison, Quincy Jones, Dr. Sara Lawrence-Lightfoot and Chris Tucker are featured in the film, which has received consistently outstanding reviews.

Mr. Slayton said: "African American Lives is an engaging and informative tool for all of us, including those who may themselves be a part of the African Diaspora.

"Knowing of Minister Butler's keen interest in black history, I am very pleased to provide him with the documentary. I will also make copies available to the Education Ministry for viewing in the schools. PBS offers corresponding on-line lesson plans on science and genealogy to middle and high school teachers."

Minister Butler thanked the Consul General and said: "The Ministry of Youth and Sport appreciates the resources it has had to access to via partnerships and programmes with the American Consulate General.

"Given that the Bermuda Government has embarked on many initiatives that reflect the contributions of Bermudians to our society (Bermuda's Heroes) we hope the video, African American Lives will be an additional resource to explore even more possibilities for acknowledging the lifetime achievements of our Island's people."