ABC (American Broadcasting Company): advance marketing and, 54, 125–130; black film professionals and, 120, 121–22; black programs and, 207; breast nudity depiction and, 115–17, 165; budget and, 174–75; “faction” and, 5, 189–190; finishing Roots (Haley) and, 3, 82; Kinte, Kunta (fourth great-grandfather) casting and, 105, 106–7; network television racial realities and, 110; Roots pitch and, 5, 94; Roots: The Next Generations (1979) (television), 193; Rudolph, Lou, 103; scripts and, 226n9; sexuality and, 203; Silverman, Fred, 129–130; slavery history and, 2, 156, 200; Standards and Practices office and, 115–17, 165; Stoddard, Brandon, 5, 107, 117, 128, 129, 130; whipping scene and, 168; Wolper, David and, 91, 95–96, 127–28. See also Roots (television)
Adams, Julius, 14
advance marketing, 4–5, 54–55, 66–67, 75, 87, 89, 102, 125–130
affirmative action, 176
Africa: Africa: Land of Fathers (Thompson, 1954), 74; African Journey (Robeson, 1945), 74; Autobiography of Malcolm X, The (Haley) and, 22–23, 38; depictions of, 112, 113–15, 116, 132–34; global broadcasts and, 179; Haley, Alex and, 2, 4, 22–24, 36, 38, 39, 42, 43, 133–34; Kinte, Kunta (fourth great-grandfather) and, 132–34; linguisitics and, 26–27, 104, 113; Oyotunji African Village, 114–15; racism and, 133–34; Roots (television) and, 179; Travels in the Interior of Africa (Park, 1799), 38. See also Gambia, the; Middle Passage, the
Africa: Land of Fathers (Thompson, 1954), 74
African, The (Courlander, 1967), 191–93
African American Lives (2006–8) (television), 205
African Journey (Robeson, 1945), 74
African linguistics, 26–27, 104, 113
Ain’t Supposed to Die a Natural Death (play), 121
Alex Haley’s Queen (1993) (television), 196, 207
Ali, Muhammad, 110
America, America (Kazan, 1964), 32
“American Negro exhibit” (1900 Paris Exposition), 7
American Slavery, American Freedom (Morgan, 1975), 6, 143
Amos, John, 9, 110, 112, 118, 169, 171
Amos íní Andy (television), 7–8
Anderson, Charles, 70
Angelou, Maya, 133–34, 151–52, 154, 155fig.
Annapolis (Maryland), 61, 157, 166
Arceneaux, Edgar, 201
Archive of American Television, 9
Asahi National Broadcasting Company, 179
Asner, Ed, 153–54, 157, 158fig., 159, 165, 168
Association for the Study of African American Life and History, 74
Atlanta Daily World, 137
Atlantic Monthly, 16
audiences: black, 70, 90–91, 109–10, 121, 176fig., 180; black characters and, 203–4; Kinte, Kunta (fourth great-grandfather) and, 107; lectures and, 4, 63, 72–73, 77, 85, 103–4; Roots (Haley) and, 3, 70, 77, 90–91, 140–41; Roots (television) and, 3, 77, 106–10, 121, 130, 163, 164, 168–69, 175–180; slavery history and, 175–180; television appearances and, 69–70; white, 3, 70, 72–73, 90–91, 106–10, 130, 140, 180
Aunt Plus, 26
Autobiography of Malcolm X, The (Haley): Africa and, 22–23, 38; copyright and, 195; Doubleday and, 18, 29, 30–31; film rights and, 56–57; financial concerns and, 19, 28–29, 32–33, 35; Fisher, Murray and, 83; Haley, Alex and, 30, 33, 219n31; Haley, Simon (father) and, 34, 73; lectures and, 40, 53; manuscript collection auction and, 197; Roots (Haley) and, 80, 89; Before This Anger (Haley) and, 3, 30, 35
Baartman, Sara, 204
Baker, Richard, 145–46
Baldwin, James, 16, 56, 65, 150, 151–52
Baraka, Amiri, 121
Bathurst (the Gambia), 41–42, 43
Baylin, Bernard, 143
BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation), 156
Before This Anger (Haley), 11–36; Autobiography of Malcolm X, The (Haley) and, 3, 30, 35; as black history, 31–32; contract for, 11, 21–22, 34–36, 186–87; Doubleday and, 3, 11, 21, 22, 30–31, 34–36, 38, 39, 59, 65, 66–67; expanded ambitions and, 25, 27–28, 29–30; film rights and, 56–57, 58, 59, 66; financial concerns and, 22, 34–36; finishing and, 54, 59, 67, 83; lectures and, 40, 53–56; Manga, Ebou and, 39–41; manuscript collection auction and, 197; paperback rights and, 35, 59; race relations and, 20–21; Reader’s Digest and, 39, 41, 42, 59, 65–66; research for, 38; Reynolds, Paul Revere and, 11, 18, 19, 20–22, 24–30, 34–36, 44, 54, 56–57, 59, 66–67, 83; as story, 52; title change and, 67; Uncle Tom’s Cabin (Stowe) and, 63–64; X, Malcolm and, 18–19. See also Roots (Haley)
Beloved (Morrison, 1987), 151, 198–99, 201–2
Bess, Rebecca, 163–65
BET (Black Entertainment Television), 208
birth depiction, 153–54
Birth of a Nation (Griffith) (film), 7, 8, 68, 140, 156
