E03-Bill & Chris Haley: Returning to Our Roots
Air date: 07/28/2026
Host: Gloria Johnson: Tennessee State Representative, District 90
Guests: Chris Haley: Great-nephew of Alex Haley; Director of Research, Education & Outreach, Study of the Legacy of Slavery in Maryland, Maryland State Archives
Bill Haley Jr. Grandson of Alex Haley, 9th-generation descendant of Kunta Kinte, co-founder of The Inherited Roots Project
Episode Summary
Ahead of the 50th anniversary of Alex Haley's Roots: The Saga of an American Family, Gloria sits down with two of Haley's descendants, Chris Haley and Bill Haley Jr., to talk about the book and miniseries' cultural impact, the recent (and reversed) banning of Roots from Knox County Schools libraries, and the rise of book bans, "divisive concepts" laws, and historical whitewashing across the country. The conversation moves from personal family history into a broader discussion of racism, dehumanization, and the common humanity Haley's work was built to illuminate — closing with details on the upcoming Roots 50th anniversary commemorative tour.
Topics Covered
Chris and Bill's backgrounds and family connection to Alex Haley and Kunta Kinte
The Inherited Roots Project and its mission to preserve and extend Haley's legacy
The cultural impact of the 1977 "Roots" miniseries (est. 130 million viewers)
Life "before Roots and after Roots" — how the miniseries changed how Black history was discussed nationally
Knox County Schools' 2026 ban (and swift reversal) of "Roots" under Tennessee's Age-Appropriate Materials Act
Bipartisan pushback against the ban, including from former Senator Lamar Alexander Tennessee's "divisive concepts" laws and the chilling effect on K-12 and college educators
The Alex Haley statues in Knoxville, TN and Annapolis, MD Rising racism, dehumanization, and the parallels to past eras of American history
Common humanity as the throughline of Haley's work and message
Guests & People Mentioned:
Guest Info:
Chris Haley
Maryland State Archives / Legacy of Slavery in Maryland: chrishaleyspeaks.com
Bill Haley Jr.
The Inherited Roots Project: inheritedroots.org
Roots 50th Commemorative Experience: roots50.org
Kunta Kinte Celebrations Inc.: kuntakinte.org
Notable people mentioned:
Justin Jones (TN State Rep, mentioned re: visiting the Knoxville Alex Haley statue)
Lamar Alexander (former U.S. Senator, TN, mentioned re: bipartisan pushback on the book ban)
Rev. Harold Middlebrooks (civil rights movement, mentioned by Gloria)
Malcolm X (referenced)