Kunte Kinteh Island

As part of the 2011 International Roots Festival in The Gambia, James Island, the site of a fort once used by British slave traders, was renamed Kunte Kinteh Island after the main character in Alex Haley’s novel “Roots.” Haley traced his ancestry back to The Gambia.

The annual festival takes place on the island (two miles off the coast) and in venues in and around the capital of Banjul. The 2012 festival, which will feature music, educational seminars, parades, an art expo, food events and more, is tentatively scheduled for Feb. 4-11. Visit www.rootsgambia.gm.