black actors: beauty ideals and, 106, 161; black extras, 160–65; casting and, 110–11; cinematography and, 123–24, 159; commercial productions and, 180, 206–7, 208; Haley, Alex and, 113; slavery history and, 111–12, 118–120, 163–68, 169, 172; television appearances and, 168. See also individual actors
black audiences, 70, 90–91, 109–10, 121, 176fig., 180
Black Book, The (Harris, 1973), 6
black celebrities, 17–18, 100–101
Black Culture and Black Consciousness: Afro-American Folk Thought from Slavery to Freedom (Levine, 1977), 6
black extras, 160–65
Black Family: A Case for National Action, The (Moynihan, 1965) (report), 137–38, 139
Black Family in Slavery and Freedom, 1750–1925, The (Gutman, 1976), 6, 138
black film professionals, 101–2, 120–24
Black Genealogy (Blockson, 1977), 135–36
“Black Genealogy” (Wall Street Journal), 67
black history: advance marketing and, 129; Before This Anger (Haley) as, 31–32; challenges of representing, 200; growing awareness of, 75–76, 85, 136–37; Haley, Alex and, 31–32, 70–76; lectures and, 71, 72, 73–74; manuscript collection auction and, 197; monolithic view of, 31–32; Negro History Week (Black History Month), 74; popular culture and, 2, 74; Roots (Haley) and, 90, 136–37, 145; Roots (television) and, 180; Before This Anger (Haley) as, 31–32; “Why ‘Roots’ Hit Home” (Time) and, 179–180. See also slavery history
Black Power movement, 72
black scholars, 70–74, 100, 137, 144–45, 184, 204–5. See also individuals
black television programs, 206–7
Blackwell Hutson, Jean, 71–72
Blake, Herman, 99
Blassingame, John, 6
Blinn, Bill: black film professionals and, 124; budget and, 175; Margulies, Stan and, 97, 103–5; the Middle Passage and, 161–62; as Roots co-creator, 9; on Roundtree, Richard, 119; scripts and, 95–96, 103–5, 158–59, 226n9; white actors and, 108–9
Blockson, Charles, 135–36
Booker (Haley) (book idea), 88
Book of Negroes, The (2007; 2015) (Hill), 208
Bovill, E. W., 45
Bowers, Detine, 197
Bradley, Tom, 128
Branch, Nannie “Nan” (wife), 13, 15, 16, 19
Brazil, 179
breast nudity depiction, 115–17, 119–120, 163–64, 165
Brown, Georg Stanford, 112–13, 183
Burnett, Charles, 181
Burton, LeVar, 9, 106–7, 108fig., 111fig., 112–13, 115fig., 160, 165–68, 171
busing, 176
Butcher, Margaret Just, 184
Butler, Octavia, 151
California State University consortium, 184
Camptown Ladies (Walker, 1998) (tableau), 204–5
Capote, Truman, 15–16, 57–58, 59
Carnegie Corporation, 71
Carrickmacross (Ireland), 41
casting of actors, 105–10
CBS (Columbia Broadcasting System), 120, 207
Chappelle Show (television), 206
“Chicken George”. See Lea, George “Chicken George” (great-great grandfather)
Chomsky, Marvin, 119
civil rights, 7, 16, 21, 101, 178. See also King, Martin Luther, Jr.; X, Malcolm
Civil Rights Act of 1964, 21
Cleaver, Jim, 136–37
Cleveland Call and Post, 182
Collins, Juliette “Julie” (wife), 19, 24, 83, 87–88
Columbia Pictures, 58, 66, 75, 91–92, 194, 224n46
commercial culture, 200, 201, 207. See also popular culture
commercialization: Roots (Haley) and, 2, 27, 28, 62, 63, 93, 127–28, 130, 181, 182–87, 200; Roots (television) and, 2, 93, 109–10, 127–28, 130, 180, 182–87, 200
Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), 40, 120
Conners, Chuck, 108
Conrad, Barnaby, 15–16
contracts, 3, 11, 21–22, 34–36, 186–87, 194
Conyers, John, 179
copyright, 74, 184–85, 190, 193, 194–95. See also plagiarism lawsuits
Cosby, Bill, 110
Courlander, Harold, 2, 190–94, 196
Cousin Georgia, 26, 45–46, 146, 171
critics, 2, 132, 141–42, 151, 156, 178, 200. See also reviews
Crown Publishing, 191–92
cultural phenomenon. See popular culture
Cumbuka, Ji-Tu, 160
David Frost Show, 69
Davies, Thomas, 157, 158fig., 163
Davis, David, 144
deadlines, 35, 59, 89, 94, 95, 97, 98–99, 101–2, 186. See also finishing Roots (Haley)
Dell Publishing, 186–87
Dinah! (television), 168
Doane, Gilbert, 135–36
Donaldson, James William, 175
Doubleday: Autobiography of Malcolm X, The (Haley) and, 18, 29, 30–31; copyright and, 194; Drew, Lisa, 9, 59, 87, 95–96, 126–27, 186; genealogy and, 135–36; lawsuit and, 186–87; lectures and, 54, 66; McCormick, Ken, 9, 11, 30, 38, 59, 146, 186; nonfiction and, 189–190; Roots (Haley) and, 2, 82, 87, 93, 94, 95–96, 136, 186, 189–190; Roots (television) and, 126–28; slavery history and, 200; Before This Anger (Haley) and, 3, 11, 21, 22, 30–31, 34–36, 38, 39, 59, 65, 66–67
Douglas, Kirk, 158
Drew, Lisa, 9, 59, 87, 95–96, 126–27, 186
educational markets, 93, 183–85
Edwards, Harry, 70
Elliot, Missy, 206
Emmy award, 92fig.
