The Black Preacher As Storyteller

After researching the African Storyteller I stumbled across some more literature in detailing the Black Preacher and his/or her role in telling stories:

     The black preacher is the master storyteller in Afro-American culture. His verbal artistry covers Afro-American communal life like the brier patch did Brer Rabbit. And, like Brer Rabbit, their favorite trickster hero, Afro-Americans have instinctively sought protection and reassurance from a hostile world and an uncertain life in the myriad stories told by their ministers. The black preacher comforts bereaved families with a pleasant anecdote about the deceased family member;  he affirms those same families' happiness and pride at aweddings, anniversaries, baptisms, picnics, and countless other occasions of celebration with a few "remarks" that invariably include a well-told joke; and he inspires his congregation to challenge the racial prejudice that they encounter every day with a series of dramatically retold biblical stories. This verbal thicket is the first line of cultural defense against the racial and the human problems of life for many Afro-Americans.

      The black preacher continually sows three types of narrative seeds in order to keep his oral hedge robust and impenetrable. First, there are personal narratives; these are stories that the black preacher fashions out of his own life. In many ways these stories are a variant of the testimonies that members of his flock give during Wednesday night prayer meeting. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and the Reverend Jesse Jackson have been two skillful sowers of this narrative seed. For example, Dr. King referred on several occasions to the frustration he experienced while attempting to explain to his daughter the reasons why she could not attend Atlanta's Fun Town amusement park. By the same token, Reverend Jackson cast some of these narrative seeds his address to the 1988 Democratic National Convention. In an attempt to inspire poor Blacks to vote, Reverend Jackson returned again and again to the refrain: "I understand when..." Between each repetition he would tell his audience of his own encounters with hunger, poverty, despair, and so forth.

     Biblical stories are the second type of narrative seed sown by black preachers. Just as lawyers must learn the legal statutes of the states in which they practice and actors must memorize their scripts before stepping on stage or going before a movie or televison camera, so, too, must black preachers master the Bible "from cover to cover" or "from Genesis to Revelation,: as his church members would say. The more familiar they become with the word, the better able they are to improvise, weaving a biblical character, familiar verse, and/or story into their sermons. James Weldon Johnson captured the poetic eloquence of these stories in God's Trombones: Seven Negro Sermons in Verse (1972), a collection of seven poems based on the black preacher's dramatic retelling of such well-known biblical stories as "The Prodigal Son" and "The Creation." The Reverend C. L. Franklin, the father of soul singer Aretha Franklin, was a master teller of these tales. His recordings of these and other biblical stories are still being sold.

     Jokes are the third type of narrative sown by black preachers. Humor has always been a major cultural element in the Afro-American religious experience. Young black preachers are reminded of this fact by their elders who occasionally admonish them that "it is just as important to make the people laugh as it is to make them cry." Playwright Ossie Davis harvested some of the fruit from this verbal bush in order to write his popular Broadway musical, Purlie Victorious (1963). The Reverend Ralph D. Abernathy is a master teller of these tales. During the civil rights era he consistently demonstrated that rare narrative gift of being able to select and tell a joke that would lower the fears or raise the courage of the nonviolent demonstrators. Reverend Abernathy's humorous depictions of "Miss Ann" and "Mr. Charlie," Afro-American folk designations of white women and white men respectively, energized countless mass meetings and marches of the civil rights movement.
     The continuing fascination and enjoyment that many Afro-Amercans derive from listening to their pastors tell thee three types of stories is an irrefutable affirmatin of the fact that the masses of black people are stuck as tightly to their storytelling black preachers as Brer Rabbit was to the Tar Baby.

The Role Of The Griot

Recently I took a Theatre Appreciation course at my college and had to do a Presentation on which I picked the topic of The African Storyteller. Was so enlightened by the information that I learned that I decided to share it with you all in this blog:

      

 

     It is important that peopole understand the roles and the power that the griot (known as "jali" and refixed before the given family name) has been endowed with since the beginning. One of the roles the griot in African society had before the Europeans came was maintaining a cultural and historical past with that of the present. He informed, even to this day, man and woman of the roles they must play in traditional African society. The griot was well respected and was very close to kings-- in fact, closer to the king than the king's own wife.

     The griot served as the king's confidant and personal advisor. The griot would interpret things, such as different facts, for the king. It was also the responsibility of the griot to make sure that the people received all the information about their ancestors-- what the father, the grandparents, and their lineages had done and how they had done it. What the griot gave to African society in oral history, cultural information, and ancestral wisdom and knowledge is the key with which all people of African descent can progress and maintain a high level of understanding of their true heritage.

     All people of African descent-- the Latin, the Jamaican, the Haitian, the Brazilian, the Caribbean, and the African American-- all must realize that, although they were not born in Africa, they are still African people and all of us have been through the experience of slavery. Most of us have lost our original language and traditions because of having been born outside of the African homeland. When you are away from your ancestral land and lack the necessary cultural information, you become "lost" by concept. The color of the skin remains the same but the concept, the knowledge of Africa, is gone. The traditional names and roles in society, everything that belonged to us by birthright, was taken away from most of us.

