Podcasts about roots the saga

This week on In Black America, producer and host John L. Hanson presents at tribute to the life and career of legendary biographer, screenwriter and novelist Alexander Murray Palmer Haley, best known as the author of Roots: The Saga of an American Family, and The Autobiography of Malcolm X, with an interview recorded in February […] The post A Tribute to Alex Haley (Ep. 10, 2025) appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

On April 18, 1977, author and historian Alex Haley received the Pulitzer Prize in journalism for his groundbreaking novel "Roots: The Saga of an American Family." The narrative delved into generations of his family's lineage, tracing back to Kunta Kinte, an 18th-century African sold into slavery in the American South. "Roots" garnered significant acclaim, spending 20 weeks on the New York Times Best Seller list. Concurrently, it was adapted into an immensely successful miniseries, captivating more viewers than any other program in television history at that time. Alongside "Roots," Haley conducted interviews with numerous notable African-Americans, such as Martin Luther King Jr., Miles Davis, and Malcolm X, for a series featured in Playboy magazine. Additionally, he authored the bestseller "The Autobiography of Malcolm X: As Told to Alex Haley." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Uncovering Your Family's Legacy: Genealogy and  Newspapers.com The Not Old Better Show, Interview Series Welcome to The Not Old Better Show on radio and podcast. I'm Paul Vogelzang, and we're broadcasting from just outside Washington, DC today. We are delving into the fascinating world of genealogy and family history. As part of our Back Story Family History interview series, we have a special guest today who will ignite your passion for uncovering your ancestral stories and the incredible resources available at Newspapers.com. Our guest, Jenny Ashcraft, is a true family history enthusiast. She's also a genealogist and researcher; her love for the written word shines through her work. Jenny finds immense joy in helping others discover their family histories, whether it's immersing herself in dusty archives, deciphering manuscripts, or uncovering hidden gems in the pages of historic newspapers. As the renowned author Alex Haley, who penned "Roots: The Saga of an American Family," aptly puts it, "In all of us, there is a hunger, marrow-deep, to know our heritage—to know who we are and where we came from. Without this enriching knowledge, there is a hollow yearning." Genealogy offers more than just historical insights; it provides profound psychological benefits, especially for older adults. It satisfies basic needs like acceptance and friendship, fulfills ego needs such as achievement and status, and contributes to self-actualization. For our aging audience, tracing their roots can lead to a sense of accomplishment, a connection to a family legacy, and an understanding of their own worth within the context of their ancestors' lives. It also helps with the acceptance of the concept of death and mortality, a crucial aspect of our journey through life. Moreover, older individuals who pay attention to their family health history are better equipped to manage their well-being and contribute positively to the health of future generations. Our show today is packed with insights into genealogy, valuable resources for family research, and more. So, please join me in warmly welcoming our guest, the esteemed genealogist Jenny Ashcraft. I want to express my gratitude to Jenny for sharing her time, expertise, and thoughtful insights with us today. You can find additional links, resources, and information on our website and explore the wealth of content available on Newspapers.com. Don't forget to visit NotOld-Better.com for details on the special programs provided by Newspapers.com. A big thanks to the Smithsonian team for their continued support of our show and our fantastic Not Old Better Show audience. Please be well, be safe, and remember, we're here to talk about making life better. This is The Not Old Better Show. Thank you, everyone.

Monty Soutar is a respected New Zealand historian who took a big step and turned his life upside down to write a game changing novel. Kāwai For Such A Time As This, is the first instalment in what is to be a three book family saga, which went straight to the top of the bestseller lists in New Zealand and stayed there for 22 weeks. Hi there, I'm your host, Jenny Wheeler. And it's quite likely no one else but Monty has the knowledge and understanding to undertake a book like it, in the tradition of Alex Haley's Roots, introducing readers to pre-European Maori life in much the same way as Alex Haley's tale of tracing his roots back to Africa captivated an international audience. Monty tells the fascinating tale of how he came to write it and explains how all of his life experience seemed to be leading up to this point. A perfect preparation for writing a trilogy, telling a story of nation building through the eyes of its original people. Our Giveaway for this week is Free Historical Fiction for June and Sadie's Vow, my Book #1 in the Home At Last trilogy is included in a good range of other selections. GET YOUR FREE HISTORICAL FICTION BOOKS Https://books.bookfunnel.com/historicalfictionfreebiesjune2023/7xpm3hb0wa (FOR IF THE BUTTON DOESN'T WORK) And don't forget if you enjoy the podcast, leave a review. So others will find us too, Links for Monty's Episode: Alex Haley Roots: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roots:_The_Saga_of_an_American_Family NZ East Coast and Gisborne: https://www.newzealand.com/int/feature/auckland-to-wellington-east-coast-journey/ https://www.tairawhitigisborne.co.nz/ Whakatane: https://www.whakatane.com/ NZ Wars of 1860s: https://teara.govt.nz/en/new-zealand-wars# Ngati Porou:  https://ngatiporou.com/ Ngati Awa: https://ngatiawa.iwi.nz/ Monty Soutar Nga Tamatoa: The Price of Citizenship: C Company 28 , (Maori Battalion) 1939 - 45, in the Second World War https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/5509025 Monty Soutar: Whiti Whiti Whiti, Maori in the First World War: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51092025-whitiki-whiti-whiti-e Captain James Cook: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Cook Chinua Achebe,  Things Fall Part:  https://www.amazon.com.au/Things-Fall-apart-Chinua-Achebe/dp/0385474547 Victoria Hislop, The Island: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/922991.The_Island The Red Tent, Anita Diamant:  https://www.amazon.com.au/Red-Tent-Novel-Tenth-anniversary/dp/0312427298 Hilary Mantel, Wolf Hall: https://www.amazon.com.au/Wolf-Hall-Hilary-Mantel/dp/0312429983 The Luminaries, Eleanor Catton:  https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17333230-the-luminaries Patricia Grace, Tu: https://www.penguin.co.nz/books/tu-9780143019206 Witi Ihimaera: https://www.penguin.co.nz/authors/witi-ihimaera Where to find Monty Online Publisher website: https://www.batemanbooks.co.nz/product/kwai-for-such-a-time-as-this/Amazon Facebook: @montysoutarauthor Booktopia: https://www.booktopia.com.au/kawai-monty-soutar/book/9781776890309.html Amazon.com.au: https://www.amazon.com.au/K%C4%81wai-Such-Time-As-This-ebook/dp/B0BPJNP3QC/ Introducing Kawai author Monty Soutar Jenny Wheeler: But now here's Monty. Hello there, Monty, and welcome to the show. It's great to have you with us Dr Monty Soutar, respected historian and author of a new NZ historical series Monty Soutar: Thank you, Jenny. I'm pleased to be beyond the show. Kia ora ki a koe. (Ed note: Greetings and Hello to you.) Jenny Wheeler: Kia ora. (Hello Yes.) Now we've mentioned in the intro about how Roots was partly the thing that sparked this and. Alex Haley's roots was published way back in the late seventies when you were just a wee toddler. So how did you come to be aware of it and what sort of an impact did it have on you when you were a younger boy? Monty Soutar: Well, no, I wasn't a toddler. I was at secondary school when I saw the series.

