Fifty years after Alex Haley’s groundbreaking book transformed conversations about ancestry and American history, his grandson Bill Haley Jr. is helping a new generation discover the stories that connect us.
In 1976, Alex Haley published a book that would change the way millions of Americans thought about their ancestors, their families and the history that shaped their lives. Roots: The Saga of an American Family traced a family’s journey from West Africa through generations of enslavement in America, presenting a sweeping narrative of suffering, resilience and the determination to preserve a sense of identity. The following January, an eight-part television adaptation became an extraordinary cultural event. Families gathered around their television sets to watch a story that confronted some of the most painful chapters of American history. The miniseries reached an estimated 130 million viewers and sparked conversations about slavery, heritage and family history that extended far beyond the screen.
Now, as Roots celebrates the 50th anniversary of its publication in 2026 and approaches the 50th anniversary of the original television miniseries in January 2027, the story is entering another chapter. At the center of that chapter is Bill Haley Jr., Alex Haley’s grandson, who experienced the original phenomenon as a 12-year-old boy and has since dedicated himself to helping new generations discover the importance of knowing where they come from. For Bill, the anniversary is more than a commemoration of his grandfather’s literary achievement. It is an opportunity to carry forward a family legacy that continues to connect people across generations, cultures and continents.
A 12-Year-Old Boy Watches His Family’s Story Become History
When Roots premiered on ABC on January 23, 1977, Bill Haley Jr. was just 12 years old. While millions of viewers were encountering the story of Kunta Kinte, Kizzy and Chicken George for the first time, Bill was watching characters drawn from the family history his grandfather had spent years investigating. It was an extraordinary experience for a young boy. The television adaptation transformed an intimate family narrative into a national conversation, bringing unprecedented attention to Alex Haley and his descendants.
According to Bill’s biographical reflections, the experience produced a complicated mixture of pride and apprehension. Naturally shy, he initially found the sudden attention surrounding his grandfather and his family’s ancestry overwhelming. The story that had been part of his childhood was now something strangers everywhere wanted to discuss.
Over time, however, Bill developed a deeper appreciation for what his grandfather had accomplished and the responsibility that came with preserving his legacy. Growing up, he had listened to Alex Haley describe his search for the family’s African ancestry. Those conversations gave Bill a personal understanding of the curiosity, persistence and relationships that helped shape Roots.
As he matured, Bill came to recognize that his grandfather’s work was about more than reconstructing one family’s past. It had encouraged countless other families to begin asking questions about their own histories. For Bill Haley Jr., that realization would eventually become the foundation of his own work.
Fifty Years Later, the Legacy Continues
One of the most remarkable aspects of the Roots story is that its influence continues through relationships formed during Alex Haley’s original research. In 1966, Haley met Ebou Manga, a Gambian student at Hamilton College who helped him interpret African words preserved in his family’s oral traditions. Manga subsequently played an important role in Haley’s research in The Gambia, and the two men developed a lasting friendship.
Today, that connection continues through their descendants. Bill Haley Jr. and Ebou Manga’s son, Malick Manga, are co-founders of the nonprofit Inherited Roots Project, an organization dedicated to preserving the legacy of Roots while encouraging people to explore their own ancestry and cultural heritage. Their partnership represents a meaningful continuation of the relationship that helped bring Alex Haley’s story to international attention. What began as a collaboration between two men searching for answers has become a multigenerational effort to help others understand their histories.
Bill’s connection to The Gambia has also remained deeply personal. In 1994, he and his father participated in a family heritage journey to The Gambia and Senegal. He later attended The Gambia’s International Roots Festival in 2016 and returned in January 2023 alongside Malick Manga. During the 2023 visit, they met with government representatives, educational leaders and other organizations, while then-U.S. Ambassador Sharon L. Cromer hosted a reception in their honor.
These journeys reflect Bill’s continuing engagement with the people and places connected to his grandfather’s research. They also illustrate how the legacy of Roots has grown beyond the pages of a book into relationships that cross national and generational boundaries. Through the Inherited Roots Project, Bill and Malick seek to encourage people, particularly within the African diaspora, to explore their ancestral connections and recognize the importance of preserving cultural history.
