Alex Haley Quotes (16 Quotes)

In my writing, as much as I could, I tried to find the good, and praise it.

if not for oral history, my uncle would not have pursued the history that became the 'Roots' project.

I acknowledge immense debt to the griots tribal poets of Africa -- where today it is rightly said that when a griot dies, it is as if a library has burned to the ground.

Anytime you see a turtle up on top of a fence post, you know he had some help.

In every conceivable manner, the family is link to our past, bridge to our future.

When you clench your fist, no one can put anything in you hand, nor can your hand pick up anything.

Never completely encircle your enemy. Leave him some escape, for he will fight even more desperately if trapped.

When you start about family, about lineage and ancestry, you are talking about every person on earth.

Either you deal with what is the reality, or you can be sure that the reality is going to deal with you.

In the bush, trust no one you don't know.'

My fondest hope is that 'Roots' may start black, white, brown, red, yellow people digging back for their own roots. Man, that would make me feel 90 feet tall.

Racism is taught in our society, it is not automatic. It is learned behavior toward persons with dissimilar physical characteristics.

Roots is not just a saga of my family. It is the symbolic saga of a people.

I look at my books the way parents look at their children. The fact that one becomes more successful than the others doesn't make me love the less successful one any less.

Beginning writers must appreciate the prerequisites if they hope to become writers. You pay your dues - which takes years.

Nobody can do for little children what grandparents do. Grandparents sort of sprinkle stardust over the lives of little children.