On this week’s In Black America, producer and host John L. Hanson, Jr. presents a tribute to the late Alexander Murray Palmer Haley, the biographer, screenwriter and novelist best know as the author of Roots: The Saga of an America Family and The Autobiography of Malcolm X, with an interview recorded in February 1988.

Topics 0:00 Aub's Famous Intro 2:40 Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) 3:00 David A. Arnold (March 15, 1968 – September 7, 2022) was an American stand-up comedian, sitcom writer, producer, and actor. 7:00 Jamaica 12 Days of Mourning https://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/letters/20220914/12-days-mourning-seem-justifiable 9:00 Queen Sophia Charlotte & Rachel Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex https://www.wfae.org/show/charlotte-talks-with-mike-collins/2018-04-03/charlotte-talks-the-queen-city-was-named-after-englands-queen-sophia-charlotte-who-was-she 17:00 Pulling the Kaepernick - civil rights activist & football quarterback is missing from the frontlines since getting an NFL check 21:00 Viola Davis pulls a Joe Biden on reviewing The Woman King 20:23 Memphis shooting spree, live on Facebook killing people at Auto Zone. Katrina Hurricane, Cops, First 48, Cocaine & The God Complex, GTA5, Young Dolph, MLK, Mental Healthcare, suspect taken alive and the MurderMemph. https://www.newsweek.com/ezekiel-kelly-memphis-mass-shooting-facebook-live-stream-arrested-police-tennessee-1740913 42:09 Killian M. Ryan US soldier kicked out of US Army Fort Bragg after FBI says, he enlisted to become more efficient at killing blacks, DUI, Nazi White supremeist ties and Secret Clearances SF86, Racism in the Military https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/07/politics/army-soldier-kicked-out-fbi-killian-m-ryan?cid=external-feeds_iluminar_msn 53:01 Dr OZ cool with incest, as long it's not with first cousin, science, the soft white underbelly, genetic attraction, knowing your family, cousin pussy, endogamy, ban on abortion, BTS, changes in norms of society, https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/dr-oz-senate-interview-incest-b2161336.html 1:10:18 "WHITE PRIVILEGE" cards given out at a high school. Roots: The Saga of an American Family Alex Haley, Black Card, Masons, Jane Elliot Blue Eyes, Bill Clinton, Always Bet On Black Card Brick James Bitch, https://www.theroot.com/white-privilege-cards-lead-high-school-students-to-st-1849507992?utm_source=msnlink 1:29:20 AITA for telling my brother and SIL it's good they can't have children? u/Kourambethie, unsuccessful round of IVF, cerebral palsy wheelchair dating, Stephen Hawking Teeth, brother beatdown, https://www.reddit.com/r/AmItheAsshole/comments/vtewoe/aita_for_telling_my_brother_and_sil_its_good_they/ 1:39:50 Aub has a Suge Knight Moment, nobody hates like family. 1:45:00 Shits & giggles, what people would do to live in NYC Tiktok reaction to New York Rent Crisis @notfromdenmark https://www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle/lifestyle-buzz/i-wouldn-t-be-able-to-stand-the-smell-tiktoker-shares-the-worst-thing-she-puts-up-with-at-her-new-york-city-apartment-because-of-cheap-rent/ar-AA11zoJI?cvid=c303942dbc97451eaeee3fce1b168795 https://www.tiktok.com/@notfromdenmark/video/7140403202062585130?is_from_webapp=v1&item_id=7140403202062585130&refer=embed&referer_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.msn.com%2F&referer_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.msn.com%2Fen-us%2Flifestyle%2Flifestyle-buzz%2Fi-wouldn-t-be-able-to-stand-the-smell-tiktoker-shares-the-worst-thing-she-puts-up-with-at-her-new-york-city-apartment-because-of-cheap-rent%2Far-AA11zoJI%3Fcvid%3Dceaa8d6911b74ef4b3fdeafa622a4f93&referer_video_id=7140403202062585130

Apparti li hija lettrici l-Universita, Prof. Yosanne Vella hija wkoll kittieba ppublikata tal-istorja. Mir-rewwixta tal-1798, is-sekularizzazzjoni, l-interdett u il-patrijottizmu, il-konverzazzjoni tinfirex sahansitra sal-hiliet prokreattivi ta' Genghis Khan. Il-Poddata ma' Yosanne toffri immersjoni pjacevoli fl-istorja, li tmur lil hinn mir-rakkonti tradizzjonali. ************************************************* Informazzjoni li giet diskussa waqt il- Podcast; Kotba: ‘Women in Malta in the 18th Century' ta' Yosanne Vella ‘Once upon a time in Malta: 1798, 1799, 1800: Forgotten Stories from the French period in Malta' ta' Yosanne Vella - https://www.midseabooks.com/shop/hist... ‘Roots: The Saga of an American Family' ta' Alex Haley Films/Serje: Downfall (2004) The Untold History of the United States ta' Oliver Stone u Peter Kuznick (2012) The Boys in the Band (2022) Little Big Man 1970 Personaggi: Fernand Braudel (storiku) Ben Elton (kummidjant) ************************************************* Dan il-podcast ma' kienx ikun possibli minghajr l-ghajnuna ta'; Maypole - https://www.maypole.com.mt/ Derek Meats - https://www.facebook.com/derekmeats/ Freehour Malta - https://www.freehour.eu/ State of CBD - https://stateofcbd.com/ Stretta - https://www.strettacraftbeer.com/home Cutrico - https://www.cutrico.com/en/home.htm eCabs - https://ecabsapp.onelink.me/v3ih/a9df Shoulder Compliance - https://www.shoulder.mt/ Agenda - https://www.agendabookshop.com/ Garmin Malta - https://www.garminmalta.com/ Imxandar bi Shab ma' Lovin Malta - https://lovinmalta.com/ ************************************************* Ghal iktar informazzjoni zur https://www.jonmallia.mt #jonmallia #malta #yosannevella #history ************************************************* Thabbeb Maghna fuq; Patreon https://www.patreon.com/jonmallia YouTube https://www.youtube.com/jonmalliapodcast Facebook https://www.facebook.com/jonmalliaoff... TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@jonfuqtiktok Instagram https://www.instagram.com/jon.mallia Tista' wkoll tkellimna fuq community@jonmallia.mt ************************************************* Il-hsibijiet espressi mill-mistiedna tal-Podcast huma esklussivament taghhom, jigifieri l-produtturi, l-haddiema tal-Podcast u wisq aktar l-isponsors rispettivi ma' jassumu l-ebda responsabbilita' f'dan ir-rigward. Dan il-programm fih lingwagg ghaddattat biss ghal udjenza matura.

