Identifying Roots

Alex Haley and the Anthropology of Scriptures

by Richard W. Newton, Jr. University of Alabama

COLLECTIONS:
Complete Collection
AfroDiasporic & Indigenous Studies Collection
Encounters & Identities Collection
Theory, Method & Special Topics Collection

Identifying Roots presents a cultural history of Alex Haley’s Roots, examining the strategy and tactics Haley employed in developing a family origin story into an acclaimed national history. More than an investigation into Alex Haley’s legacy, Identifying Roots unearths the politics of beginnings and belongings. While we all come from somewhere, this book examines the terms on which our roots can work as a tradition to embrace rather than a past to leave behind. And it investigates why some of the texts we read also seem to read us back.

This book invites readers to reimagine the way we tell stories. A provocative study that draws upon Black studies, the history of religions, AfroDiasporic Studies and anthropology, it underscores the social drama and dynamics that define our scriptures. Nimbly moving between the stories of Alex Haley, his characters, and the world that received them, Newton reminds us that our roots are stories of consequence.

ACCESS​

This book is included in the AfroDiasporic & Indigenous, Complete, Encounters & Identities and the Theory, Method & Special Topics Collections. Subscribers can access from the Read Online tab.

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Metadata

  • isbn
    9781781795484 (eBook)
  • publisher
    Equinox Publishing Ltd., 2020
  • publisher place
    Sheffield (U.K.)
  • rights holder
    Equinox Publishing Ltd.
  • series title
    Culture on the Edge: Studies in Identity Formation
  • doi