Kunta Kinte

Kunta Kinte is the central figure in Alex Haleys 1976 book Roots. According to Haleys research, Kunta Kinte was a real historical figure who was 17 when he was captured and taken to America as a slave aboard the ship Lord Ligonier in 1767. Roots traces the lives of Kinte and his descendants down to Haley himself, Kintes great-great-great-great-grandson. The book was turned into an epic 12-hour TV miniseries in 1977, starring LeVar Burton as young Kunta Kinte and John Amos as the older Kinte. The miniseries was a landmark hit: For eight consecutive nights it riveted the country, reports the Museum of Broadcast Communications, adding that Roots scored higher ratings than any previous entertainment program in history. In a 2016 remake on The History Channel, Kunta Kinte was played by Malachi Kirby.

Extra Credit

A memorial to Alex Haley and Kunta Kinte stands in Annapolis, Maryland, at the dock where Kinte arrived.

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