Engerman, Stanley, 6
Erman, John, 167–68
“Everybody’s Search for Roots” (Newsweek), 136
“faction,” 5–6, 8, 10, 27, 58, 77, 90, 141–47, 188–190. See also historical accuracy
family heritage interest, 68–69, 135–36, 205–6. See also genealogy
female characters, 46, 149, 165, 170–71. See also breast nudity depiction
Ferry, Mary Ellen, 182
fiction/nonfiction, 58, 86, 126–27, 145–46, 189–190. See also “faction”
Fight against Slavery, The (1975) (BBC series), 156
film rights, 56–57, 58, 59, 66, 75, 86, 91–93, 224n46
Films Incorporated, 183–85
financial concerns: Autobiography of Malcolm X, The (Haley) and, 19, 28–29, 32–33, 35; Flying Finger Manuscript Service and, 99, 225n69; Haley, Alex and, 56–57, 86–88; IRS and, 32–33, 34; lawsuits and, 181–82; lectures and, 4, 54, 87; Reynolds, Paul Revere and, 19, 22, 32–33, 34–36, 39, 56–57, 87–88; Roots (Haley) and, 3–4, 86–88, 93–94, 96–97, 98–99, 102; Before This Anger (Haley) and, 22, 34–36
Finding Our Father: A Guidebook to Jewish Genealogy (Rottenberg, 1977), 135–36
Finding Your Roots (2012–16) (television), 205
finishing Roots (Haley), 2, 3, 70, 82–84, 86, 87–89, 91–92, 94–100, 101–2
Fisher, Murray, 2, 9, 82–84, 85–87, 89, 96–102, 188, 194
Fitelson, William, 58
Flying Finger Manuscript Service, 99, 225n69
Foxx, Redd, 110
Frankel, Marvin, 190
Freedom Summer, 21
Free Southern Theater, 121
From Freedom to Freedom: African Roots in American Soil (1977) (study guide), 184
From Slavery to Freedom: A History of African Americans (Franklin, 1947), 74
From Sundown to Sunup: The Making of the Black Community (Rawick, 1972), 6
Frost, David, 69
Fry, Gladys-Marie, 184
Gambia, the, 37–52; as ancestral home, 2, 36, 37–39, 44, 47, 49, 68; Bathurst, 41–42, 43; Fort James, 48, 61, 151; genealogy and, 44; History of the Gambia (Gray, 1940), 45; Juffure, 2, 46, 48–49, 80, 131–33, 142–43, 154, 158, 189; Kinte, Kebba Fofana (uncle) and, 46, 48, 49–52, 134; Kinte, Kunta (fourth great-grandfather) and, 2, 5–6, 49, 80, 147; lectures and, 56; Lord Ligonier (ship) and, 60–62; Manga, Ebou and, 39–41, 42, 43, 45; New York Times and, 37, 188; promotion trip and, 187–88; research and, 27, 41–42, 43–52, 56, 57, 59–60, 77, 142–43, 188; Roots (television) and, 113–15, 154; Sims, George and, 30, 48, 50fig.; slavery history and, 38, 41–42, 48; Vansina, Jan and, 73; world attention and, 40–41, 42–43, 47, 187–88
Gambian embassy, 39
Gambia News Bulletin, 43–44
Gambian exchange students, 39. See also Manga, Ebou
Gambian High Commission, 45
Gambian Information Office, 43
Gates, Henry Louis, 205
genealogy: black kinship and, 60; Finding Your Roots (2012–16) (television), 205; the Gambia and, 44; Haley, Alex and, 8, 26, 71; how-to publications and, 135–36; interest in, 68–69, 135–36, 205–6; Mills, Elizabeth and Gary, 61–62; scrutiny and, 61–62, 113; as source of uplift, 150; television and, 205–6. See also individual titles
genetic testing, 205–6
Genovese, Eugene, 6
global broadcasts, 179
Golden Trade of the Moors, The (Bovil, 1958), 45
Gone with the Wind (film), 8, 68, 140, 175, 204
Good Morning America (television), 168
Good Times (television), 110
Gordy, Berry, 101
Gosset, Louis, Jr., 110, 111fig., 166
Gray, John Milner, 45
Great Migration, 88
Greene, David, 105, 107, 114, 154, 159–160, 161, 164, 170
Greene, Lorne, 108
Greenwood, Val, 135–36
Grove Press, 29
Haley, Alex: Africa and, 2, 4, 22–24, 36, 38, 39, 42, 43, 133–34; Alex Haley’s Queen (1993) (television), 196; ancestral homes of, 2, 36, 37–39, 41, 44, 47, 49, 68; Baldwin, James and, 16, 56, 65, 150; black actors and, 112–13; black film professionals and, 121, 124; black history and, 31–32, 70–76; black scholars and, 70–74, 100, 137, 144–45; Booker (book idea) and, 88; Burton, LeVar and, 112–13, 115fig.; childhood, youth and, 11–13; Chin, Frank and, 62–63, 76, 77; conflict and, 12, 83; copyright and, 190, 193, 194–95; Davis, Miles and, 17–18, 83, 146; deadlines and, 35, 59, 89, 94, 95, 97, 98–99, 101–2, 186; death of, 196–97; family and, 3–4, 138–39; as freelance writer, 13–14, 15–17; Gambia promotion trip and, 187; genealogy and, 8, 26, 71; “Harlem Nobody Knows, The” and, 14; as haunted, 149–150; Henning (Tennessee) and, 1–2, 3, 11, 12–13, 24, 49–51, 83, 138, 149, 194; How to Co-exist with Negroes (book idea) and, 19–20, 72; Irish ancestry and, 41; Kinte, Kunta (fourth