Knox County Schools Bans Pulitzer-Winning 'Roots' From Libraries Under 2022 Tennessee Law
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · May 15
Knox County Schools Bans Pulitzer-Winning 'Roots' From Libraries Under 2022 Tennessee Law
9 articles · Updated · The Guardian · May 15
Knox County Schools removed Alex Haley’s 1976 novel "Roots" from library shelves earlier this month after a review committee found a passage in chapter 84 not age-appropriate under Tennessee law.
The district said the decision was required by the state’s 2022 Age-Appropriate Materials Act, which bars books flagged for sexual content, abuse, nudity or excessive violence and does not weigh a work’s broader historical value.
The ban applies only to library access, not classroom teaching, and adds "Roots" to 124 titles Knox County has pulled since early 2025, including "The Handmaid’s Tale," "Water for Elephants" and "The Kite Runner."
PEN America said removing "Roots" cuts students off from a major account of slavery and the transatlantic slave trade, especially in Tennessee, where Haley lived in Knoxville and is memorialized.
Tennessee ranked third nationally for book bans in the year through October 2025, with more than 1,600 removals statewide, trailing only Texas and Florida.
When one passage can get a classic novel banned, who truly decides what students are allowed to read?
How can a book be essential for history class but too inappropriate for the school library?
124 Books Banned in Knox County Schools: The Roots Controversy and Tennessee’s Expanding Age-Appropriate Materials Act
Overview
Knox County Schools (KCS) in Tennessee officially banned Alex Haley’s novel, Roots, on May 15, 2026, removing a work that deeply shaped public understanding of slavery and African American history. This action is part of a larger trend, as KCS has removed 124 titles since early 2025, following Tennessee’s Age-Appropriate Materials Act. The law requires that all educational materials be suitable for students’ ages, leading to the ban of other notable books as well. Tennessee now ranks third in the nation for the number of books banned, highlighting a significant and ongoing movement to restrict access to certain literature in schools.