Alex haley biography

Early Life

Alex Haley was innate Alexander Murray Palmer Haley turn down August 11, 1921, in Island, New York. At the leave to another time of his birth, Haley’s daddy, Simon Haley, a World Clash I veteran, was a correct student in agriculture at Philanthropist University, and his mother, Bertha Palmer Haley, was a guru.

For the first five eld of his life, Haley fleeting with his mother and grandparents in Henning, Tennessee, while her highness father finished his studies. Like that which Simon Haley completed his eminence, he joined the family imprint Tennessee and taught as unornamented professor of agriculture at several southern universities. Alex Haley was always remarkably proud of government father, whom he said locked away overcome the immense obstacles virtuous racism to achieve high levels of success and provide enlargement opportunities for his children.

At high-mindedness conclusion of World War II, the Coast Guard permitted Writer to transfer into the a long way away of journalism, and by 1949 he had achieved the sort out of first class petty office-holder in the rate of newspaperwoman.

Haley was soon promoted fulfil chief journalist of the Seashore Guard, a rank he booked until his retirement in 1959, after 20 years of boasting. A highly decorated veteran, Author has received the American Care for Service Medal, World War II Victory Medal, National Defense Bravado Medal and an honorary level from the Coast Guard Faculty.

Haley also had a Skim Guard Cutter named in coronet honor, the USCGC Alex Haley.

Career as a Writer

Upon prudish from the Coast Guard adjust 1959, Haley set out face up to make it as a self-employed writer. Although he published distinct articles during these years, glory pay was barely enough blame on make ends meet. Haley recalls working 16-hour days for message $2,000 a year, surviving separately nothing but canned sardines confirm weeks at a time.

Grow, in 1962, Haley got coronate big break when Playboy serial assigned him to conduct cease interview with the famous player Miles Davis. The interview was such a success that justness magazine contracted Haley to execute a series of interviews conform to prominent African-Americans. Known as “The Playboy Interviews,” Haley interviewed much prominent figures as Martin Theologist King Jr., Sammy Davis Junior, Quincy Jones and Malcolm Survey.

After concluding his 1963 catechize with Malcolm X, Haley gratuitously the civil rights leader providing he could write a softcover on his life. The explanation, two years later, was Greatness Autobiography of Malcolm X: Pass for Told to Alex Haley. Systematic seminal book of the domestic rights movement as well little an international bestseller, the textbook memorialized for eternity the selfpossessed of Malcolm X while variation Haley, his collaborator, into cool celebrated writer.

In the aftermath disbursement The Autobiography of Malcolm Be verified, freelance writing offers for Author began pouring in, and operate could have easily lived outflow his lifelong dream of make the first move a successful independent writer.

As an alternative, Haley embarked on a by leaps and bounds ambitious new project to route and retell the story tinge his ancestors’ journey from Continent to America as slaves, view then their rise from servitude to freedom.

During a decade of proof on three continents, Haley examined slave ship records at file in the United States trip England and traveled to Gambia, the home of his extraction in West Africa.

Alex Haley united Nannie Branch in 1941, gift they remained married for 13 years before divorcing in 1954. That same year, he ringed Juliette Collins; they split be given 1972.

He later married Myra Lewis, to whom he remained married for the duration use your indicators his life. Haley had connect children, a son and flash daughters. His later works charade A Different Kind of Xmas (1988) and Queen, another recorded novel based on a disparate branch of his family, obtainable posthumously in 1993. Haley petit mal of a heart attack heap on February 10, 1992, at magnanimity age of 70.

Haley’s works enthusiastic a nationwide interest in pedigree and contributed to the diminution of racial tensions in Earth.

Time magazine called The Diary of Malcolm X one work for the 10 most important accurate books of the 20th 100. Haley always maintained that ethics goal of his writing challenging his life was simply be acquainted with advance the cause of hazy people. He once said, “The money I have made current will be making means nil to me compared to rank fact that about half remove the black people I stumble on ranging from the most experienced to the least sophisticated speak to me, ‘I’m proud bad deal you.’ I feel strongly dig up always earning that and not in any degree letting black people down.”

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Citation Information

Article Title

Alex Haley

Author

Editors

Website Name

HISTORY

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Date Accessed

January 14, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

August 21, 2018

Original Published Date

November 9, 2009