Alex Haley was an author and journalist most famous for his books "Roots: The Saga of an American Family" and "Queen", both of which were novelizations of his own family history.
Some Interesting Facts
* Haley co-authored Malcolm X's autobiography.
* The first interview for Playboy Magazine was conducted by Haley. He interviewed Miles Davis.
* Haley was in the U.S. Coast Guard during World War II.
* Haley set up the Kinte Foundation to help African-Americans all over the United States trace their own ancestry.
* Haley was accused of plagiarism by Harold Courlander, author of "The African". Haley eventually settled with Courlander.
* Haley was portrayed by Kristoff St. Johns, Damon Evans and James Earl Jones in "Roots: The Next Generations".
Some Quotes from Alex Haley
- "In every conceivable manner, the family is link to our past, bridge to our future."
- "Racism is taught in our society... it is not automatic.
It is learned behavior toward persons with
dissimilar physical characteristics."
- "In all of us there is a hunger, marrow-deep, to know our heritage- to know who we are and where we have come from. Without this enriching knowledge, there is a hollow yearning. No matter what our attainments in life, there is still a vacuum, an emptiness, and the most disquieting loneliness."
- "Roots is not just a saga of my family. It is the symbolic saga of a people."
- "Either you deal with what is the reality, or you can be sure that the reality is going to deal with you."
- "Anytime you see a turtle up on top of a fence post, you know he had some help."
A Scene from "Roots"
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