| Listen to excerpts from the album Alex Haley Tells the Story of His Search for Roots: |
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Audio Clip #1
Alex Haley discusses his earliest memories of his childhood in Henning, TN, listening to his grandmother and aunts talk about his family history. |
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Audio Clip #2
Alex Haley describes how the slave, “the African” called Toby, held on to his cultural heritage and true name, Kunta Kinte, after being taken into captivity. |
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Audio Clip #3
Alex Haley explains the lineage of his family, his entry into the U.S. Coast Guard, and the birth of Roots. |
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Audio Clip #4
Alex Haley tells about his beginnings as a journalist and an amusing story of his interview attempts with Jazz great, Miles Davis. |
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Audio Clip #5
Alex Haley talks about his first trip to West Africa, the lasting impression it made on him when he came home and the support from Reader’s Digest that helped him return for a second trip. |
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Audio Clip #6
Alex Haley details his return to West Africa and the warm welcome he received from the villagers. |
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Audio Clip #7
Alex Haley shares his thoughts about the impact of slavery in America after visiting West Africa and the passing of his cousin Georgia, the youngest “storyteller”, and her role in the emergence of Roots. |
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Audio Clip #8
Alex Haley reflects on the ship that brought Kunta Kinte to America, the time period that this occurred, and what the vessel had contained onboard, in addition to slaves. |
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Audio Clip #9
Alex Haley describes the moment he discovered documentation describing the transfer of Toby in 1768 from one slave master to another. |
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Audio Clip #10
Alex Haley summarizes his feelings about ancestral history and the importance of knowing ones heritage for all ethnic groups. |
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NPR: Thirty Years of Roots
Bill Haley, son of Alex Haley, and Juliet Walker, a history professor at the University of Texas in Austin, talk to Farai Chideya about the lasting impact of the book. |
