In some African traditions, the griot held the story of the local people - the village, family or clan. The griot pulled together the strands of the story which represented the various people who took part in it. Kept these strands and held them safe. Savoured them, treasured them. Wove them together to form a cloth, a whole that blended the assorted colours and shadings into a pattern which told the story of the people.
The people then heard their story. Their tongues sang it. Their feet danced it. Their hips swayed it. Their hands drummed it. Their fingers carved it. The stories of their ancestors, treasured, remembered, shared, and preserved for future generations. To read the article "Celebrating Black Heroes and Sheroes", click on the link on the left.
My new poem, The Blood, explores how the history of the enslavement of African people informs our creative and artistic expression. To read it, click on the link on the left. It’s long, so it takes a few moments to load.
To read about our African ancestral energies, and for links about ancestor libations, plus lots more useful links, read the Ancestral Energies article by clicking on the link on the left.
The late Len Garrison, founder of the Black Cultural Archives in Brixton, is one of the people interviewed in the new e-book Black Success Stories. To read more, and to download the e-book, click here.
For dozens of links, including:
- Black History links in the UK, the U.S.A., Latin America, Africa and the Caribbean
- The only comprehensive list of Black museums, including museums in Africa, the U.S.A. and the UK.
- Black writers' links
- Other links - healing, spirituality, Black interest
visit Nurture Success.
Keywords: Black Success Stories, African Ancestral Energies
