Alex Haley (1921–92) was an American writer known for his works of historical fiction and reportage that depict the struggles of African Americans. His most famous works are The Autobiography of Malcolm X (1965), which developed from his Playboy magazine interviews with the Black Muslim leader, and Roots: The Saga of an American Family (1976), a best-selling saga that traces seven generations of Haley’s ancestors from Africa through enslavement in America to Haley’s genealogical quest in the 20th century. In 1977 Roots was adapted into a television miniseries that was one of the most-watched programs in the history of American television. The book also spurred many Americans, especially Black Americans, to research their lineages.
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