11/06/2026
Kunta Kinte of Juffureh, the hero of Alex Haley’s Roots: what the book claimed, what historians found, the griot, the lawsuit, and why the island still bears his name.
GambiaVibes.com · Heritage
For four centuries the Gambia River was a highway of the Atlantic slave trade. Then it became a British colony run together with the Gold Coast, an independent nation, and, briefly, half of a union with Senegal. We tell that story as it was: European forts and African kingdoms, legends and records, and the threads that tie The Gambia to Ghana.
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Walk the history with a guide: Roots tours to Kunta Kinteh Island, Albreda and Juffureh, run by local operators in The Gambia. Entrance fees are already included in the tour price. Tips are not included, but always welcome.
Kunta Kinte of Juffureh, the hero of Alex Haley’s Roots: what the book claimed, what historians found, the griot, the lawsuit, and why the island still bears his name.