B I O  |  M A L I C K  M A N G A

Some of the great outcomes generated by the Pulitzer Prize-winning and New York Times bestselling book, Roots by Alex Haley (“Haley”) includes: the groundbreaking 1977 ABC miniseries, “Roots”; its estimated audience of a record-breaking over 130 million viewers; the multiple Emmys; its place in history; and the role it played toward Black Americans eventually embracing the term “African American”… However, the greatest result for Gambian national, Ebou Manga, wasn’t that he opened up the door to Haley’s discovering his Gambian roots or that he became Haley’s research assistant for the book and the cultural consultant for the miniseries (as well as its sequel, “Roots: The Next Generations”)—that similar to Haley’s ancestors, Ebou would father a son who’d not only reflect, but continue Ebou’s celebration of the intersection between African American cultures.

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It’s a symbiotic intersection aptly captured in “Roots” with the union between Mandinka Kuna Kinteh and American-born Bell that results their “bi-ethnic” daughter, Kizzy (a Mandinka name derivative), embodying them both and her own third “melded” view or being “tri-cultural”… And as previously noted, it was a life imitating art milestone when several years after “Roots” miniseries aired, Ebou and his African-American wife, Velma Hendricks-Manga, (who has her own Louisiana roots) welcomed their son, Malick in Fullerton, CA on February 1—ironically the first day of Black History Month. And as a Black History birthday celebrant, Malick has grown up to champion tri-cultural interaction as a way to bridge Africa to African Americans and the global African Diaspora.

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Breaking cultural barriers comes to Malick innately, as Ebou was the first appointed non-British worker for The Gambia Produce Marketing Board (“GPMB”), when The Gambia gained its independence from the U.K. An economics graduate of the over 200-year-old revered Hamilton College—named for American founding father, Alexander Hamilton—Ebou would solidify his connection to foodways by earning a Master’s in Agricultural Economics from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. He would go on to launch a storied career at Hunt-Wesson/Conagra in the U.S. However, it is Ebou’s association with the iconic Alex Haley, that would forever enshrine him as a key figure in the eventual African-based floodgates opening for the Roots book and both miniseries, as well as lay the foundation for Malick to develop his mission as a “tri-cultural ambassador”…

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Ebou met Haley in 1966, when he was an international undergraduate student at Hamilton College, and Haley had been a guest lecturer in the area. Ebou helped Haley further identify African words passed down through relatives from his first paternal Atlantic Slave Trade ancestor, “Kintay”, for a book Haley was writing about trying to trace his family tree to Africa. Ebou confirmed the words were a dialect of Mandinka from a region of The Gambia, Ebou’s homeland. Haley and Ebou traveled to The Gambia, with Ebou also serving as interpreter in Mandinka, Wolof and French. There, in addition to introducing Haley to government officials and historians to help in Haley’s genealogical search, Ebou’s father, Alhaji Malick O. Manga (Malick is named for his grandfather, while Alhaji indicates he pilgrimed to Mecca), helped lead Haley to the proper griot, who traced Haley’s family back to Kunta Kinteh. That serendipitous moment gave Haley’s Roots book project the soaring trajectory it needed. And with respect to the miniseries, Roots, Ebou consulted on how the African-related sets should look, as well as provided dialect/language coaching, including with Emmy nominee, LeVar Burton. In the sequel, “Roots: The Next Generation”, Ebou even played a griot, while his own role in Haley’s life was portrayed by acclaimed actor, Johnny Sekka, with Oscar-nominated acting legend, James Earl Jones as Alex Haley.

 

Because Ebou was based in Riverside, CA through his work at Conagra, Malick had the opportunity to bond with Haley as a child, before Haley’s unexpected death in 1992. Those times were especially meaningful, because Haley still regarded Ebou like a brother, hence he was absolutely Malick’s “Uncle Alex”. Even at a young age, Malick was aware of the significance accorded his father regarding the Roots book, miniseries and sequel (as well as attending commemorative Roots events). In fact, all iterations of Roots reinforced the reverence of Malick’s Gambian family. Notwithstanding, Ebou’s own esteemed status in Gambia, Malick’s grandfather, was not only one of the original framers of The Gambia’s original 1965 constitution upon independence from the U.K., but the renowned pharmacist (called a “druggist”), was also Deputy Chair of Gambia’s Public Service Commission and distinguished justice of the peace based in The Gambia’s capital, Banjul, and held in such regard that in 1969 he was appointed by Queen Elizabeth II as a Member of the Order of the British Empire,  also known as the coveted “MBE”, and the third highest ranking Order of the British Empire award (only behind the CBE and OBE awards).

