Kunta Kinte

Kunta Kinte is the protagonist of Alex Haley's 1976 novel *Roots* and its television adaptation—an African man captured in Gambia and sold into American slavery.

The name has become a cultural touchstone for African American heritage and the brutal history of the slave trade.

Calling someone Kunta Kinte may reference African roots or, used mockingly, suggest someone is acting "too African" or rejecting assimilation.