Celebrate Your Family History - Jenny Ashcraft The Not Old Better Show, Backstory Interview Series Welcome to The Not Old Better Show.  We're talking genealogy today, family history, and some families like my own, are from far-flung places all over the world, but I'm here in America now.  We will be talking about my family today and I'm Paul Vogelzang. As part of our Back Story Family History  interview series,  we have an excellent interview with returning guest, and audience favorite Jenny Ashcraft, who is a genealogist, a researcher, a lover of the written word, and who'll join us today to talk about family history, new technology  and resources available at Newspapers.com Our guest today, Jenny Ashcraft is a family history enthusiast. She works at Ancestry where she writes a blog at Fold3HQ.  Jenny Ashcraft loves uncovering stories about ancestors and finds great joy in helping others to do the same. She feels completely at home immersed in dusty archives, pouring through manuscripts, or finding hidden gems in the pages of historic newspapers. Alex Haley, author of Roots: The Saga of an American Family puts it this way: "In all of us, there is a hunger, marrow-deep, to know our heritage—to know who we are and where we came from. Without this enriching knowledge, there is a hollow yearning." The psychological benefits of genealogy are significant and plentiful: among them are basic needs like acceptance and friendship, ego needs like achievement and status, and self-actualization. These psychological benefits and more, like knowing your roots boosts older adults' mental wellbeing in positive ways, giving us: a sense of accomplishment, especially if you do the research yourselves; the perspective that we belong to a family which leaves a legacy for future generations; a sense of self-worth and belonging to ancestors with whom we can participate to play our part in history;  meaningful things, and of course, as we age acceptance of the concept of death and mortality. Older people who have paid attention to our family health history are better able to contribute to their own wellbeing, and better prepared to affect the wellbeing of their descendants. The grandparents, great-aunts, and great-uncles of our audience here on The Not Old Better Show also have the duty to relate the lessons their ancestors taught, and the moral principles that kept them focused. We'll talk about that, some wonderful new resources for family search, and more on our packed show today so please join me in welcoming to The Not Old Better Show genealogist Jenny Ashcraft. My thanks to writer, historian, genealogy expert, returning guest, and audience favorite Jenny Ashcraft,  for her time, expertise, and thoughtful preparation in joining me today.  You'll find much more in the way of links, resources, and information on our website, and check out Newspapers.com. And, you can check out my website at NotOld-Better.com for information on the resources and special programs provided by Newspapers.com.   My thanks, always, to the Smithsonian team for all they do to support the show.  Of course, my thanks to you, our wonderful Not Old Better Show audience.  Please keep your emails coming to me at info@notold-better.com.  Remember, let's talk about better.  The Not Old Better Show.  

Hello, Indie Film Creatives! In this episode, we have a conversation with the Documentarian, Author, Poet, and Nephew of ‘Roots' author, Alex Haley, Chris Haley. We talk about John Brown's place in history, how his life changed after Roots premiered on television, the trials of growing up related to Alex Haley, his documentary ‘Unmarked,' his poem books ‘Obsessions' and ‘Until the Right One Comes Along,' and his annual film Festival, ‘Utopia.' Enjoy! Listen+Subscribe+Rate = Love Questions or Comments? Reach out to us at contact@bonsai.film or on social and the web at https://linktr.ee/BonsaiCreative Love Indie Film? Love the MAKE IT Podcast? Become a True Fan! www.bonsai.film/truefans www.makeit.libsyn.com/podcast #MAKEIT More About Chris Haley Actor, Archivist, Filmmaker, Writer, Chris Haley wears many hats. Director, The Study of the Legacy of Slavery at the Maryland State Archives, Director of the Utopia Film Festival, and Annapolis Pride, Annapolis Film Festival, Kunta Kinte-Alex Haley Foundation Board member, he is a recent recipient of the Anne Arundel County Arts Council 2021 Literary Arts Award recipient and co-director of the Capital Region Emmy nominated documentary, 'Unmarked', and author of two books of poetry currently available on Amazon, 'Until The Right One Comes Along', and, 'Obsessions'. Having also appeared on screen and stage on among other productions: The Wire and Ain't Misbehavin' at the Claridge Casino in Atlantic City, Chris is also a nephew of author Alex Haley and direct descendant of Kunta Kinte. If I Could (As read during the conversation)   If I could die For just a little while, And briefly take a break, If I could close my mind, My consciousness, Meditate on a lake. If I could dial down the volume Of voices Screaming daily woes, If I could gently close my eyes, No tears, no cries, No nightmares to hide, I think I would feel better. My passion would return. I'd breathe a life renewed, My candle not all burned.  And dreams would reawaken me To the future I'd once yearned, of  Grand occasions, Oscar nominations, Standing ovations, Devoted fans –  A beloved man – Beautifully free of strife. If I could wake to that  I'd beat this desperate rap, Dash my suicidal sway; I'd drink life's sap I'd safely nap I would not end today -Chris Haley   Links: Website Instagram Twitter FaceBook LinkedIn   Unmarked (documentary) Utopia Film Festival Until The Right One Comes Along (book) Obsessions (book) The Study of the Legacy of Slavery in Maryland Alex Haley (website) Roots: The Saga of an American Family by Alex Haley (book) Roots (tv mini series) Autobiography of Malcom X by Alex Haley (book) Kunta Kinte-Alex Haley Foundation   Howard University Chadwick Boseman (actor) The Wire (tv series) Tyler Perry (writer) Slave Trade Database Enslaved.org  (database) Measuring Worth (database) Ibram X. Kendi (author)  

Jenny Ashcraft - Family Story Telling: Newspapers.com The Not Old Better Show, Interview Series Welcome to The Not Old Better Show. I'm Paul Vogelzang, and as part of our Smithsonian Associates Art Of Living interview series,  we have an excellent interview with Jenny Ashcraft, who is a genealogist, a researcher, a lover of the written word, and who'll join us today to talk about family history and resources available at Newspapers.com Our guest today, Jenny Ashcraft is a family history enthusiast. She works at Ancestry where she writes a blog at Fold3HQ. Jenny Ashcraft loves uncovering stories about ancestors and finds great joy in helping others to do the same. She feels completely at home immersed in dusty archives, pouring through manuscripts, or finding hidden gems in the pages of historic newspapers. Alex Haley, author of Roots: The Saga of an American Family puts it this way: "In all of us, there is a hunger, marrow-deep, to know our heritage—to know who we are and where we came from. Without this enriching knowledge, there is a hollow yearning." According to the Center for Disease Control, only one-third of Americans have gathered their family health history, although 96% of them believe that it is important. Family history is only one of a combination of factors that contribute to chronic diseases; still, not knowing it guarantees guessing where facts could make a difference. The psychological benefits of genealogy are significant and plentiful: among them are basic needs like acceptance and friendship, ego needs like achievement and status, and self-actualization. These psychological benefits and more, like knowing your roots boosts older adults mental wellbeing in positive ways, giving us: a sense of accomplishment, especially if you do the research yourselves; the perspective that we belong to a family which leaves a legacy for future generations; a sense of self-worth and belonging to ancestors with whom we can participate to play our part in history;  meaningful things, and of course, as we age acceptance of the concept of death and mortality. Older people who have paid attention to our family health history are better able to contribute to their own wellbeing, and better prepared to affect the wellbeing of their descendants. The grandparents, great-aunts, and great-uncles of our audience here on The Not Old Better Show also have the duty to relate the lessons their ancestors taught, and the moral principles that kept them focused. We'll talk about that, some wonderful new resources for family search, and more on our packed show today so please join me in welcoming to The Not Old Better Show genealogist Jenny Ashcraft. My thanks to writer, historian, genealogy expert, Jenny Ashcraft for her time, expertise, and thoughtful preparation in joining me today.  You'll find much more in the way of links, resources, and information on our website, and check out Newspapers.com. And, you can check out my website at NotOld-Better.com for information on the resources and special programs provided by Newspapers.com.   My thanks, always, to the Smithsonian team for all they do to support the show.  Of course, my thanks to you, our wonderful Not Old Better Show audience.  Please keep your emails coming to me at info@notold-better.com.  Remember, let's talk about better.  The Not Old Better Show.  Thanks, everybody.

