Alex Haley – American author of the 20th c.; Roots, The Autobiography of Malcolm X; Pulitzer Prize and landmark TV series. A former U.S. Navy journalist, he explored African American identity, blending family genealogy with epic storytelling that reshaped cultural memory.
⚓ Served 20 years as a Navy journalist. 📖 First published pieces appeared in Reader’s Digest. 🤝 Co-authored The Autobiography of Malcolm X, a cornerstone of civil rights literature. 📚 Roots became a bestseller and 1977 miniseries watched by millions. 🏆 Won the Pulitzer Prize for Roots. 🌍 Traced lineage back to Gambian youth Kunta Kinte. 🎬 TV series sparked a national conversation on slavery and race. 📰 As a Playboy interviewer, spoke with MLK Jr., Muhammad Ali, and more. ⚖️ Faced plagiarism lawsuits over Roots; admitted to some borrowings. 👨👩👦 Wanted Black children to see their heritage reflected in history. 🙂 Quirk: joked that endless nights writing Roots were fuelled mostly by coffee and pies.