August 11, 1921 – February 10, 1992
Twenty-years ago, Alex Haley, the co-author of The Autobiography of Malcolm X, passed away of a heart attack. The Autobiography of Malcolm X was written through a series of interviews that took place over a two year period before Malcolm X’s assassination.
Although, The Autobiography of Malcolm X was Haley’s first book, the novel he is most famous for is Roots: The Saga of an American Family, which was based off of his family history, starting with his ancestors and slavery. After Haley’s death, his widow, Myran Haley, inherited his literary and royalty rights. However, in 2001, Myran Haley was forced to file bankruptcy. In 2002, John Palumbo, “who invests in unusual assets, recently bought…the literary and royalty rights belonging to the estate of Alex Haley…”1 Palumbo bought the rights for $10,400.
Alex Haley is buried in Henning, Tennessee.
