Writer Alex Haley explored family deeply in his work, namely in his book “Roots,” which was adapted into the 1977 award-winning TV miniseries of the same name. The book depicts Haley’s own ancestors, who were abducted from Gambia and sold into slavery in the American South, and follows that lineage until Haley himself. Often focusing on Black stories and communities in his writing, Haley was adamant that family history is crucial in shaping one’s identity. Though family can be complicated, those ties can tell us plenty about ourselves — and where we want to go from here.