Knox County Schools banned Alex Haley’s “Roots: The Saga of an American Family,” the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel about the transatlantic slave trade.

Knox News stated that “along with six other titles,” Haley’s work would be “removed from shelves and classrooms in the coming months.” (https://www.knoxnews.com/story/news/education/2026/05/15/knox-county-schools-bans-historical-novel-roots-by-alex-haley/90080042007)

In a memo, Katherine Bike, a member of the Knox County School Board, urged her colleagues to allow “Roots” to return to school libraries in Knox County. After additional legal review, another memo was issued on May 26, 2026, regarding a decision to restore “Roots” to school library bookshelves. Knox County Schools Superintendent Jon Rysewyk stated that he made a decision to “err on the side of access.” The issue would be revisited at a June 1 Board Work Session.

Why was ‘Roots banned in Knox County Schools?

The school district’s May 14, 2026, decision was reportedly tied to Tennessee’s amended Age-Appropriate Materials Act of 2022, state law obligations to include removal of books “that contain nudity or descriptions or depictions of sexual excitement, sexual conduct, excess violence, or sadomasochistic abuse for the age or maturity level of a student in any of the grades K-12.” (https://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/BillInfo/Default?BillNumber=SB1060&GA=113)

Banned Books by the Numbers

If the number of banned books is on the rise, what or who is fueling the momentum?

The American Library Association (ALA) further illuminated the topic of banned books by releasing data documenting attempts to censor books and materials in public, school, and academic libraries during 2025.

“In 2025, 92% of all book challenges were initiated by pressure groups, government officials and decision makers, up from 72% in 2024. Less than 3% of challenges originated from individual parents,” according to information provided by the ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF). https://www.ala.org/bbooks/book-ban-data

Additionally, the ALA cited documented findings that 5,668 books were banned from libraries (66% of the total challenged) in 2025.

“An additional 920 books were censored through access restrictions such as relocation or requiring parental permission. This is both the highest number of titles censored in one year and the highest rate of challenges resulting in censorship from 1990–2025,” the ALA added.

Alex Haley’s Tennessee Connection

Haley was raised in Henning, Tenn., and later lived on a farm in Clinton, Tenn. Alex Haley Heritage Square, located in East Knoxville, Tenn., is known for its Tina Allen’s 6,500-pound bronze statue depicting the author seated, reading from an open book in his lap. (https://www.knoxvilletn.gov/government/city_departments_offices/parks_and_recreation/parks/alex_haley_heritage_square) According to the City of Knoxville, the statue is situated on the slopes of Morningside Park and was dedicated on April 24, 1998.

Response to the Recent ‘Roots’ Ban Amidst Other Titles

Bill Haley, Jr., the grandson of Alex Haley, cofounded The Inherited Roots Project (InRP) www.inheritedroots.org, alongside Malick Manga, son of Ebou Manga — the Hamilton College student from The Gambia who helped Alex Haley unlock his family’s Mandinka oral history and discover that Kunta Kinte was his ancestor. The “Roots” ban in Knox County Schools sparked a robust discussion across the Internet. Historians, educators, celebrities, the public, and Alex Haley’s family members, including Bill Jr., responded to Knox County Schools’ recent decision to ban “Roots.”

“I’m trying to understand how in 2024 my grandfather was named a Hero of Southern Appalachia, where I accepted the award on his behalf, and ‘Roots’ was deemed an official state book, but two years later it’s banned,” Bill Haley, Jr. stated.

He also expresses concern that Tennessee and other southern states have had an ongoing effort to reverse/erase things that have been historically tied to African Americans.

“How do you ban a book by an author whose local statue literally has him holding a book?” Bill Haley, Jr. added.

The list of banned books in schools nationwide continues to grow. PEN America, founded in 1922, “works to ensure that people everywhere have the freedom to create literature, to convey information and ideas, to express their views, and to access the views, ideas, and literatures of others,” according to the website (https://pen.org/banned-books-list-2025).

PEN America has reportedly documented that “nearly 23,000 book bans in public schools nationwide since 2021, a number never before seen in the life of any living American. This censorship is being mobilized by groups espousing conservative viewpoints — and has spread to nearly every state— and predominantly targets books about race and racism or books featuring individuals of color and LGBTQ+ people and topics, as well as those for older readers that have sexual references or discuss sexual violence.”

“Roots” Remembered

“Roots,” published in 1976, became a groundbreaking 1977 miniseries and cultural landmark in tracing African American ancestry. Despite the Knox County Schools’ decision to ban “Roots” in their public schools, efforts to celebrate “Roots” are underway during the 50th anniversary of the book’s publication. In partnership with the Haley family and museums across Virginia and Maryland, the Fredericksburg Area Museum is participating in Exploring Kunta Roots 50th Anniversary Commemorative Experience from Friday, August 7, 2026, to Sunday, August 9, 2026. The immersive three-day cultural heritage tour honors the 50th anniversary of Alex Haley’s landmark literature (https://www.famva.org/events/roots-commemorative-experience-092026).