Author Alex Haley wrote about African American history and tackled the issue of racism in his writing. His Pulitzer Prize winning novel Roots focused on slavery in the United States and tells the story of a slave named Kunta Kinte who was captured in West Africa and sold into slavery. The Kunta Kinte-Alex Haley Foundation has given this Memorial to the City of Annapolis in trust, as a celebration of ethnic diversity and brotherhood everywhere.

The Memorial has three parts: The Sculpture Group, Story Wall and Compass Rose. The sculpture group is placed along Chesapeake Bay, with Annapolis port being a symbolic beginning of the journey of Africans to these shores. The sculpture depicts Haley holding a book open, sharing his family's history with three children of different racial backgrounds.

The Story Wall is made up of ten granite-framed markers topped with bronze plaques, lining the retaining sea wall on Compromise Street. Each plaque is filled with encouraging messages and excerpts from Roots. Across the street from the sculptures is The Compass Rose, a 14 foot in diameter bronze map of the world. Visitors to the compass can stand in the center and face the direction of their ancestor’s homeland.

The Kunta Kinte - Alex Haley Memorial, 135 Stepneys Lane, Edgewater, MD 21037, Phone: 410-956-9090

Plan Your Trip

Get Ready to Go!

Need some more help?


Read our Reservations & Travel Planning Tips guide.