Alexander murray palmer haley biography definition

(1921-1992)

Who Was Alex Haley?

Alex Haley served in the U.S. Coast Guard for two decades before pursuing a career as a writer. He eventually helmed a series of interviews for Playboy magazine and later co-authored The Autobiography of Malcolm X.

The following decade, Haley made history with his book Roots, chronicling his family line from Gambia to the enslaved-holding South. The Pulitzer Prize-winning book was turned into a 1977 miniseries that became one of the most popular TV shows of all time.

Major controversy ensued, however, when Haley was accused of plagiarism and presenting historical and genealogical inaccuracies.

Alexander murray palmer haley biography definition us history

Nonetheless, Roots has remained a groundbreaking work in the public imagination.

Early Life

Haley was born Alexander Murray Palmer Haley on August 11, 1921, in Ithaca, New York. At the time of his birth, Haley's father, Simon, a World War I veteran, was a graduate student in agriculture at Cornell University, and his mother, Bertha,