Alex Haley's Roots displayed the brutal realities of slavery to more than 100 million Americans. The book and mini-series also made a bold claim: that Haley was the first Black American to trace his lineage all the way back to Africa, and to a specific ancestor captured into slavery. What would it mean, for Haley and America, if he hadn't found what he said he'd found? Slate Plus members get to hear more about the making of One Year and more about the culture of 1977 in supplementary episodes this season. Get access to those episodes, listen to the show without any ads, and support One Year by signing up for Slate Plus for just $1 right now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alex Haley's Roots displayed the brutal realities of slavery to more than 100 million Americans. The book and mini-series also made a bold claim: that Haley was the first Black American to trace his lineage all the way back to Africa, and to a specific ancestor captured into slavery. What would it mean, for Haley and America, if he hadn't found what he said he'd found? Slate Plus members get to hear more about the making of One Year and more about the culture of 1977 in supplementary episodes this season. Get access to those episodes, listen to the show without any ads, and support One Year by signing up for Slate Plus for just $1 right now. For a behind-the-scenes look into some of the articles we read when we create the show, check out our Pocket collection at http://getpocket.com/slate.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alex Haley's Roots displayed the brutal realities of slavery to more than 100 million Americans. The book and mini-series also made a bold claim: that Haley was the first Black American to trace his lineage all the way back to Africa, and to a specific ancestor captured into slavery. What would it mean, for Haley and America, if he hadn't found what he said he'd found? Slate Plus members get to hear more about the making of One Year and more about the culture of 1977 in supplementary episodes this season. Get access to those episodes, listen to the show without any ads, and support One Year by signing up for Slate Plus for just $1 right now. For a behind-the-scenes look into some of the articles we read when we create the show, check out our Pocket collection at http://getpocket.com/slate.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alex Haley's Roots displayed the brutal realities of slavery to more than 100 million Americans. The book and mini-series also made a bold claim: that Haley was the first Black American to trace his lineage all the way back to Africa, and to a specific ancestor captured into slavery. What would it mean, for Haley and America, if he hadn't found what he said he'd found? For more of this show, subscribe to One Year on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen. Slate Plus members get to hear more about the making of One Year and more about the culture of 1977 in supplementary episodes this season. Get access to those episodes, listen to the show without any ads, and support One Year by signing up for Slate Plus for just $1 right now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

در سال ۱۷۵۰ میلادی در دهکده ی ژوفوزه، نزدیک ساحل کشور گامبیا، اُمُوره کینته و همسرش، بینِتا، صاحب پسری به نام «کُنتا» می شوند. کنتا در بزرگسالی، روزی در جنگل اسیر دلالان برده می شود. او می گریزد، اما... کنتا، برده ی سیاه، در اولین اقدامش به فرار، ناکام می ماند. چندی بعد دوباره می گریزد، اما به دست دلالان دیگر بَرده می افتد و به ارباب دیگری فروخته می شود. یک پایش را قطع می کنند تا دیگر نگریزد، اما بخت یار او می شود و ... کتاب مرجع Roots: The Saga of an American Family - ۱۹۷۶ راوی: بهروز رضوی ژانر: رمان کاری از گروه ایران صدا و گروه کتاب خوان --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/hazardastan/message

Today we're getting real about mental well-being, and the women who make us laugh in the midst of our pain. We also touched on representation in YA and children's literature, brutal, scary honesty, and how a person can be brave and terrified at the same time. Ashley Shannon is my own personal Jenny Lawson, is what I'm saying.   Support the Best Book Ever Podcast on Patreon   Follow the Best Book Ever Podcast on Instagram or on the Best Book Ever Website   Host: Julie Strauss Website/Instagram   Guest: Ashely Shannon Instagram/TikTok/Medium   Want to be a guest on the Best Book Ever Podcast? Go here!   Discussed in this episode: Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things by Jenny Lawson Didn't See That Coming by Rachel Hollis Girl, Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis Girl, Stop Apologizing by Rachel Hollis Harry Potter Boxed Set by J.K. Rowling (Check out this stunning illustrated version) Roots: The Saga of an American Family by Alex Haley Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell David Levithan Nina Lacour Let's Pretend This Never Happened: A Mostly True Memoir by Jenny Lawson And That's Why You Should Learn to Pick Your Battles - this is the Jenny Lawson blog post that Ashley and I talked about. Do yourself a favor and read it – it's one of my favorite pieces of writing ever. Ever. Ever. Unrelated to our podcast, but I think you should read anyway: this blog post Jenny Lawson wrote about her non-binary daughter. Broken (In the Best Possible Way) by Jenny Lawson This is Me Letting You Go by Ashley Shannon Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn   (Note: Some of the above links are affiliate links, meaning I get a few bucks off your purchase at no extra expense to you. Anytime you shop for books, you can use my affiliate link on Bookshop, which also supports Indie Bookstores around the country. If you're shopping for everything else – clothes, office supplies, gluten-free pasta, couches – you can use my affiliate link for Amazon. Thank you for helping to keep the Best Book Ever Podcast in business!)

Today we're getting real about mental well-being, and the women who make us laugh in the midst of our pain. We also touched on representation in YA and children's literature, brutal, scary honesty, and how a person can be brave and terrified at the same time. Ashley Shannon is my own personal Jenny Lawson, is what I'm saying.   Support the Best Book Ever Podcast on Patreon   Follow the Best Book Ever Podcast on Instagram or on the Best Book Ever Website   Host: Julie Strauss Website/Instagram   Guest: Ashely Shannon Instagram/TikTok/Medium   Want to be a guest on the Best Book Ever Podcast? Go here!   Discussed in this episode: Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things by Jenny Lawson Didn't See That Coming by Rachel Hollis Girl, Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis Girl, Stop Apologizing by Rachel Hollis Harry Potter Boxed Set by J.K. Rowling (Check out this stunning illustrated version) Roots: The Saga of an American Family by Alex Haley Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell David Levithan Nina Lacour Let's Pretend This Never Happened: A Mostly True Memoir by Jenny Lawson And That's Why You Should Learn to Pick Your Battles - this is the Jenny Lawson blog post that Ashley and I talked about. Do yourself a favor and read it – it's one of my favorite pieces of writing ever. Ever. Ever. Unrelated to our podcast, but I think you should read anyway: this blog post Jenny Lawson wrote about her non-binary daughter. Broken (In the Best Possible Way) by Jenny Lawson This is Me Letting You Go by Ashley Shannon Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn   (Note: Some of the above links are affiliate links, meaning I get a few bucks off your purchase at no extra expense to you. Anytime you shop for books, you can use my affiliate link on Bookshop, which also supports Indie Bookstores around the country. If you're shopping for everything else – clothes, office supplies, gluten-free pasta, couches – you can use my affiliate link for Amazon. Thank you for helping to keep the Best Book Ever Podcast in business!)

