Alex Haley, author of the novel Roots was born in Ithaca, New York. Published in 1976, this novel won him the Pulitzer Prize.The novel explored seven generations of his family from its origins in Africa through slavery in America and eventual hard-fought freedom. The novel Roots was translated into 37 languages and also became an eight-part TV miniseries in 1977 and attracted a record American audience and raised awareness concerning the legacy of slavery.
