Alex Haley’s book Roots (1976) was controversial because of accusations that it contains historical inaccuracies and embellishments by the author. The book chronicles the experiences of Haley’s ancestors, tracing his family’s lineage to Kunta Kinte, who was kidnapped in Africa and brought to America in 1767. However, in the book’s final section, which details Haley’s genealogical quest involving years of research, he acknowledges that many incidents and passages were fictionalized.
Investigations by a journalist also revealed that the griot (African oral historian) whom Haley had consulted in The Gambia was a fraud. In addition, the book faced two plagiarism suits from authors Margaret Walker and Harold Courlander: Walker’s was dismissed, and Courlander’s was settled out of court.