Alex Haley's Roots: The Saga of An American Family first aired in 1977. It was a mini-series that followed Haley's ancestral lineage from the soils of Africa, into the shackles of American slavery. In this episode, Peter & Phil discuss the series after Peter admits he's never seen it. Join us, for another great discussion! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/ppcourageousconversation/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/ppcourageousconversation/support

Show Notes:0:44 - Panama City, Panama0:47 - Tennessee0:53 - German Shepherd0:55 - Athena the German Shepherd1:20 - Greek goddess, Athena4:10 - Toni Morrison’s quote 8:07 - ADA compliant8:59 - Meat and potatoes10:27 - Negative space10:32 - Abstract art10:40 - Negative space17:37 - National Domestic Violence Hotline22:04 - Social goods patterns24:32 - South-west24:35 - Kokopelli quilt pattern by The Anthea Workshop24:42 - Celebrate Pride quilt pattern by The Anthea Workshop24:43 - Project Q24:44 - Los Angeles26:18 - Roots: The Saga of an American Family by Alex Haley26:21 - Mythos by Steven Fry26:54 - Basket block27:19 - Kona Cotton 27:21 - Art Gallery Fabrics Pure Solids27:35 - Art Gallery Fabrics new solid collection 27:31 - Art Gallery Fabrics Tik Tok (@artgalleryfabrics)27:35 - Hilary Jordan - Listen to episode 28 for TikTok reference27:39 - Hilary Jordan’s Tik Tok (@byhilaryjordan)27:51 - Kona Cotton in Peach27:57 - Kona Cotton in Bone28:25 - Alexia Marcell Abegg28:28 - Bonnie Christine 28:29 - Amy Sinbaldi 28:38 - Universal Love collection by Cloud9Fabrics 28:43 - Celebrate Pride quilt pattern by The Anthea Workshop28:55 - Hawthorne Supply Co.30:38 - Third Coast Quilting31:19 - Party in the quilt back 31:36 - Lindsey of Pen + Paper Patterns (@penandpaperpatterns)31:57 - Megan’s two-toned Supergalatic quilt 32:05 - Golden Hour collection by Alexia Marcell Abegg32:16 - Megan’s Supergalactic quilt along quilt 33:19 - Mary of Mary Go Round Quilts (@marygoroundquilts) - Listen to episode 25 to find out more about her33:33 - Atia from Bright Blooms (@thebrightblooms)33:38 - London33:46 - Augusto Garcia Of Capa Quilts (@capaquilts)34:11 - ZoomFollow Donna:Instagram - @theathenaworkshophttps://theathenaworkshop.com/Follow us:Amanda: @broadclothstudio https://broadclothstudio.com/Wendy: @the.weekendquilter https://the-weekendquilter.com/Anna: @waxandwanestudiohttps://www.waxandwanestudio.com/Quilt Buzz: @quilt.buzzhttps://quiltbuzzpodcast.com/Intro/Outro Music:Golden Hour by Vlad Gluschenko

