Knox County Schools Put ‘Roots’ Back on the Shelves After a Bombshell Book Ban

Just days after Alex Haley’s “Roots” was swept into Tennessee’s growing book ban, his historic work has been restored to school library shelves in Knox County following ongoing public backlash.

The district reversed course after lawmakers put “Roots” on a restricted list under Tennessee’s book review policies, which allow parents and community members to challenge school materials they believe are inappropriate for students. We previously told you that the banned book list already included over 115 titles.

The decision to restore the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel came after widespread criticism from educators, civil rights advocates and residents who argued the removal distorted American history.

Published in 1976, “Roots: The Saga of an American Family” tells the horrific story of Haley’s ancestry beginning with Kunta Kinte, an African man captured and sold into slavery. The book and its groundbreaking 1977 television series became cultural classics, helping introduce generations of Americans– both Black and white– to the brutal realities of slavery and the long legacy of systemic racism.

Knox County officials said the restoration followed a review process that determined the material could remain accessible in school libraries, according to Tennessee Lookout. However, the controversy points to an increasingly volatile environment surrounding books about race and identity in classrooms nationwide.

“There were discrepancies even among the legal experts I consulted regarding their interpretation of the relevant sections of the Tennessee Code and the referenced terms as they applied to ‘Roots,’” Knox County Schools Superintendent Jon Rysewyk wrote in a statement.

Critics of the initial restriction argued the challenge reflected a broader political movement targeting works by Black authors and books addressing systemic racism in President Donald Trump’s America, WBIR reported. Tennessee has emerged as a major battleground in the national debate over educational restrictions, with lawmakers pushing measures to limit certain classroom discussions involving race, sexuality and American history.

Advocates warned that removing “Roots” carried symbolic consequences far beyond the title. For decades, Haley’s work has been regarded as essential reading in discussions about genealogy, enslavement and Black history in America.

National free speech organizations have documented a surge in book challenges across the United States in recent years, particularly targeting books focused on race, LGBTQ+ identity and social justice themes, we also told you.

For many educators, the restoration of “Roots” has become a symbolic pushback against what critics describe as the politicization of public school libraries. Still, the brief removal of one of America’s most recognizable works on slavery served as a reminder of how divisive the nation’s historical memory has become.