great-grandfather) and, 4, 26, 49–51, 171, 202–3; Kinte Corporation, 93, 198; lawsuits and, 181–82, 186–87, 190–96; manuscript collection auction and, 196–98; marriages and, 13, 19, 83, 87–88, 102; Miami-Dade Community College and, 185fig.; Moses, Gilbert and, 121; “My Furthest Back Person—‘The African,’” and, 67; mythic qualities and, 68; New York Times and, 21, 89; Ottaway, Mark and, 51, 142–43, 144, 147, 187, 190; Palmerstown U.S.A. (1980–81) (television) and, 196; patriarchalism and, 46, 149, 171; personal costs and, 195–96, 198; racism and, 14–15, 17; research and, 8–9, 27, 41–42, 43–52, 57, 59–60, 77, 85–86, 132, 142–43; Roots: The Gift (1988) (television) and, 196, 207; Roots: The Next Generations (1979) (television) and, 193, 196, 207; sexuality and, 202–3; Sims, George and, 16, 196; storytelling skills and, 5, 76, 104, 113, 146; television and, 1–2, 69–70, 77–78, 89, 138–39, 196; US Coast Guard and, 13–14, 15, 16; W. Colston Leigh speakers’ bureau and, 3, 53–54, 55fig., 195; writing preferences and, 81–82, 84; X, Malcolm and, 18–19, 22–24, 28–29, 31, 219n31. See also Autobiography of Malcolm X, The (Haley); Before This Anger (Haley); financial concerns; lectures; Reader’s Digest; Reynolds, Paul Revere; Roots (Haley); Roots (television)
Haley, Bertha (Palmer) (mother), 11, 12
Haley, Cynthia “Cindy” (daughter), 24, 83, 87–88
Haley, George (brother), 12, 24–25, 33
Haley, Julies (brother), 12
Haley, Juliette. See Collins, Juliette “Julie” (wife)
Haley, Lydia (daughter), 13, 15, 16
Haley, My. See Lewis, My (wife)
Haley, “Queen” Jackson (grandmother), 41, 46, 150
Haley, Simon (father), 11–12, 13, 33–34, 73
Haley, William (son), 13, 15, 16
Hallelujah, Baby! (1968) (play), 111
Hamilton, George, 118–19
Handlin, Oscar, 144
Hardy, Tom (great-grandfather), 112–13
“Harlem Nobody Knows, The” (Haley), 14
Harper’s, 16
Harris, Middleton, 6
Hartman, Saidiya, 8
Hatcher, Zeona, 12
Hayes, Isaac, 110
Hefner, Hugh, 83
Henning (Tennessee), 1–2, 3, 11, 12–13, 24, 49–51, 83, 138, 149, 194
Hicks, Hilly, 106
Hill, Lawrence, 208
Hilton, Suzanne, 135–36
historians, 5, 6–7, 8–9, 62, 132, 133, 138, 141–45, 193–94, 197–98. See also black scholars; scholarship
historical accuracy: the Gambia and, 132; Gates, Henry Louis on, 205; genealogy and, 26, 62, 113; Kinte, Kunta (fourth great-grandfather) and, 26, 142–43, 147, 188–89; Ottaway, Mark and, 142–43, 187, 190; popular culture and, 77; reviews and, 6–7, 132; slavery history and, 27, 61–63, 177–78. See also “faction”
History of the Gambia (Gray, 1940), 45
Hogan, William, 38
Hollywood Reporter, 120
Hollywood Shuffle (1987) (film), 206
Hooks, Benjamin, 175
“Hottentot Venus,” 204
How to Co-exist with Negroes (Haley) (book idea), 19–20, 72
Hughes, Langston, 73
Hunter film ranch, 174
I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings (Angelou, 1969), 154
In Cold Blood (Capote, 1966), 57–58, 59
International Cinematographers Guild, 123
Invisible Man (Ellison, 1953), 17, 58
Irish ancestry, 41
IRS (Internal Revenue Service), 86–87
Jackson, Easter (great-grandmother), 41, 46
Jackson, James, 41
Jackson, Jesse, 10
James, Henry, 64–65
Japan, 179
Jawara, David, 37
Johnson, Charles, 151
Jordan, Barbara, 178–79
Jordan, Winthrop, 184
Jubilee (Walker, 1966), 74, 190
Juffure (the Gambia), 2, 46, 48–49, 80, 131–33, 142–43, 154, 158, 189
Jungle Jim (film), 133
Kazan, Elia, 32, 42–43, 56–57, 58, 66
Keizer, Arlene, 204–5
Kersey, Tom, 115–16
Kindred (Butler, 1979), 151
King, Martin Luther, Jr., 15, 22
Kinoy, Ernest, 95–96
Kinte, Demba, 46
Kinte, Kebba Fofana (uncle), 46, 48, 49–52, 134
Kinte, Kunta (fourth great-grandfather): Africa and, 132–34; Amos, John and, 110, 118; audiences and, 107; birth depiction and, 153–54; casting of, 105, 106–7; film rights and, 57; the Gambia and, 2, 5–6, 49, 80, 147; Haley, Alex and, 4, 26, 49–51, 171, 202–3; historical accuracy and, 26, 142–43, 147, 188–89; Kinte, Kebba Fofana (uncle) and, 49–51; lectures and, 55–56; as the Mandingo, 25; Manga, Ebou and, 40; patriarchalism and, 46; popular culture and, 206; Roots (Haley) and, 8, 80–81, 82, 84–85, 131–32, 134–35, 142–43, 147, 171; sexuality of, 202–3; slavery history and, 26, 59–60, 61–62, 134–35, 159; whipping scene and, 156, 166–68, 169. See also Burton, LeVar
Kinte, Lamin, 49
Kinte, Madi, 49
Kinte, Suwadu, 49
Kinte clan, 61fig.