Episode 38:This week we're continuing Women, Race & Class by Angela Y. Davis.The full book is available online here:https://archive.org/details/WomenRaceClassAngelaDavis Content warnings for this episode as a whole (new CW in bold):Killing of childrenSlaveryPregnancyRapeDeathTortureRacismBloodAnd abuse related to multiple of the above topics. [Part 1]1. THE LEGACY OF SLAVERY: STANDARDS FOR A NEW WOMANHOOD (first half)[Part 2 – This Week]1. THE LEGACY OF SLAVERY: STANDARDS FOR A NEW WOMANHOODSecond half – 01:20Discussion – 28:00 [Part 3]2. THE ANTI-SLAVERY MOVEMENT AND THE BIRTH OF WOMEN'S RIGHTS [Part 4 - 5]3. CLASS AND RACE IN THE EARLY WOMEN'S RIGHTS CAMPAIGN [Part 6]4. RACISM IN THE WOMAN SUFFRAGE MOVEMENT [Part 7]5. THE MEANING OF EMANCIPATION ACCORDING TO BLACK WOMEN [Part 8]6. EDUCATION AND LIBERATION: BLACK WOMEN'S PERSPECTIVE[Part 9]7. WOMAN SUFFRAGE AT THE TURN OF THE CENTURY: THE RISING INFLUENCE OF RACISM [Part 10]8. BLACK WOMEN AND THE CLUB MOVEMENT[Part 11]9. WORKING WOMEN, BLACK WOMEN AND THE HISTORY OF THE SUFFRAGE MOVEMENT[Part 12 - 13]10. COMMUNIST WOMEN[Part 14 - 15]11. RAPE, RACISM AND THE MYTH OF THE BLACK RAPIST[Part 16 - 17]12. RACISM, BIRTH CONTROL AND REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS[Part 18-19]13. THE APPROACHING OBSOLESCENCE OF HOUSEWORK: A WORKING-CLASS PERSPECTIVEFootnotes:40) – 01:23Angela Y. Davis, “The Black Woman's Role in the Community of Slaves,”Black Scholar, Vol. Ill, No. 4 (December, 1971). 41) – 03:27Genovese, Roll, Jordan, Roll. See Part II, especially the sections entitled “Husbands and Fathers” and “Wives and Mothers.” 42) – 05:02Ibid., p. 500. 43) – 05:29Ibid. 44) – 06:03Ibid. 45) – 06:36Aptheker, op. cit. See pages 145, 169, 173, 181, 182, 201, 207, 215, 239, 241–242, 251, 259, 277, 281, 287. 46) – 07:06Frederick Douglass, The Life and Times of Frederick Douglass (New York: Collier; London: Collier-Macmillan Ltd., 1962). Reprinted from the revised edition of 1892. See especially Chapters 5 and 6. 47) – 07:19Ibid., p. 46. “One of the first circumstances that opened my eyes to the cruelties and wickedness of slavery and its hardening influences upon; my old master was his refusal to interpose his authority to protect and shield a young woman, a cousin of mine, who had been most cruelly abused and beaten by his overseer in Tuckahoe. This overseer, a Mr. Plummer, was, like most of his class, little less than a human brute, and, in addition to his general profligacy and repulsive coarseness, he was a miserable drunkard, a man not fit to have the management of a drove of mules. In one of his moments of drunken madness he committed the outrage which brought the young woman in question down to my old master's for protection.... Her neck and shoulders were covered with scars, newly made, and, not content with marring her neck and shoulders with a cowhide, the cowardly wretch had dealt her a blow on the head with a hickory club, which cut a horrible gash, and left her face literally covered with blood. 48) – 07:29Ibid., pp. 48–49. 49) – 08:23Ibid., p. 52 50) – 09:01Wertheimer, op. cit., pp. 113–114. Gerda Lerner's version of this escape is slightly different: “On Christmas Eve, 1855, six young slaves, availing themselves of a holiday and their master's horses and carriage, left Loudoun Co, Virginia, and traveling day and night through snow and cold, arrived in Columbia two days later. Barnaby Grigby was a twenty-six year old mulatto; his wife, Elizabeth, who had had a different owner than her husband, was twenty-four years old. Her sister, Ann Wood, was engaged to the leader of the group, Frank Wanzer. Ann was twenty-two, good-looking and smart. Frank was trying to escape from a particularly bad master. There were two more young men in the group.” Lerner, op. cit., p. 57. 51) – 09:21Sarah M. Grimke's testimony in Theodore D. Weld, American Slavery As It Is: Testimony of a Thousand Witnesses (New York: American Anti-Slavery Society, 1839). Quoted in Lerner, op. cit., p. 19 52) – 10:05Ibid. 53) – 10:20Aptheker, “The Negro Woman,”p. 11 54) – 11:03Ibid., pp. 11–12 55) – 11:27Aptheker, “Slave Guerilla Warfare,” in To Be Free, p. 11 56) – 11:52Aptheker, American Negro Slave Revolts, p. 259. 57) – 12:05Ibid., p. 280. 58) – 12:30Lerner, op. cit., pp. 32–33: “[In Natchez, Louisiana, there were] two schools taught by colored teachers. One of these was a slave woman who had taught a midnight school for a year. It was opened at eleven or twelve o'clock at night, and closed at two o'clock a.m.... Milla Granson, the teacher, learned to read and write from the children of her indulgent master in her old Kentucky home. Her number of scholars was twelve at a time, and when she had taught these to read and write she dismissed them, and again took her apostolic number and brought them up to the extent of her ability, until she had graduated hundreds. A number of them wrote their own passes and started for Canada.” Quoted from Laura S. Haviland, A Woman's Life-Work, Labors and Experiences (Chicago: Publishing Association of Friends, 1889), pp. 300–301. 59) – 12:40Alex Haley, Roots: The Saga of an American Family (Garden City, New York: Doubleday and Co.,1976). See Chapters 66 and 67. 60) – 13:13Sarah Bradford, Harriet Tubman: The Moses of Her People (New York: Corinth Books, 1961.Reprinted from the 1886 edition) Ann Petry, Harriet Tubman, Conductor on the Underground Railroad(New York: Pocket Books, 1971. First edition: 1955). 61) – 16:02Arlene Eisen-Bergman, Women in Vietnam (San Francisco: People's Press, 1975), p. 63. 62) – 16:13Ibid., p. 62. “When we went through the villages and searched people, the women would have all their clothes taken off and the men would use their penises to probe them to make sure they didn't have anything hidden anywhere; and this was raping, but it was done as searching.” Quoted from Sgt. Scott Camil, First Marine Division, in VVAW, Winter Soldier Investigation (Boston: Beacon Press, 1972), p. 13.63) – 17:09Ibid., p. 71. Quoted from Winter Soldier Investigation, p. 14. 64) – 18:11Blassingame, op. cit., p. 83. 65) – 18:59Genovese, Roll, Jordan, Roll, p. 415 66) – 19:16Ibid., p. 419. 67) – 20:11Gayl Jones, Corregidora (New York: Random House, 1975) 68) – 20:45Frazier, op. cit., p. 69. 69) – 21:07Ibid., p. 53. 70) – 21:39Ibid., p. 70. 71) – 24:14Harriet Beecher Stowe, Uncle Tom's Cabin (New York: New American Library, Signet Books, 1968), p. 27. 72) – 25:11Ibid., p. 61. 73) – 25:58Ibid., p. 72.

Since Alex Haley's best-seller— “Roots: The Saga of an American Family” – and blockbuster television miniseries aired in 1977, a new genealogy craze has swept the nation. Genealogy is the second most popular hobby in the U.S. after gardening.  It's a billion dollar industry that has spawned television shows, scores of books, and a cottage industry in DNA ancestry testing.   But the most important genealogy, as well as the most exciting, is the genealogy of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ

Nicole and Tori get a crash course on some one-of-a-kind court proceedings and other undiscovered information about Lowndes County history from their guest in this episode. Turns out, times were never "simpler" and people were always crazy. Who knew! The resources talked about in this episode are listed below: His Truth Is Marching On: John Lewis and the Power of Hope by Jon Meacham; The March graphic novel series by John Lewis and Andrew Aydin, illustrated by Nate Powell; Ten Arguments for Deleting Your Social Media Right Now by Jaron Lanier; Inside of A Dog: What Dogs See, Smell, and Know by Alexandra Horowitz; The Undefeated by Kwame Alexander, illustrated by Kadir Nelson; Roots: The Saga of an American Family by Alex Haley; Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi; Catherine Atkins Lowndes County Mississippi Circuit Court Case, circa 1856-57; 12 Years A Slave by Solomon Northup; The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead; Columbus City Minutes, April 1866

On this last Taste Test and episode of the season, Sigi samples Eleanor Guerrero-Campbell's "Stumbling Through Paradise: A Feast of Mercy for Manuel del Mundo" and likens this page-turner to classic saga stories like "The Joy Luck Club" and "Roots: The Saga of an American Family".  Sigi finds comfort in this instantly familiar, yet a more robust telling of Filipino Canadian immigration stories. Finally, Sigi exclaims on how you are left wanting more while Guerrero-Campbell offers its readers a contemplation on how Canadian society is trying to be like a slow-cooked and well-balanced soup.

