Knox County removes Roots from libraries

Knox County Schools removed Alex Haley’s 1976 novel “Roots” from its school libraries this month, adding a landmark work of historical fiction to a growing district list of banned titles. Local coverage by WBIR and Knox News said the district acted under Tennessee’s Age-Appropriate Materials Act, a 2022 state law that requires school systems to review library materials for age-appropriateness and consistency with a school’s educational mission. The move came as “Roots” approaches its 50th anniversary in 2026. Alex Haley’s book won a special Pulitzer Prize in 1977 and became one of the best-known works about slavery and family lineage in the United States. ### Why did Knox County Schools say it pulled “Roots”? Knox County Schools said the removal was required under Tennessee’s library law, according to local reports. WBIR reported that district reviewers identified material in “Roots” that they concluded violated the Age-Appropriate Materials Act, and another report said the concern centered on a passage in Chapter 84. (wbir.com) The 2022 Tennessee law requires each public school to maintain a library list, adopt procedures for reviewing books and remove material found not appropriate for students’ age and maturity levels or not consistent with the school’s educational mission. The law applies to school library collections, not classroom curriculum materials. ### What does Tennessee’s law actually require? Tennessee’s General Assembly enacted the Age-Appropriate Materials Act in 2022, and Governor Bill Lee signed it on April 4, 2022, according to the legislature’s bill history. (wbir.com) The statute requires local school boards and charter governing bodies to create review procedures for school library collections. A 2025 opinion from the Tennessee attorney general said local school bodies have “broad discretion” in how they implement those procedures. (capitol.tn.gov) The opinion also said districts must decide within 60 days when a student, parent or school employee asks for a review, and that a failure to act can trigger a request for state-level evaluation by the State Textbook and Instructional Materials Quality Commission. (wapp.capitol.tn.gov) An August 11, 2022 memo from the Tennessee Department of Education said the decision on whether a book is appropriate is a local one. The memo told districts to work with local attorneys on implementation. ### How large is Knox County’s removal list now? Knox News reported on May 15 that Knox County Schools’ removals now total 119 titles, with “Roots” included in the updated list. (tn.gov) Earlier district removals under the same law had already drawn attention in Knoxville because they included widely assigned and award-winning books. (tn.gov) Knox County Schools serves more than 60,000 students and describes itself as Tennessee’s third-largest public school system. That size has made its library decisions more visible than those of smaller districts applying the same state law. ### Why has this particular book drawn so much attention? “Roots” was published in 1976 and became a touchstone in American writing about slavery, ancestry and Black family history. (knoxnews.com) The book’s stature — and its proximity to a 50-year milestone — made its removal stand out from routine library review actions. WBIR reported that historians and educators criticized the decision. (knoxschools.org) One historian told the station the book’s removal raised concerns about limiting student access to material that documents slavery and its legacy, while critics framed the move as part of a broader fight over how race and history are taught in schools. (knoxnews.com) ### What happens if someone challenges a removal like this? Tennessee law says a student, parent or school employee can ask a local school body to review a library title. If the district does not make a timely determination within 60 days, the requester may seek review from the State Textbook and Instructional Materials Quality Commission, according to the attorney general’s 2025 opinion. (wbir.com) The next public record to watch is Knox County Schools’ updated library-removal list and any board or district documentation tied to the “Roots” review. Tennessee’s statute also keeps the state appeal route available if a requester pursues the case beyond the local district. (capitol.tn.gov) (tn.gov)