Folktales, stories, and oral history

Its interesting how we (Alonna and I) come up with the discussion topics to start of each week’s session. When I chose oral history and story telling it turned out to be a challenge. First Eliah and I put on a play demonstrating the Algonquin’s creation story. The men found it quite amusing but when I asked another man to read a story from The People Could Fly, the black vernacular and pace the story was read left the men distracted and uninterested. I felt a panic but I insisted that this would have a purpose. So I told them about how important oral histories and stories were. About the writing, and building of history by the culture of power. I wanted them to see how the writing and telling of limited history and experiences can marginalize people in the present. If histories are lost then so are cultures, identities and even a sense of self. Stories created and told by black slaves are a beautiful artistic part of American history, not just Black history. The moment it is divided the country is divided, peoples are divided, and any potential sense of ‘togetherness’ is lost.

This was when I realized that for most of these men’s lives the only pride they could find in their identity and communities came in the form of gangs, and ill-gained wealth. Since most of them dropped out and did not have stable families or role models they could not by told stories or be instilled with pride. Their identity became attached to their allegiances to friends, gangs, and material goods.

A basic knowledge in ones history can instil pride or at the very least a sense of who you are, and what you come from. An idea of the events and people have come before us. Perhaps this is naïve but I believe that through education we can be set free from the pettiness of gangs, and violence because there is something greater to achieve and learn. I hope this all makes sense. I suppose what I am trying to say is education, history, and stories can open someone’s eyes to a truth and way of thinking beyond the streets.