How do white parents talk with their children about race and racism? Why do white evangelical and Black Christians seem so socially and politically divided? How can we move towards one another in love even when we disagree? Author Patricia Raybon and Amy Julia discuss these questions and more in this conversation about race, books and reading, parenting, and faith. (Also, check back next week for a bonus episode where Amy Julia talks with her kids about what they’ve learned from talking about racism and injustice at home.)Show Notes:Patricia begins by talking a bit about her background. Go here to learn more about her career in journalism and as a professor of journalism.We mention my Patricia begins with talking a bit about her history. Go here to learn more about her writings and career in journalism and as a professor of journalism.We talk about my essay series about racial healing on my Christianity Today blog and the connection to the shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson. Patricia wrote an article entitled “A White Cop and a Black Lady” that was published on my CT blog following this essay series.We mention Brené Brown, Kelli Trujillo, and Howard Thurman.We talk about mortgage discrimination, economic disparities, and white privilege.Patricia recommends reading Alex Haley’s book Roots: The Saga of an American Family, as well as Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables.Patrician mentions an article she wrote entitled “Will We Judge Young Looters or Love Them?” Find Patrica Rabyon online: patriciaraybon.com. She also writes for Our Daily Bread Ministries, DaySpring’s (in)courage, Charles Stanley’s InTouch Ministries, and Christianity Today.If you would like to read more from Patricia, she recommends starting with My First White Friend, and then reading I Told the Mountain to Move, which is a prequel to Undivided: A Muslim Daughter, Her Christian Mother, Their Path to Peace. Two additional books that Patricia recommended to me but not mentioned in the podcast are: Born a Crime and Cry, the Beloved Country.This podcast season is called White Picket Fences, and it is based on my book White Picket Fences: Turning Towards Love in a World Divided by Privilege. Learn more about White Picket Fences! Also check out free RESOURCES to accompany White Picket Fences—action guide, discussion guides—that are designed to help you respond.

On this week’s In Black America, producer and host John L. Hanson, Jr. presents a 1988 interview with the late Alex Haley, the acclaimed writer best known for The Autobiography of Malcolm X, a classic of African American literature and Roots: The Saga of an American Family, based on Haley’s own efforts to trace his African...

On this week’s In Black America, producer and host John L. Hanson, Jr. presents a 1988 interview with the late Alex Haley, the acclaimed writer best known for The Autobiography of Malcolm X, a classic of African American literature and Roots: The Saga of an American Family, based on Haley’s own efforts to trace his African […]

On this week’s In Black America, producer and host John L. Hanson, Jr. presents a 1988 interview with the late Alex Haley, the acclaimed writer best known for The Autobiography of Malcolm X, a classic of African American literature and Roots: The Saga of an American Family, based on Haley’s own efforts to trace his African...

Our Times Hosts Scott and Nedra Ross celebrate Black History Month by sharing their roots and experiences with race and racism in America. Featured in episode four of Our Times is a memorable interview with Alex Haley the author of Roots: The Saga of an American Family.

This week on StoryWeb: Malcolm X and Alex Haley’s book, The Autobiography of Malcolm X. Malcolm X wrote his famed autobiography in collaboration with African American journalist Alex Haley (most famous for his epic book Roots: The Saga of an American Family). If you are one of the many Americans who believe Malcolm X espoused violence, even hate, I urge you to read this compelling book. It reveals Malcolm X as a much more nuanced thinker and leader than depicted in mainstream media. The Autobiography of Malcolm X resonates with so much other American literature before and after its publication in 1965 after Malcolm X was assassinated on February 21 of that year. Writing his first slave narrative more than a century earlier, Frederick Douglass emphasized literacy as the crucial key to freedom. Malcolm X, too, speaks of the transformation he experienced in prison when he came under the influence of a fellow inmate who inspired him to read voraciously and thereby educate himself. But Douglass also indicates that the physical act of fighting back against the slave breaker Mr. Covey was a turning point in his life as well. Similarly, Malcolm X, rather than promoting violence, reserved the right to self-defense, to fight back physically if pushed into a corner. Douglass’s story of transformation is pivotal not only because it tells how his journey to literacy liberated him but also because it was at the moment he defeated Covey that Douglass became a man – and Malcolm X builds on the tradition Douglass established. The Autobiography of Malcolm X also looks forward to Jimmy Santiago Baca’s memoir, A Place to Stand. In this book and in the film based on it, Baca tells a similar story of slowly, methodically, hungrily learning to read and write bit by bit while incarcerated in the infamous Arizona State Prison. Baca literally learns to read and write from scratch. Although Malcolm X was already literate when he entered prison, he had not finished school, and his passion for reading, learning, and gaining knowledge grew exponentially during his imprisonment. Both men were deeply changed when their prison time opened them up to larger ideas via the written word. Malcolm X has usually been portrayed as the polar opposite of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. It is true that Malcolm X, who espoused self-defense, even if that self-defense is violent, disagreed for most of his life with Dr. King, who espoused nonviolent direct action. But after his trip to Africa and to Mecca in 1964, Malcolm X repudiated the Nation of Islam and spoke out against racism while continuing to call for black self-determination and black self-defense. Malcolm X and Alex Haley worked on The Autobiography of Malcolm X between 1963 and 1965, before and after the trip to Africa and Mecca. That time span gives readers the opportunity to witness a spiritual conversion of sorts, as Malcolm X ultimately calls for black pride. Moreover, he calls for white allies to be “out on the battle lines of where America’s racism really is—and that’s their own home communities. . . . That’s where the sincere whites who really mean to accomplish something have got to work.” The transformative experience of gaining literacy and thus gaining a kind of inner freedom, the tale of an incomparable man’s role in the Civil Rights Movement, the story of a journey from the Nation of Islam to Mecca to an embracing of nonracist black pride – The Autobiography of Malcolm X is this and so much more. Too often, Americans, especially white Americans, equate Dr. King with love and Malcolm X with hate, Dr. King with nonviolence and Malcolm X with violence. But as James H. Cone shows in Martin & Malcolm & America, the two men’s journeys brought them closer together in their thinking toward the end of their lives, both of which were cut short by assassination. Next week, I’ll offer a look at Cone’s book. To learn more about Malcolm X, read his autobiography – and also make time to watch Spike Lee’s 1992 biopic, Malcolm X, starring Denzel Washington. You may also want to watch all or part of PBS’s outstanding Eyes on the Prize documentary series; the episode titled “The Time Has Come (1964-1965)” features Malcolm X. The book, the biopic, and the documentary will all give you insights into this fearless civil rights leader. Visit thestoryweb.com/malcolmx for links to all these resources and to watch a Great Books episode on The Autobiography of Malcolm X.

In Black America producer and host John L. Hanson, Jr. presents a 1988 interview with the late Alex Haley, who died in 1992. Haley was an acclaimed writer best known for Roots: The Saga of an American Family, and The Autobiography of Malcolm X.

In Black America producer and host John L. Hanson, Jr. presents a 1988 interview with the late Alex Haley, who died in 1992. Haley was an acclaimed writer best known for Roots: The Saga of an American Family, and The Autobiography of Malcolm X.

In Black America producer and host John L. Hanson, Jr. presents a 1988 interview with the late Alex Haley, who died in 1992. Haley was an acclaimed writer best known for Roots: The Saga of an American Family, and The Autobiography of Malcolm X.

