The StoryCorps Griot project

Piece Description

StoryCorps Griot is a one-year initiative to record the stories of African Americans. The Griot Initiative is inspired by the role of the griot in West African culture. The griot (pronounced gree-oh) is a role of honor, designating someone who maintains community traditions and memory through storytelling, music, and dance. The StoryCorps Griot mobile recording booth will make stops of up to six weeks in nine locations across the country, partnering with radio stations, historically black colleges and universities, and other cultural institutions. The StoryCorps Griot Initiative will place a special emphasis on the stories of WWII veterans and men and women involved in the Civil Rights struggle. This Special program features 10 stories from African Americans, recorded as part of the StoryCorps project. Additionally, it provides listeners with background on both StoryCorps and the StoryCorps Griot Initiative. Stations can use this Special program to promote a StoryCorps Griot booth visit. Narrated by LeAlan Jones. StoryCorps is a national project to instruct and inspire everyday people to record one another's stories in sound. 

Go listen to the stories told in the Story Corps Griot project. See if you relate to any of the stories that you hear. If you can't, then you're sure to learn something about the lives of African Americans and how it was in the recent past.