Why Knowing Our Roots Still Matters
Family history has a remarkable ability to change the way people understand themselves. A photograph discovered in an old album, a conversation with an elderly relative or a document uncovered in an archive can reveal connections that were previously unknown. Sometimes those discoveries challenge long-held assumptions. At other times, they help explain traditions, values and experiences that have been passed down through generations. For many African American families, the search for ancestry carries additional significance because slavery disrupted family relationships and historical records, making earlier generations particularly difficult to trace.
Alex Haley’s Roots helped bring those questions into the American mainstream. Although genealogical claims in the book have been disputed, its cultural influence on the public’s interest in family history is unmistakable. The story encouraged people to ask where their families originated, what their ancestors endured and which stories might disappear if they were not preserved.
Bill Haley Jr. is carrying that conversation into the present. Through his involvement with the Inherited Roots Project, he promotes the idea that understanding the past can strengthen connections in the present. Family history becomes more than a collection of names and dates. It becomes a way to recognize perseverance, understand cultural identity and appreciate the experiences that connect generations.
In a world where families are often separated by geography, busy schedules and changing technology, the act of preserving a family story can itself become a meaningful bridge between generations. And that message reaches far beyond any single family or cultural community.
The Enduring Power of Alex Haley’s Story
Fifty years after its publication, Roots remains a landmark in American literature and television history. The book spent 46 weeks on The New York Times bestseller list, including 22 weeks at number one. In 1977, Alex Haley received a special Pulitzer Prize award recognizing the significance of his work. The television adaptation was equally influential. Its unprecedented popularity demonstrated that a historical drama centered on an African American family’s experiences could command an enormous national audience. The miniseries also helped establish a new standard for ambitious television storytelling. Its influence extended into classrooms, libraries, archives and family conversations. Genealogy became a subject of greater public interest, particularly among people who had never seriously considered investigating their own family histories.
The work was not without controversy. Historians and genealogists questioned aspects of Haley’s ancestral reconstruction, and the book became the subject of a plagiarism settlement. Those disputes remain part of its historical record. Yet its documented impact on American culture, public awareness of slavery and interest in family heritage remains substantial. For Bill Haley Jr., the approaching anniversary of the television adaptation offers another opportunity to revisit the questions that made his grandfather’s work resonate with audiences. What do we know about the people who came before us? How did their experiences shape the lives we lead today? And what responsibility do we have to preserve those stories for future generations? These questions are just as meaningful in 2026 as they were in 1976.
Bringing the Legacy of Roots to Today’s Audiences
The 50th anniversary of Roots has brought renewed attention to Alex Haley’s legacy and the work of his descendants. In July 2026, Bill Haley Jr. joined his cousin Chris Haley for a public discussion about the book’s cultural influence, their family history and the importance of preserving historical memory. The conversation came ahead of a three-day commemorative experience held August 7–9 in Annapolis, Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania, bringing together historical interpretation, genealogy, cultural heritage and community celebration. For Bill, these commemorations connect directly to his ongoing mission through the Inherited Roots Project.
His perspective is unusual. He is not simply a historian discussing a famous literary work or a descendant recalling a celebrated relative. He witnessed the phenomenon of Roots as a child, grew up hearing about his grandfather’s research and has since developed relationships and initiatives intended to carry that legacy forward. That combination of personal experience and cultural history gives Bill Haley Jr. a distinctive message for contemporary audiences.
At educational institutions, his story can encourage students to investigate family history and consider how personal experiences connect to broader historical events. At association conferences and cultural heritage programs, his perspective offers opportunities to explore identity, preservation and intergenerational connections. For corporate audiences, his message also speaks to the importance of understanding different backgrounds, recognizing shared experiences and creating environments where individual stories are valued.
Above all, Bill’s work demonstrates that storytelling is not simply a way of remembering the past. It can help people understand one another, strengthen relationships and inspire future generations to preserve what matters.
Book Bill Haley Jr. Through Speakers.com
As the world commemorates 50 years of Roots, the story that began with Alex Haley’s search for his ancestry continues through the work of his grandson. Bill Haley Jr. is helping ensure that the legacy of Roots remains a living conversation rather than a chapter confined to literary history. Through his personal experiences, his connection to The Gambia and his leadership with the Inherited Roots Project, he invites audiences to reflect on the importance of family, cultural heritage and the stories that connect generations.
Bill Haley Jr. is available for keynote speaking engagements through Speakers.com. To inquire about his speaking fee, availability or booking him for your next corporate conference, educational event, association meeting or special anniversary program, contact Speakers.com.
