Kunta Kinte

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'''Kunta Kinte''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|k|uː|n|t|ɑː|_|ˈ|k|ɪ|n|t|eɪ}} {{respell|KOON|tah|_|KIN|tay}}) is the main character from the 1976 novel ''[[Roots: The Saga of an American Family]]'' by American author [[Alex Haley]]. Kunta Kinte was based on family [[oral tradition]] accounts of one of Haley's ancestors, a [[Gambia]]n man who was born around 1767, [[Slavery in the United States|enslaved]], and taken to America where he died around 1822. Haley said that his account of Kunta's life in ''Roots'' is a mixture of fact and fiction.<ref>{{cite AV media|title=The Roots of Alex Haley". BBC Television Documentary. 1997.}}</ref>

'''Kunta Kinte''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|k|uː|n|t|ɑː|_|ˈ|k|ɪ|n|t|eɪ}} {{respell|KOON|tah|_|KIN|tay}}) is the main character from the 1976 novel ''[[Roots: The Saga of an American Family]]'' by American author [[Alex Haley]]. Kunta Kinte was based on family [[oral tradition]] accounts of one of Haley's ancestors, a [[Islam in Gambia|Muslim Gambian]] man who was born around 1767, [[Slavery in the United States|enslaved]], and taken to America where he died around 1822. Haley said that his account of Kunta's life in ''Roots'' is a mixture of fact and fiction.<ref>{{cite AV media|title=The Roots of Alex Haley". BBC Television Documentary. 1997.}}</ref>

Kunta Kinte's life story figured in two American television series based on the book: the original 1977 TV miniseries ''[[Roots (1977 miniseries)|Roots]]'',<ref>{{cite web |last= Bird |first= J.B. |title= ROOTS |url= http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/R/htmlR/roots/roots.htm |website= Museum.tv |access-date= November 21, 2007 |archive-date= April 11, 2013 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130411020845/http://www.museum.tv/eotvsection.php?entrycode=roots |url-status= dead }}</ref> and a 2016 [[Roots (2016 miniseries)|remake of the same title]]. In the original miniseries, the character was portrayed as a teenager by [[LeVar Burton]] and as an adult by [[John Amos]]. In the 2016 miniseries, he is portrayed by [[Malachi Kirby]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Campbell |first=Sabrina |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/nbcblk/malachi-kirby-kunta-kinte-roots-remake-n579491 |title=Malachi Kirby is Kunta Kinte in 'Roots' Remake |publisher=[[NBC News]] |date= May 30, 2016 |access-date=January 3, 2017}}</ref> Burton reprised his role in the 1988 TV movie ''[[Roots: The Gift]]''.

Kunta Kinte's life story figured in two American television series based on the book: the original 1977 TV miniseries ''[[Roots (1977 miniseries)|Roots]]'',<ref>{{cite web |last= Bird |first= J.B. |title= ROOTS |url= http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/R/htmlR/roots/roots.htm |website= Museum.tv |access-date= November 21, 2007 |archive-date= April 11, 2013 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130411020845/http://www.museum.tv/eotvsection.php?entrycode=roots |url-status= dead }}</ref> and a 2016 [[Roots (2016 miniseries)|remake of the same title]]. In the original miniseries, the character was portrayed as a teenager by [[LeVar Burton]] and as an adult by [[John Amos]]. In the 2016 miniseries, he is portrayed by [[Malachi Kirby]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Campbell |first=Sabrina |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/nbcblk/malachi-kirby-kunta-kinte-roots-remake-n579491 |title=Malachi Kirby is Kunta Kinte in 'Roots' Remake |publisher=[[NBC News]] |date= May 30, 2016 |access-date=January 3, 2017}}</ref> Burton reprised his role in the 1988 TV movie ''[[Roots: The Gift]]''.