     This is known as "the painful period." In order to get back what was ours, information and knowledge about African society and culture must be learned now. This the griot gives to all who need it. Our children need to have the facts about their ancestral homeland. This destiny will take a while, however. Everyone has a transition period. When a black person understands his or her own African past, accepts being African, he is different from one who does not know these things. Those of us who know, know our value.'

 

     The reason I begin with this kind of conversation is that I want peopleto have the right idea about Africa and the role of the griot in the past and in today's time, so that everyone can understand the "capacity" and potential power that we still have today. This power must be used in a good way so that we can help one another. We are still a proud people and know the significant role we have and the part we must play in our humanity.

     So the young man and woman, everybody who stays in the village get a chance to listen to live and learn about their culture and such things as I have been saying. In West African society there are various types of stories to communicate these principles. In the evening, after dinner, the stories that are usually told by the griot are call tahlio (tah-lee-OH), which means it is not the reality but an imagined event between humans and animals and some kind of spirit. These are the stories that are told for entertainment. A griot has special ways of telling these stories so that they are very entertaining, even though the griot's main intention is not to entertain but to teach the people to know themselves. When tahlio takes place, everybody participates. Know, too, that music is not always used and that the stringed harp like instrument, the kora, for thich griots are noted, is new in comparison to other African instruments.

     We have to be all that we can be to get our art and all true information about the griot and our rich cultural folklore "out of the closet" in modern society. Most of us know all bout the white man's education, his schools, history, and culture, but we lack the necessary information about our own.

 

     I hope that someday we will have the young generation follow you and mean and each of us who is working hard at keeping African fulture and tradion alive. Yes, we need our stories; without stories in an oral tradition, there is no history, no reference. As the song says: Sy-yah Cah-pee-sah ma loo dee. Death is natural but I won't take humiliation; which means, if you don't know, you have to learn. Knowledge is learned. When one does not learn, that is humiliation.

 

 

   

 The Trayvon Martin trial has come to an end but no matter what the verdict is, it does not end here. This case was not supposed to be based on color but it was clear that this was about all about Black & White. I did not think watching the case would affect me as it did but it definitely touched my heart so I would not be surprised if the jury is not having a hard time deliberating on the verdict. In the hearts of every person who watched this case we know and believe that an innocent life was taken on the fateful night back in 2011.

     So what do we do if the verdict does not come out the way we want? This is the major question. For right now we should pray and hope for the best. We all seek Justice for Trayvon Martin. This case deserves to be handled in the right way. Trayvon Martin was a child and there is no doubt that G. Zimmerman was in a hateful state of mind when he encountered the teen that night. Let God be the Judge, Jury and Verdict on today. Prayers to the Martin Family for what they have had to endure these last few years and more so the last few weeks.

Welcome To 2013

This is the season of celebrating and Resolution. The official slogan for 2013 has been confirmed:  Out with the Old and In with the New. There is no other way to get in the spirit than having some good friends or family to make you smile on the first day of 2013. If last night was a sign for this upcoming year then its guranteed to be a great year for me. Filled with positive people with a like mindset in accomplishing the best.  There maybe a few bumps and/or bruises along the way but it will lead to a Positive Change. Sometimes we don't know how were going to do it but still believing where there is a will there is a way.

First focal point is on some resolutions from 2012 that went undone in my life. Admitting that those things are still very important but some changes are easier to make then others. Being on the pursuit of Happiness is equal to the search for Perfection. I have found the who but not found the how. What I mean is, having not determined the means to fulfill my ultimate goal. This year promises a completion of undone things but the people in my life should be just as interested in helping finding the means to making things happen quickly.  We Rather then talking about the problems that are apparent will be more beneficial to assist in the answer.

Whatever you do, don't be GREEN with ENVY this year, instead be BLUE with great IDEAS, be RED hot for INNOVATION and YELLOW with SPIRIT.

We Cry Over The Death of Trayvon Martin......by Carol Cain

This letter touched my heart as a mother expressed her sentiments on www.Lifetimemoms.com about the shooting death of unarmed Trayvon Martin, in Sanford, FL on February 26th, 2012 .

