Alex Haley Quotes

I was weeping for all of history's incredible atrocities against fellowmen, which seems to be mankind's greatest flaw...

~ Alex Haley

Find the good, and praise it.

~ Alex Haley

I later heard somewhere, or read, that Malcolm X telephoned an apology to the reporter. But this was the kind of evidence which caused many close observers of the Malcolm X phenomenon to declare in absolute seriousness that he was the only Negro in America who could either start a race riot-or stop one. When I once quoted this to him, tacitly inviting his comment, he told me tartly, I don't know if I could start one. I don't know if I'd want to stop one.

~ Alex Haley

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

~ Alex Haley

Carrying little Kunta in his strong arms, he walked to the edge of the village, lifted his baby up with his face to the heavens, and said softly, “Fend kiling dorong leh warrata ka iteh tee.” (Behold—the only thing greater than yourself.)

~ Alex Haley

The way to succeed is never quit. That's it. But really be humble about it.... You start out lowly and humble and you carefully try to learn an accretion of little things that help you get there.

~ Alex Haley

You have to deal with the fact that your life is your life.

~ Alex Haley

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

~ Alex Haley

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

~ Alex Haley

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

~ Alex Haley