The African (Courlander novel)

Plot

A young African boy, Hwesuhunu, is kidnapped from his homeland and endures the terrors of the Middle Passage and being sold into slavery.

Controversy

The novel became the subject of controversy when it was revealed that author Alex Haley had plagiarized sections of The African for his novel Roots which later was made into a 1977 television miniseries, a 1979 sequel miniseries, and a 2016 television miniseries remake.

In 1978, Haley paid Harold Courlander and his publisher $650,000 to drop a plagiarism lawsuit.