Every death is like the burning of a library.

My fondest hope is that 'Roots' may start black, white, brown, red, yellow people digging back for their own roots. Man, that would make me feel 90 feet tall.

Never completely encircle your enemy. Leave him some escape, for he will fight even more desperately if trapped.

It's always intrigued me that amidst the group called slaves there were individuals who were extremely able, who were extremely colorful, who were powerful personalities, who by no means fit the usual images of slaves. They were people who, through their personalities and abilities, were very respected in the community where they lived by both black and white.

Roots is not just a saga of my family. It is the symbolic saga of a people.

Nobody can do for little children what grandparents do. Grandparents sort of sprinkle stardust over the lives of little children.

When you start about family, about lineage and ancestry, you are talking about every person on earth.