Kirkhorn, Michael, 55–56
Kizzy, 26–27, 46, 110–11, 170, 171–74, 175–76, 202–3. See also Uggams, Leslie
Know Your Ancestors (Williams, 1968), 135–36
Lamar, Kendrick, 206
Landau, Genevieve Millet, 198
Larmore, Phoebe, 11
Larsen, Nella, 161
Lask, Thomas, 145
Laurent, Lawrence, 128–29
lawsuits, 2, 181–82, 186–87, 190–96
Lea, George “Chicken George” (great-great grandfather), 26, 29, 46, 65, 111, 171, 172, 174
Lea, Tom, 172
Leadbelly (1976) (film), 110–11, 123
Lear, Norman, 110
Learning Tree, The (1969) (film), 123
lectures, 53–78; as advance marketing, 4–5, 54–55, 66–67, 75, 89; audiences and, 4, 63, 72–73, 77, 85, 103–4; Autobiography of Malcolm X, The (Haley) and, 40, 53; Before This Anger (Haley) and, 40, 53–56; black history and, 71, 72, 73–74; Blinn, Bill and, 103; copyright and, 195; Doubleday and, 54, 66; film rights and, 66; financial concerns and, 4, 54, 87; the Gambia and, 56; Haley, Alex and, 23, 55–56, 63, 76–77, 88, 195–96; Kinte, Kunta (fourth great-grandfather) and, 55–56; Manga, Ebou and, 39–40; “My Furthest Back Person—‘The African,’” (Haley) and, 67; the New York Times and, 55; Playboy and, 53; popular culture and, 63; Roots (Haley) and, 23, 54, 74–75, 79, 87, 99; W. Colston Leigh speakers’ bureau and, 3, 53–54, 55fig., 195; writing interference and, 54, 74–75, 79, 87, 99; X, Malcolm and, 23
Lehmann-Haupt, Christopher, 142
Leigh, Colston, 54. See also W. Colston Leigh speakers’ bureau
Leslie Uggams Show, The (television), 111
“Letter From a Birmingham Jail” (King), 15
Levine, Lawrence, 6
Lewis, My (wife), 102
licensing deals, 183–85
Like it Is (television), 77–78
Lincoln, C. Eric, 73, 144–45, 193–94
Lonely Are the Brave (film), 158–59
Lord Ligonier (ship), 2, 60–62, 151, 157, 158
Los Angeles Sentinel, 136–37, 177
Madinka (Mandingo), the, 3, 25, 28, 38, 46, 85
Mandingo (film), 156
Manga, Ebou, 39–41, 42, 43, 45, 113
manuscript collection auction, 196–98
Margulies, Stan: advance marketing and, 130; birth depiction and, 154; black film professionals and, 120, 122–23, 124; Blinn, Bill and, 97, 103–5; breast nudity depiction and, 116; Drew, Lisa and, 126; Emmy award and, 92fig.; Kinte, Kunta (fourth great-grandfather) casting and, 105, 106–7; the Middle Passage and, 159; Reader’s Digest and, 91; Roots (Haley) and, 5, 9, 65, 91–97; scripts and, 103–5, 226n9; on woman’s show in series, 173
marketing. See advance marketing
mass culture. See popular culture
Maynard, Robert, 145
McCabe, Robert, 185fig.
McCormick, Ken, 9, 11, 30, 38, 59, 126, 146, 186
McQueen, Steve, 208
Melcher Book Award, 199
Merrick, David, 93
Miami-Dade Community College, 183–84, 185fig.
Michelman, Herbert, 191
Middle Passage (Johnson, 1990), 151
Middle Passage, the, 4, 113, 151, 159–160, 161–66, 171, 193, 201–2, 205
Miles, Tiya, 8
Mills, Elizabeth and Gary, 61–62
Modern Romances, 13–14
Morning Herald, 95
Morrison, Toni, 6, 8, 151, 198–99, 201–2
Moses, Gilbert, 121–23, 124, 174
Moynihan, Daniel Patrick, 137–38, 139
Murray, Pauli, 73
Murray, Tom (grandfather), 194
“My Furthest Back Person—‘The African,’” (Haley), 67
“My Most Unforgettable Character” (Reader’s Digest), 23
My Search for Roots (documentary film) and, 93
“My Search for Roots” (Haley) (unpublished manuscript), 148–49, 150
NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People), 7–8, 120
Nakamura, Naohiro, 179
National Book Award, 145–46
National Museum of African American History and Culture, 208
Nat Turner (2003) (film), 181
NBC (National Broadcasting Company), 8, 83, 120, 207
Negro Ensemble Company, 110
Negro History Week (Black History Month), 74
Nelson, Alondra, 205–6
network television racial realities, 109–10, 180
New American Library, 58
New Federal Theater, 120
New Journalism, 58
New Times, 182
New York Age, 14
New York Amsterdam News, 207
New Yorker, 58
New York Historical Society, 208
New York Review of Books, 132
New York Times: Capote, Truman and the, 58; the Gambia and the, 37, 188; Haley, Alex and the, 21, 89; lectures and the, 55; Moses, Gilbert and the, 121; Roots (Haley) and the, 142, 143, 145; Roots (television) and the, 178
New York Times Magazine, 67, 68–69, 70, 75
Nigeria, 179
N’Jie, M. D., 43
Noble, Gil, 77–78
nonfiction/fiction, 58, 86, 126–27, 145–46, 189–190. See also “faction”
Norrell, Robert, 12
Northup, Solomon, 208
Norton Anthology of African American Literature, 8
novel v nonfiction, 58, 86, 126–27, 145–46, 189–190. See also “faction”
nudity depiction, 115–17, 119–120, 163–64, 165
Oakland Tribune, 182
O’Conner, Carroll, 158
Old Sister Dinti, 148–49
Ottaway, Mark, 51, 142–43, 144, 147, 187, 190
Owens, Nathaniel, 139–140
Oyotunji African Village, 114–15
Palmer, Cynthia (grandmother), 1–2, 12, 26
Palmerstown U.S.A. (1980–81) (television), 196
paperback rights, 35, 58, 59, 75, 186–87
Parents Magazine, 198
Paris Exposition (1900), 7
Park, Mungo, 38
Paul R. Reynolds, Inc., 195. See also Reynolds, Paul Revere
PBS (Public Broadcasting Service), 156, 181, 205
Peculiar Institution, The (Stampp, 1956), 181
People, 188
Philadelphia Daily News, 90
Phillips, Thomas, 150–51
Pippin (1973) play, 111
plagiarism lawsuits, 2, 181–82, 190–95, 196
Playboy, 17–18, 22, 53, 82, 83, 138
Poitier, Sidney, 110
popular culture: advance marketing and, 54–55; black history and, 2, 74; historical accuracy and, 6–7, 77; Kinte, Kunta (fourth great-grandfather) and, 206; lectures and, 63; Roots (Haley) and, 3; Roots (television) and, 156; slavery history and, 64, 140–41, 156, 200, 208; Before This Anger (Haley) and, 65; Uncle Tom’s Cabin (Stowe) and, 64–65
Price, Charles, 137
production. See Roots (television)
Pryor, Richard, 110
Putnam Publishing, 21–22
Quicksand (Larsen, 1928), 161
race depictions, 7–8, 111–12, 133–34
race relations, 20–21, 176, 178–79
racism: Africa and, 133–34; beauty ideals and, 106, 161; black celebrities and, 100–101; Haley, Alex and, 14–15, 17; How to Co-exist with Negroes (book idea) and, 19–20; legacies and, 207–8; nudity depiction and, 117; television and, 17, 110, 180; Before This Anger (Haley) and, 20–21
Radio Gambia, 43
Ragsdale, Maurice, 41–42
Rangel, Charles, 179
Rasulala, Thalmus, 154, 155fig.
