A high school graduate at 15 and a member of the Coast Guard at 18, Alex Haley wrote whenever he could about all kinds of subjects. He became involved in the civil rights movement and worked with Malcolm X in the 1960s, producing "The Autobiography of Malcolm X", which was a big success.

Alex grew up listening to his grandmother's stories about his ancestors. In his later life, he researched his geneology for 12 years, leading to his most well-known work. He wrote about his ancestor, Kunta Kinte, and his travels from Africa to America on a slave ship and the many generations that followed him. The book, called "Roots", was later made into a television series. His important work taught many Americans how bad slavery was and that black people are just as smart and sensitive as whites.

by Amanda and Susan