This week on StoryWeb: Alex Haley’s book Roots. In January 1977 when I was sixteen, I joined 130 million Americans to watch the television miniseries based on Alex Haley’s book Roots: The Saga of an American Family. It was broadcast eight consecutive nights, and like countless other viewers, I was glued to the TV set every night. I was there, front row, center, for every episode. The concluding episode still ranks as having the third largest audience in television history. Who can forget Kunta Kinte, his daughter Kizzy, or her son Chicken George? The story Haley recounted in Roots was nothing short of miraculous. After years of genealogical sleuthing, he made his way back to the African village of his ancestors. And there, in tiny country known as The Gambia, a griot – part storyteller, part genealogist, part priest – told of the capture of Haley’s great-great-great-great-grandfather Kunta Kinte. The story Haley told went like this. Based on the griot’s revelations about Kunta Kinte and on the many tales passed down through Haley’s family, based on careful searches of slave records and court documents, Haley painstakingly pieced together the centuries-long tale of multiple generations of his African and African American forebears. Haley writes near the end of the book, To the best of my knowledge and of my effort, every lineage statement within Roots is from either my African or American families' carefully preserved oral history, much of which I have been able conventionally to corroborate with documents. Those documents, along with the myriad textural details of what were contemporary indigenous lifestyles, cultural history, and such that give Roots flesh have come from years of intensive research in fifty-odd libraries, archives, and other repositories on three continents. As it turns out, however, this amazing story is not actually true. Since the release of the book and the miniseries, a series of scholars just as painstakingly debunked Haley’s story. The Gambian griot may have told Haley wanted he wanted to hear, and the other links in Haley’s genealogical chain were suspect. The whole thing was much too neat, and Haley simply didn’t have the conclusive evidence to back it up. When the book was originally published in 1976, it had been promoted as nonfiction and flew to the top of The New York Times bestseller list for nonfiction. Haley described it as “faction.” But on the heels of the charges about the book’s historical inaccuracies, the publisher moved the book to its fiction category. It is now often described as a novel. Also dogging Haley were two charges that the book was plagiarized. Harold Courlander claimed that large portions of Roots were drawn from his book The Africans. Haley and Courlander settled out of court, and Haley acknowledged that he did use passages from The Africans in Roots. Margaret Walker’s lawsuit, which claimed that Haley had plagiarized from her book Jubilee, was less successful; no evidence of plagiarism was found, and the suit was dropped. Despite these controversies, Roots remains a powerful book indeed. For me, as for many readers, it is the idea of Roots that matters. In the late 1990s, the National Endowment for the Humanities had a slogan: “My family’s history is America’s history.” In my own work and writing, I have deeply embraced that notion. I firmly believe that if any American traced her family history, she would see in very personal terms the history of this diverse nation. This idea motivated my explorations in my 2009 memoir, Power in the Blood: A Family Narrative, and is a driving force as well in my current book-in-progress, Ferguson Girl: A Story of Family, Place, and Race. Regardless Haley’s family history is perhaps more compelling because it is a hidden, secret history, because slaveowners tore slave families apart and tried to deny them their lineage and history. Haley’s victory is in showing that the slaveowners ultimately weren’t able to stamp out family bonds. Picking up Haley’s mantle today is the African American scholar Henry Louis Gates, Jr., who is fascinated with family roots and ancestry. As the host of the PBS series Finding Your Roots, Gates features genealogical research about well-known Americans, including prominent African Americans such as John Lewis, Cory Booker, and Sean Combs. Gates, who was a friend of Haley’s, acknowledges Haley’s legacy in this way: Most of us feel it's highly unlikely that Alex actually found the village whence his ancestors sprang. Roots is a work of the imagination rather than strict historical scholarship. It was an important event because it captured everyone's imagination. Gates speaks my mind. Even if Roots does not represent unerring and rigorous genealogy, it is the idea of Roots that signifies. Haley encouraged many other Americans – especially black Americans – to seek and claim their ancestry. It’s a message that continues to resonate today. To get a taste of Roots, you can read Chapter 1 online. To read Roots, you’ll need to purchase a hard copy or borrow it from your library. Buckle your seatbelt, though: it’s a long book! If you want to watch the 1977 miniseries, you can purchase the seven-disc DVD box set. To learn more about the controversies surrounding Roots, read The Guardian’s article “Roots of the Problem: The Controversial History of Alex Haley’s Book” or Adam D. Henig’s book Alex Haley’s Roots: An Author’s Odyssey. Robert J. Norrell’s biography, Alex Haley: And The Books That Changed a Nation, looks at Haley’s larger legacy, including his writing of The Autobiography of Malcolm X (a book which he wrote in collaboration with the famed civil rights leader). To learn more from Alex Haley himself, you’ll want to read Alex Haley: The Man Who Traced America’s Roots: His Life, His Works. Visit thestoryweb.com/haley for links to all these resources and to watch a scene from the first episode of Roots, in which Kunta Kinte discovered whites enslaving Africans. You can then watch Alex Haley reflect on Roots in 1991. “My family’s history is America’s history,” said the National Endowment for the Humanities. What is your family history? And what does it tell you about America’s past? Alex Haley inspires me to pursue the answers to these questions – and I hope you’ll take up the fascinating task as well.  

Alex Haley’s 1976 book Roots: The Saga of an American Family still stands as a memorable epic journey into the history of African Americans during the enslavement period and after. The 1977 televised miniseries was a must-watch event of the day, and it remains an important production in television history. However, a little more than a decade after his success, Haley was in trouble. His wealth had dwindled and he had strained relationships with other writers. What happened? Adam Henig tells us in his new book Alex Haley’s Roots: An Author’s Odyssey (2014). Listen to this lively interview with the author. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alex Haley’s 1976 book Roots: The Saga of an American Family still stands as a memorable epic journey into the history of African Americans during the enslavement period and after. The 1977 televised miniseries was a must-watch event of the day, and it remains an important production in television history. However, a little more than a decade after his success, Haley was in trouble. His wealth had dwindled and he had strained relationships with other writers. What happened? Adam Henig tells us in his new book Alex Haley’s Roots: An Author’s Odyssey (2014). Listen to this lively interview with the author. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alex Haley’s 1976 book Roots: The Saga of an American Family still stands as a memorable epic journey into the history of African Americans during the enslavement period and after. The 1977 televised miniseries was a must-watch event of the day, and it remains an important production in television history. However, a little more than a decade after his success, Haley was in trouble. His wealth had dwindled and he had strained relationships with other writers. What happened? Adam Henig tells us in his new book Alex Haley’s Roots: An Author’s Odyssey (2014). Listen to this lively interview with the author. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alex Haley's 1976 book Roots: The Saga of an American Family still stands as a memorable epic journey into the history of African Americans during the enslavement period and after. The 1977 televised miniseries was a must-watch event of the day, and it remains an important production in television history. However, a little more than a decade after his success, Haley was in trouble. His wealth had dwindled and he had strained relationships with other writers. What happened? Adam Henig tells us in his new book Alex Haley's Roots: An Author's Odyssey (2014). Listen to this lively interview with the author. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/african-american-studies

Alex Haley’s 1976 book Roots: The Saga of an American Family still stands as a memorable epic journey into the history of African Americans during the enslavement period and after. The 1977 televised miniseries was a must-watch event of the day, and it remains an important production in television history. However, a little more than a decade after his success, Haley was in trouble. His wealth had dwindled and he had strained relationships with other writers. What happened? Adam Henig tells us in his new book Alex Haley’s Roots: An Author’s Odyssey (2014). Listen to this lively interview with the author. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices