Gambiaj.com – (BANJUL, The Gambia) – President Adama Barrow has joined Gambians, the wider African continent, and communities across the global African Diaspora in marking the 50th anniversary of Alex Haley’s landmark book “Roots: The Saga of an American Family,” describing the milestone as a moment to honor the past while deepening The Gambia’s bond with people of African descent worldwide.
In a press dispatch issued Monday by the Office of the President through Government Spokesperson and Presidential Adviser on Diaspora Affairs, Ebrima G. Sankareh, President Barrow said the anniversary offered “an important opportunity” to reflect on a story that forged an enduring connection between The Gambia, Africa, and millions of people of African descent across the globe.
The President noted that Haley’s search for his own ancestry, culminating in his account of Kunta Kinte, drew unprecedented international attention to Juffureh and the communities along the River Gambia, a narrative that has since inspired generations of the Diaspora to trace their roots and reconnect with the continent.
“Today, we honour the memory of Kunta Kinte and the countless African men, women, and children who were forcibly taken from their homeland during the Transatlantic Slave Trade and never to return,” President Barrow said.
He stressed that while the anniversary is an occasion to remember the suffering inflicted by the Transatlantic Slave Trade, it must equally stand as a celebration of the resilience, courage, and enduring strength of African people whose identity, culture, and family memories survived across generations.
Tribute to Gambia’s Oral Historians
President Barrow paid special tribute to Gambian families, elders, griots, and communities who have safeguarded the nation’s history through generations of oral tradition, describing them as custodians who ensured that stories, traditions, and memories were passed down intact.
“That heritage,” he said, forms part of “the historical patrimony of The Gambia, Africa, and humanity.”
He further acknowledged the generations of families connected to the Roots saga, grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles, and elders, whose dedication to preserving family and community history has kept the legacy alive, and welcomed efforts by a new generation to carry it forward.
He singled out “The Inherited Roots Project,” co-founded by Malick L. Manga and Bill Haley Jr., for its work introducing the story and its lessons to new audiences while preserving the intergenerational connection at its heart.
A Standing Invitation to the Diaspora
Turning to the wider Diaspora, President Barrow said the legacy of “Roots” places on The Gambia both an opportunity and a responsibility to strengthen its relationship with African-descended communities abroad.
“To our brothers and sisters throughout the United States, the Caribbean, Latin America, Europe, and elsewhere across the world, I say: The Gambia remembers and welcomes you, and Africa remains your ancestral home,” he stated.
The President reaffirmed the importance of the historic sites tied to the Roots story, Juffureh, Albreda, Kunta Kinteh Island, and related sites, saying they must continue to serve as places of remembrance, education, reconciliation, and reconnection for visitors and descendants alike.
He also called for stronger cultural exchanges, expanded historical and genealogical research, educational partnerships, youth programs, heritage tourism, and more meaningful avenues for Diaspora investment and engagement with The Gambia.
The President closed his remarks by paying tribute to Alex Haley himself, along with the generations of Gambian custodians of oral history and all those working to preserve and pass on the heritage associated with “Roots.”
“Roots,” first published in 1976, traced author Alex Haley’s account of his ancestry to Kunta Kinte, a young man he said was captured in Juffureh and transported to America during the Transatlantic Slave Trade. The book and its television adaptation drew global attention to The Gambia and helped establish Juffureh, Albreda,Albreda, and Kunta Kinteh Island as key sites of heritage tourism and Diaspora pilgrimage.
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