Articles And Essays

Black History, Oral History and Genealogy

The Oral History Reader, now in its third edition, is a comprehensive anthology combining major, ‘classic’ articles with cutting-edge pieces on the theory, method and use of oral history. Twenty-seven…

Dedication And Acknowledgments Sections of Roots

(Opening excerpts from Roots: The Saga of An American Family, which were published on August 17, 1976) Alex Haley’s 1977 miniseries, Roots, not only gave America a lasting emotional experience…

Alex Haley: The Secret of Strong Families

Alex Haley, the author of Roots, recalls his Southern boyhood—when he learned the meaning of family tradition—and offers ways you can bring your own kin closer together. A quote from…

Alex Haley Speaks Out For Freighter Travel

(Alex Haley Speaks Out For Freighter Travel was originally published on February 8, 1987 in The Washington Post.) In his article, Down To The Sea Again, Alex Haley mentions the…

Alex Haley Remembers

(Alex Haley Remembers was originally published in the November 1983 issue of Essence Magazine. In 1992, it was then was published again within Malcolm X As They Knew Him by…

Alex Haley On Writing

(Alex Haley On Writing is from Alex Haley’s commencement speech he delivered to an audience in Alumnae Hall at Brown University on May 26, 1984, which was published in the…

Alex Haley On The Writing of Roots

Alex Haley’s Roots is the monumental two-century drama of Kunta Kinte and the six generations who came after him. By tracing back his own roots, Haley tells the story of…

The Autobiography of Malcolm X: Epilogue

The epilogue of The Autobiography of Malcolm X is told from Alex Haley’s point of view. As such, Haley noted, “I asked for—and he gave—his permission that at the end…