 

With such a legacy to uphold, including the importance of education, Malick graduated from the U.S. News & World Report’s top regionally ranked, California Baptist University, earning a B.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies with an emphasis in psychology. It was fortuitous that Malick’s degree was in Interdisciplinary Studies, because it gave him the foundation to appreciate that one can be engaged in multiple elements that converge in a cohesive and comprehensive hub, in this case via The Inherited Roots Project, the nonprofit that Malick co-founded with Alex Haley’s grandson, Bill Haley, Jr. It seeks to link Africans, African-Americans and the African Diaspora through four key missions: empower, elevate, engage and educate.

 

Malick and Bill are aware that launching The Inherited Roots Project (“Inherited Roots”) was ambitious, however, they’re undaunted due to the support from such dignitaries as the late honorable Ambassador Ousman Sallah. Ambassador Sallah served both as the Gambian Ambassador to the United States (The Gambia’s first), and The Permanent Gambian Representative to the United Nations. Notwithstanding,  the bond between Malick and the Ambassador before he passed, was not only fostered by his relationship to both Malick’s father and grandfather, but the Ambassador’s own mother is the first cousin of Malick’s paternal grandmother, Jengoy N'dow.

 

Malick and Bill also have further support from members of the lauded Faal Family that includes: Gambian Ambassador-at-Large, Omar Faal; Professor Gibril Faal, who is also Director of GK Partners and Migrations and SDG'S Programme in The Gambia; and internationally acclaimed attorney, Edi Faal (aka “Uncle Edi” to Malick). Another supporter of Inherited Roots is AO Touray, the former Executive Director of The Gambia's Investment Management and Promotion Agency.

 

In addition to Ambassador Sallah, the Faal Family and Mr. Touray, due to their Gambian legacy, Malick and Bill have been blessed to have ties to other government officials and entities in The Gambia, including to the Office of the President. They’ve also shown support to Inherited Roots by engaging them with Gambian-based projects related to not only to Alex, but Ebou and Malick’s grandfather with respect to their roles with respect to the book and miniseries versions of Roots.

 

Gambian projects that Malick and Bill have been engaged on behalf of Inherited Roots, include: Malick being invited to speak by Hassoum Cessay, the Director General of National Centre for Arts and Culture (NCAC), on the stakeholder panel for Underwater Cultural Heritage with respect to Roots (both the book and miniseries), the town of Juffureh (original location of Alex Haley's ancestor Kunta Kinte), and the Gambia River’s James Island aka Kunta Kinteh Island. Further in 2023, their most recent trip to the Gambia was in homage to the 55th Anniversary of when Ebou first brought Alex Haley to The Gambia in 1967.  Among those they met included: then US Ambassador Sharon L. Cromer, who held a reception for them at the official residence; Herbert Robinson, Vice Chancellor, University of The Gambia; and Ms. Sarata Conateh, CEO of the Gambian Chamber of Commerce and Industry—and who also happens to be Malick’s first cousin.

 

Speaking of family, aside from Bill’s own ancestral roots and extended family in The Gambia, Inherited Roots having Gambian ties are also meaningful to Malick, because of his paternal family still living in The Gambia. His immediate Gambian family includes his sister, Sukai Manga and his brother, Boli Manga, as well as their respective spouses and children. In addition, still in the Gambia are his paternal aunts and uncles: Lena Manga; Mai Manga; Tom Manga; Musa Manga and the late Habib Manga. Additionally, in the Gambia Malick has several cousins, other extended family and friends, who are like family. Speaking of family, Malick is proud that his cousin, Rev. Bannie Manga was recently named the Bishop of the Methodist Church for the entire country of The Gambia. Though 2024 marked the passing of the Bishop’s father, Ebou’s brother and Malick’s uncle, Joe Manga, the silver lining was during that December, Malick and Bill were part of the hosting team for a Presidential Delegation from The Gambia that included meetings with select members of the CBC and a VIP viewing tour of rare documents with respect to the Black History in the Maryland State Archives, where Bill’s cousin, Chris Haley is a staff archivist.

 

Though Ebou Manga sadly passed away in November 2017, in the names of his father, grandfather and paternal family, as well as those of his maternal family, Malick will never stop amplifying and fortifying the tri-cultural intersection that continues to strengthen the bonds between Africa, African-Americans and the African Diaspora, with the work that Bill and he are doing through The Inherited Roots Project. Especially with 2026 marking not only the 50th Anniversary of “Roots” first being published, but the 60th Anniversary of Ebou and Alex first meeting in 1966.  A legacy of friendship that’s carried on to this day with Bill and Malick, and their Inherited Roots mission.

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Malick is based in Southern California, with open arms access to the Manga Family compound in The Gambia.