Rawick, George, 6
Reader’s Digest: copyright and, 194; financial support and, 39, 89; Fisher, Murray and, 82–83; Haley, Alex and, 16; “Harlem Nobody Knows, The” (Haley), 14; lectures and, 63; Lord Ligonier (ship) and, 60; “My Most Unforgettable Character” and, 23; Roots (Haley) and, 3, 5, 73, 75, 79–80, 86–87, 89–91, 93, 94, 97; Before This Anger (Haley) and, 39, 41, 42, 59, 65–66; World Press Institute, 89, 104
Reagan, Ronald, 176
Reagon, Bernice, 71
Reed, Robert, 108–9
research: the Gambia and, 27, 41–42, 43–52, 56, 57, 59–60, 77, 142–43, 188; Haley, Alex and, 8–9, 27, 41–42, 43–52, 57, 59–60, 77, 85–86, 132, 142–43; Reader’s Digest and, 60; Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, 9, 71–72, 197; Sims, George and, 12, 30, 40, 50fig., 71, 146, 194; Before This Anger (Haley) and, 38
Researcher’s Guide to American Genealogy, The (Greenwood, 1974), 135–36
reviews: “faction” and, 141–45; historical accuracy and, 6–7, 132; Roots (Haley) and, 6–7, 132, 136–37, 140, 141–45; Roots (television) and, 6–7, 156, 162–63, 165, 178, 179–180; white guilt and, 140
Revolutionary War, 170
Reynolds, Paul Revere: copyright and, 195; film rights and, 56–57, 92–93, 224n46; financial concerns and, 19, 22, 32–33, 34–36, 39, 56–57, 87–88; finishing Roots (Haley) and, 84, 86, 87–88, 94–95, 96–97; the Gambia and, 39, 44, 45; Haley, Alex as client and, 19, 85; How to Co-exist with Negroes (book idea) and, 19–20; Paul R. Reynolds, Inc., 195; publications for writers and, 18; Reader’s Digest and, 39; as Roots co-creator, 9; Before This Anger (Haley) and, 11, 18, 19, 20–22, 24–30, 33, 34–36, 44, 54, 56–57, 59, 66–67, 83; X, Malcolm and, 28–29
Rich Man, Poor Man (1976) (television), 107, 125–26, 128
Richter, Conrad, 19
Ridley, John, 208
Roberts, Warren, 144
Robeson, Eslanda Goode, 74
Roll, Jordan, Roll: The World the Slaves Made (Genovese, 1974), 6
Rootlessness (Arceneaux, 2002) (art installation), 201
Roots (Haley), 79–102, 131–152; ABC (American Broadcasting Company) and, 82, 94, 95–96; advance marketing and, 4–5, 54–55, 66, 75, 87, 89, 95, 102; Africa and, 133–34; African linguistics and, 26–27; Angelou, Maya and, 133–34, 151–52; anticipation for, 75, 79; audiences and, 3, 70, 77, 90–91, 140–41; Autobiography of Malcolm X, The (Haley) and, 80, 89; awards and, 145–46; Baldwin, James and, 150, 151–52; black Americans and, 62; Black Family: A Case for National Action, The (Moynihan, 1965) (report) and, 137–38, 139; black history and, 90, 136–37, 145; black interests and, 100–101; commercialization and, 2, 27, 28, 62, 63, 93, 127–28, 130, 181, 182–87, 200; controversy and, 143–45, 147, 187–190; copyright and, 190, 193, 194–95; critics and, 2, 132, 141–42, 151, 156, 178; Doubleday and, 2, 82, 87, 93, 94, 95–96, 136, 186, 189–190; Drew, Lisa and, 9, 59, 95–96; “faction” and, 5–6, 8, 10, 27, 58, 77, 90, 141–47, 188–190; as family story, 135, 136; female characters and, 149; film rights and, 75, 86, 91–93, 224n46; financial concerns and, 3–4, 86–88, 93–94, 96–97, 98–99, 102; finishing and, 2, 3, 70, 82–84, 86, 87–89, 91–92, 94–100, 101–2; Fisher, Murray and, 2, 9, 82–84, 85–87, 89, 96–102, 188, 194; genealogy and, 8, 60, 61–62, 67, 68–69, 113, 135–36, 150; haunting and, 149–150; Juffure (the Gambia) and, 131–33, 142–43; Kinte, Kunta (fourth great-grandfather) and, 8, 80–81, 82, 84–85, 131–32, 134–35, 142–43, 147, 171; lectures and, 23, 54, 74–75, 79, 87, 99; Margulies, Stan and, 91–97; merchandise and, 93, 182–85; My Search for Roots (documentary film), 93; “My Search for Roots” (Haley) (unpublished manuscript) and, 148–49, 150; mythic qualities and, 68, 144, 147, 189; New York Times and, 142, 143, 145; novel v nonfiction and, 86, 126–27, 145–46, 189–190; Ottaway, Mark and, 51, 142–43, 144, 147, 187, 190; paperback rights and, 75, 186–87; plagiarism lawsuits and, 2, 181–82, 190–95, 196; popular culture and, 3; profits and, 181–82, 198; Reader’s Digest and, 3, 5, 73, 75, 79–80, 86–87, 89–91, 93, 94, 97; reviews of, 6–7, 132, 136–37, 140, 141–45; Reynolds, Paul Revere and, 84, 85, 86, 87–88, 94–95, 96–97; Roots (television) v, 3, 109, 125–26, 154, 157, 158fig., 173; sales and, 66, 130, 186; scholarship and, 2, 6, 8–9, 141–45, 184, 208; Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture and, 9, 71–72, 197; scrutiny and, 100, 113; sexuality and, 31, 202–3; slavery history and, 2, 6–7, 52, 60, 132–141, 143–44, 145, 149–151, 200–208; television rights and, 75, 92–102; title change to, 67, 125; white guilt and, 140–41; Wolper, David and, 3, 5, 65, 82, 91–96; writing preferences and, 81–82, 84. See also Before This Anger (Haley); Doubleday; historical accuracy; popular culture