Trayvon Benjamin Martin. 17 years old. The face of this young boy has been in my mind for days now. By now most of us have heard how an overzealous neighborhood watchman followed, cornered, and then murdered the boy as he walked back home from buying candy at a nearby store. I have not brought myself to listen to the 911 recordings where you can hear the boy screaming for help to no avail. This boy, this young man, could have been my son or anyone of my son’s friends. Like so many of these crimes, this one is incredibly close to home. He wasn’t doing anything. He presented no threat other than the fact that he was black. That a Latino man, blinded by his racist perceptions and prejudice could bring himself to kill this boy over nothing more than the color of his skin infuriates me to no end. I have no words truly to explain the outrage and hurt I feel for his family. For our society. For our children. I can’t imagine what these last moments would have been like, the fear in this boy as he was followed. That he walked alone in the dark, that he wore a hoodie. This was enough to bring hate his way. I gasp. So often have I see my own son walk out the door, headphones around his neck, pants a bit lower and baggier than what I would like. Hoodie and cap on his head. Brown color on his skin. And I worry. I worry that there will be a George Zimmerman out there who will hurt him. These past few days I have shed many tears for a boy I never knew, but who reminds me so much of my own. For his mother and father. For the world we live in, the world I have brought my sons into. I hold my son – my tall, beautiful, brown-skinned son and I pray for him in a way I haven’t prayed in so long. “Please God. If you are out there, protect him. Guard him from violence and ignorance. I will willingly bare it all on his behalf, but please, please don’t let him fall prey to hate.” But I know that in my prayer, I don’t just want safety for my own. But for his friends, and their friends, and others that look like him, act like him, are walking preys like him. Regardless of the color of your skin and that of your children, this is a tragedy we should all be mourning. It speaks volumes of where we stand as a society, as a people. How far we still have to go despite how far we have come. We all, as a society have, lost something with the tragic death of Trayvon Martin. Educate your children. Educate yourself. We can’t let these tragedies happen. But we must work on change together. We can’t let this further divide us. We must work in rebuilding that which has been shattered together so that all our children are safe from hate and ignorance, regardless of their race, ethnicity, religious beliefs, and sexual orientation. In the meantime, I will join in the petition to bring Zimmerman to justice and hold my own children a little tighter, a bit longer each night.

Fashion Is What Fashion Does.......

Now that we are comfortably in the year 2012 we can continue making this year a great one by stepping up our FASHION game. With so many styles out there-there is no need to pick one specic look. The goal at getting a great wardrobe is by picking out a lot of pieces that can be mixed and matched. Start off by finding out the colors that you love, separate pieces that can be put together. It is imperative that the clothes always fit well and look good on You. Try finding the colors that will compliment some of the garments you currently have, mixing and matching pieces to create limitless looks is key. REMEMBER: To have a great style does not mean buying a new wardrobe, its about adding new things that spices up the old look.

Lets start by asking some specific questions to tap into your fashion i.q.: How much are you willing to spend on clothes? Cost is not as important as we all like to think. This step will help you save time by finding stores you like and making them your go-to stores. Now you have more time to look for a great outfit rather then finding a store. Another question you will need to ask yourself is: Who is my style icon? That means, what celebrity or public figure has the best style to you. This will help you to get some ideas on looks that you could find in the stores where you love to shop. This icon or icons can inspire your total look from clothes or even hairstyles. Last question: Do I already have something just like this? Before you buy anything new this is imperative to think about! This step helps you illiminate the impulse buy of something uneccesary while mentally checking your closet to prevent from buying the same style clothes over and over. Even if that item is on sale you still would have defeated the purpose of finding something that you needed to add something new to your wardrobe, so don't get Caught Up. Its common for most people to get so stuck in their everyday look that they forget to switch it up sometimes and Dare to Be Different.

No wardrobe is complete without a few statement pieces. Those are the garments or accesories that really make the outfit a complete ansemble, statement pieces will make heads turn. A statements could be made by just simply stepping out of the box and trying something new like putting together two weird colors or wearing a gaudy ring and necklace. No matter what you do, remember to stay true to yourself. There is nothing better then seeing someone rock a style that becomes their own with personal touches, they will look comfortbale and confident. So go ahead and add that neon belt, leopard scarf or cobalt purse to any outfit and watch it pop!

Dare to be different, Dare to be You!

The Fight To End World Hunger

Over the past few days I have been pondering over the newest problem thats been affecting East Africa, the fight to end World Hunger. AFFECTING More then 1 billion people. Approximatley 1/6 of the people are hungry and everyday nearly 16,000 children die of hunger or relatated causes. We have the resources to feed the world, we just need the will.

Recent reports show that The Horn of Africa is suffering from the worst drought of rainfall in over 60 years. This has resulted in a food crisis affecting 3.7 million people in Somalia and 3.5 million in Kenya. On August 3rd, 2011 the United Nations declared this famine has spread throughout three more regions of Somalia including the capital, Mogadishu. Malnutritional levels for children have soared. In many regions of Somalia, 30% to 50% of the children are malnourished. The UN estimates that 29,000 children under the age of five have already died, while 640,000 Somali children are acutely malnourished and at risk of dying, unless helped immediately!

Even while times are getting tough in the United States we still have more resources and an abundant number of ways to give back, that will not stretch your wallets. Anything given will be of great help. Sites like www.mercyusa.org offers a link to give as much or little as you like. www.stophungernow.org offers a meal packaging program assisting thousands of hungry families around the world. There are also other ways to help fight for this cause, even without directly giving money you can go on sites like www.thehungersite.com/clickToGive where sponsors are donating money every day, just for clicking on the site and showing your support. The churches are also helping out through www.bread.org where their encouraging everyone to write to Congress and influence new policies to be made that will redirect millions of dollars to help feed millions of people and save lives. Make your voice heard and start today by speaking out on the needs of hungry and poor people.