NORRIS, Tenn. — The Museum of Appalachia celebrated Alex Haley at their "Heroes of Southern Appalachia" ceremony on March 1.
Former Tennessee Governor and U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander presented the award to the family of the late author.
“We celebrate Alex Haley because he was God’s storyteller,” Alexander said. “At the peak of his career when he was perhaps the world’s best-known writer, he sunk his roots into East Tennessee and reminded us to ‘Find the Good and Praise It.’ He had a kind word for everyone. He left us too soon because we loved him so much that we just used him up.”
Haley is known for his 1976 Pulitzer Prize-winning book Roots: The Saga of an American Family. Within seven months, the novel sold over 15 million copies, and its television adaptation was watched by 130 million people.
Retired Tennessee Supreme Court Chief Justice and Museum of Appalachia Board Chairman Gary R. Wade said Haley is the most worthy recipient of this year’s award.
“Mr. Haley contributed so much to the understanding of both African American and Southern Appalachian culture and went to great lengths to highlight their intersection,” Wade said. “He found that these cultures are a lot more alike than they are different. It is in the spirit of his motto, ‘Find the Good and Praise It,’ that we honor him with this award.”
At the time of his passing, Haley was writing a book about Southern Appalachia. The novel featured a character based on Steve Parkey, an African American blacksmith from Hancock County whose shop is displayed on the grounds of the museum. Through this book, Haley sought to reshape the image of the mountain people that he had come to know.
According to a release, six months before his death, Haley told Journal: Appalachia that he was “irritated” by the depiction of Appalachia in popular culture.
“The truth as I have come to know it is so very different. Here are a people with rich heritage, marvelous lifestyle, atmosphere,” he said.
In 1986, then-Governor Lamar Alexander introduced Haley to John Rice Irwin, founder of the Museum of Appalachia. After a visit to the museum, Haley decided to live nearby in Norris and bought a farm from Irwin, a farm now owned by the Children’s Defense Fund.
Past recipients of the “Heroes of Southern Appalachia” award include Dr. Joe Johnson, Jim Hart, General Carl Stiner and Senator Howard Baker, according to a release.
The museum’s criteria for choosing recipients include honoring a person, or persons, from the Southern Appalachian region who exemplifies the characteristics of perseverance, fortitude, self-reliance and service.
The event was held at 7 p.m. in Heritage Hall at the Museum of Appalachia.