Roots (television), 103–30, 153–180; advance marketing and, 4–5, 54–55, 66, 75, 95, 102, 125–130; African linguistics and, 113; audiences and, 3, 77, 106–10, 121, 130, 163, 164, 168–69, 175–180; Bess, Rebecca and, 163–65; birth depiction and, 153–54; Birth of a Nation (Griffith) (film) and, 156; black Americans and, 178–79; black extras and, 160–65; black film professionals and, 101–2, 120–24; black history and, 180; the book v, 3, 125–26, 154, 157, 158fig., 173; breast nudity depiction and, 115–17, 119–120, 163–64, 165; budget and, 113, 174–75; cinematography and, 123–24, 159; civil rights and, 101, 178; commercialization and, 2, 93, 109–10, 127–28, 130, 180, 182–87, 200; copyright and, 184–85; costs of, 130; Crain, Mary Beth and, 7, 156; critics and, 156, 178, 200; Davies, Thomas and, 157, 158fig., 163; Donaldson, James William and, 175; Doubleday and, 126–28; educational markets and, 93, 183–85; Emmy award and, 92fig.; Erman, John, 167–68; extras and, 160–65, 174–75; “faction” and, 5–6, 190; as family story, 125; female characters and, 165, 170–71; Fight against Slavery, The (1975) (BBC series) and, 156; the Gambia and, 113–15, 154; global broadcasts and, 179; Gone with the Wind (film) and, 175; Greene, David and, 105, 107, 114, 154, 159–160, 161, 164, 170; as groundbreaking, 112, 180; historical accuracy and, 178; Hooks, Benjamin and, 175; Juffure (the Gambia) and, 154, 158; Kizzy and, 170, 171–74, 175–76; Larsen, Nella, 161; Lea, George “Chicken George” (great-great grandfather) and, 171, 172, 174; licensing deals and, 183–85; Lord Ligonier (ship) and, 157, 158; Los Angeles Sentinel and, 177; Los Angeles Times and, 7, 156; Mandingo (film) and, 156; Manga, Ebou and, 113; manuscript collection auction and, 197; merchandise and, 182–85; the Middle Passage and, 159–160, 161–66, 171; Newsweek and, 127, 163; New York Times and, 178; novel v nonfiction and, 125–26; patriarchalism and, 171; popular culture and, 156; profits and, 181–82, 198; Quicksand (Larsen, 1928) and, 161; race relations and, 176, 178–79; racism and, 110, 180; ratings and, 109, 133, 175, 198; Reagan, Ronald and, 176; reviews and, 6–7, 151–52, 156, 162–63, 165, 178, 179–180; Roots (Haley) v, 3, 109, 125–26, 154, 157, 158fig., 173; Schickel, Richard and, 156; scholarship and, 2, 208; Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture and, 197; Scott, Jan and, 159; scripts and, 95–96, 103–5, 158–59, 197, 226n9; sexuality and, 116, 156; slavery history and, 2, 162–64, 200–208; Standards and Practices office (ABC) and, 115–17, 165; Stone, Chuck and, 180; television rights, 75, 92–102; Time and, 156, 179–180; VCRs (videocassette recorders) and, 184–85; Washington Post and, 128–29, 162; whipping scene and, 156, 166–68, 169; white actors and, 107–9, 130, 168; white audiences and, 106–10, 130; white characters and, 109, 157, 158; white guilt and, 108, 177, 180; “Why ‘Roots’ Hit Home” (Time) and, 179–180; Wolper Productions, 91, 102, 127, 185; women film professionals and, 171. See also ABC (American Broadcasting Company); black actors; Blinn, Bill; Kinte, Kunta (fourth great-grandfather); Margulies, Stan; Roots (Haley); television; Wolper, David; individual actors
Roots: The Gift (1988) (television), 196, 207
Roots: The Next Generations (1979) (television), 193, 196, 207
Roots Week, 128
Ross, Diana, 110
Rottenberg, Dan, 135–36
Roundtree, Richard, 109, 111, 118–19
Rubin, Louis, 136
Rudolph, Lou, 103
San Francisco Chronicle, 38
Sanyang, B. L. K., 187
Saroyan, William, 15–16
Savannah (Georgia), 112, 114, 159, 160, 174
Savannah State University, 160, 162fig.
Schickel, Richard, 156
Schlitz beer calendar deal, 183
scholarship, 2, 6, 8–9, 10, 141–45, 184, 208. See also black scholars
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, 9, 71–72, 197
Schulberg, Budd, 15–16
Schultz, Michael, 122
Scott, Jan, 159–160
scripts, 95–96, 103–5, 158–59, 197, 226n9
Searching for Your Ancestors (Doane, 1973), 135–36
sexuality, 31, 116, 156, 163, 202–3. See also breast nudity depiction
Shaft (films and television), 111, 118–19
Shaw, Irwin, 125
Shirer, William, 19
Silverman, Fred, 129–130
Simon and Schuster, 71
Simpson, Phyllis Lu, 207
Sims, George: the Gambia and, 30, 48, 50fig.; Haley, Alex and, 16, 196; Miami-Dade Community College and, 185fig.; research and, 12, 30, 40, 50fig., 71, 146, 194
Slave Community: Plantation Life in the Antebellum South, The (Blassingame, 1972), 6
slavery history: ABC (American Broadcasting Company) and, 2, 156, 200; audiences and, 175–180; black actors and, 111–12, 118–120, 163–68, 169, 172; Black Family: A Case for National Action, The (Moynihan, 1965) (report) and, 137–38; dark stories and, 150–51; European powers and, 37; the Gambia and, 38, 41–42, 48; historical accuracy and, 27, 61–63, 177–78; Kinte, Kunta (fourth great-grandfather) and, 26, 59–60, 61–62, 134–35, 159; legacies and, 207–8; Lord Ligonier (ship), 2, 60–62, 151, 157, 158; memorializing, 199–208; the Middle Passage, 4, 113, 151, 159–160, 161–66, 171, 193, 201–2, 205; Nigeria and, 179; Old Sister Dinti and, 148–49; popular culture and, 64, 140–41, 156, 200, 208; profiting from, 2, 181–82, 205; Roots (Haley) and, 2, 6–7, 52, 60, 132–141, 143–44, 145, 149–151, 200–208; Roots (television) and, 2, 162–64, 200–208; scholarship and, 2, 6, 8–9, 143–45, 208; systems and, 179; Walker, Kara and, 8, 203–5; white guilt and, 108, 140–41, 177, 180; white sired children and, 41. See also individual works
Slavery in New York (2005) (exhibit), 208
Slavery! Slavery! (Walker, 1997) (murals), 203–4
Slave Ship (play), 121
Smith, Eddie, 164
Smithsonian Institution, 12
South Africa, 179
speaking circuit. See lectures
Stalmaster, Lynn, 105, 107–8, 110
Stampp, Kenneth, 181
Standards and Practices office (ABC), 115–17, 165
Steinbeck, John, 15–16
Stevens, Carole, 125–26
Stoddard, Brandon, 5, 107, 117, 128, 129, 130
Stowe, Harriet Beecher, 63–65
Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, 121
Study of History, A (1934–61) (Toynbee), 144
Suso, Jali Nyama, 48fig.
Talese, Gay, 58
television: appearances on, 1–2, 69–70, 77–78, 89, 168; Archive of American Television, 9; BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation), 156; BET (Black Entertainment Television), 208; black programs and, 206–7; CBS (Columbia Broadcasting System), 207; genealogy and, 205–6; Haley, Alex and, 1–2, 69–70, 77–78, 89, 138–39, 196; NBC (National Broadcasting Company), 8, 83, 207; PBS (Public Broadcasting Service), 156, 181, 205; racism and, 17, 109–10, 180. See also ABC (American Broadcasting Company); Margulies, Stan; Roots (television); Wolper, David; individual shows
This Week, 14
Thomas, Ernest, 106
Thompson, Era Bell, 74
Thompson, Hunter S., 58
Time on the Cross: The Economics of American Negro Slavery (Fogel and Engerman, 1974), 6, 143–44
Todd, Charles, 40
Townsend, Robert, 206
Toynbee, Arnold, 144
Travels in the Interior of Africa (Park, 1799), 38
Tribe Called Quest, A (hip-hop artist), 206
True Confessions, 13–14
Truth, Sojourner, 7
Turner, Nat, 181
Turpin, Waters, 73
TV Guide, 125
12 Years a Slave (1853; 2013) (Northup), 208
Tyson, Cicely, 153–54, 155fig., 171
Uggams, Leslie, 9, 109, 111–12, 171–74
Uncle Tom’s Cabin (Stowe), 63–65, 204
University of Southern California, 9, 70, 91, 99, 105, 106, 166
University of Tennessee, 9, 196–97
Vanocur, Sander, 162–63
Van Peebles, Melvin, 121
Variety, 120
VCRs (videocassette recorders), 184–85
Walker, Hamza, 204
Waller, William, 61
Wall Street Journal, 67, 68, 89
Ward, Robert, 193
Warner Brothers studio, 93, 179
Washington Post, 128–29, 145, 162
Waters, Harry, 163
Wattstax (1973) (documentary), 123
W. Colston Leigh speakers’ bureau, 3, 53–54, 55fig., 195. See also lectures
West Germany, 179
Westheimer, Joe, 123
“What to a Slave Is the Fourth of July?” (Douglass), 170
whipping scene, 156, 166–68, 169
white actors, 107–9, 130, 168. See also individual actors
white audiences, 3, 70, 72–73, 90–91, 106–10, 130, 139–141, 180
white characters, 109, 157, 158
white guilt, 108, 140–41, 177, 180
Who Do You Think You Are? Digging for Your Family Roots (Hilton, 1976), 135–36
“Why ‘Roots’ Hit Home” (Time), 179–180
Wilcots, Joseph, 121, 122fig., 123–24
Williams, Billy Dee, 110
Williams, Eric, 184
Williams, Ethel, 135–36
Wilson, Flip, 110
Wilson, Woodrow, 8
Wolfe, Tom, 58
Wolper, David: ABC (American Broadcasting Company) and, 91, 95–96, 127–28; advance marketing and, 125–26, 130; Bess, Rebecca and, 165; birth depiction and, 154; black film professionals and, 120, 124; black television programs and, 207; breast nudity depiction and, 116–17; copyright and, 194; crediting, 127–28, 185; Emmy award and, 92fig.; finishing Roots (Haley) and, 3, 82, 95, 101–2; Kinte, Kunta (fourth great-grandfather) casting and, 105, 106–7; licensing deals and, 183–84, 185; manuscript collection auction and, 197; mass culture and, 156; novel v nonfiction and, 127; Reader’s Digest and, 91; Roots (Haley) and, 3, 5, 65, 82, 91–96; television rights and, 75, 92–94; white audiences and, 109–10, 180
Wolper Productions, 91, 102, 127, 185
women film professionals, 171
Woodward, C. Vann, 144
Works Progress Administration, 169
World Press Institute, 89, 104
Writer and His Markets, The (Reynolds), 18
Writing Selling Fiction (Reynolds), 18
Writing Selling Nonfiction (Reynolds), 18
X, Malcolm, 18–19, 22–24, 28–29, 31, 80, 104, 121, 158, 195, 219n31. See also Autobiography of Malcolm X, The (Haley)