My NABS (National Association of Black Storytellers) Addiction -- The Voice of Black Storytelling

I caught the NABS bug in 2004 and since that time I have almost consistently attended the National Association of Black Storytellers Festival and Conference.  In 2011 my daughter started going with me and with the exception of 2017 in Wichita, she's attended every year since her first Festival.  In addition to hearing some good storytelling, we take the opportunity to do a personal tour of whatever city the Festival is being held, focusing on Black history sites.

NABS is the old-fashioned church camp meeting and family reunion rolled into one. Storytellers and attendees travel from all over the country (even beyond) and each year the Festival is held in a different location.  Workshops and storytelling feed attendees/participants in universal, deep-rooted ways with presentations ranging from personal stories to historical stories to Brer animal stories to Anansi stories to everything in-between.

Mother Mary Carter Smith and Mama Linda Goss co-founded the Association of Black Storytellers in November 1984 to share, recognize and preserve the African and African American Oral Tradition.  The Association was incorporated in 1990 and became known as the National Association of Black Storytellers, Inc. (NABS). The festival is now known as the National Black Storytelling Festival and Conference. (from the NABS website https://www.nabsinc.org)

NABS is the Authentic Voice of Black Storytelling.

After years of attending the NABS Festival, I accepted the call to serve as Board member and National Secretary.  The love of NABS inspired me to serve.

November 2014 induction ceremony during the Membership Meeting at the 32nd annual Festival held in Chicago, Illinois.  My term as the national secretary began on January 1, 2015.  

Esteemed storyteller and Elder Baba Jamal Koram swearing in new NABS Board members Janice Curtis Greene, Gwen Hilary, Steven Hobbs and Sandra Williams Bush

Making a statement on why I accepted Board position

Presentation of the Gold Life Membership plaque by NABS 15th President Saundra Gilliard, November 2018.  My love for NABS inspired me to financially"put up or shut up"

The last time my name tag will reflect my position as NABS Board member and Secretary, November 2018

With Executive Director Vanora Legaux and President-elect Janice Curtis Greene (Board members) at the 36th annual NABS Festival in Cary NC, November 2018

Souvenir book covers reflect the NABS Festivals that I have attended to date.

22nd - 2004 New Orleans

23rd - 2005 Tampa FL

25th --2007 Atlanta

27th - 2009 Little Rock AR

28th - 2010 Minneapolis

29th - 2011 Atlanta

30th - 2012 Baltimore

31st --  2013 Hampton VA

32nd --  2014 Chicago

32nd --  2015 Washington DC

34th --  2016 Philadelphia

35th --  2017 Wichita 

36th - 2018 Cary NC

National Association of Black Storytellers Festival & Conference, Hampton VA -- The Workshops

Although this was a storytelling event, three of the workshops I attended spoke to the genealogist in me: 

 "Walking and Talking with the Ancestors" presented by Ilene Evans   

          Storytellers often tell the stories of historical figures --  Ilene spoke to our obligation to do the research!  Just as in genealogy, we must verify our sources.  We should also stay true to the person we are telling the story about and make sure that our stories make sense in historical context.

"Native Americans & African Americans" presented by Linda Cousins-Newton

          Oh the history I learned!  Linda certainly knows her stuff  --  the workshop started a little late because she couldn't find her notes but when she did, she never referred to them.  She has clearly walked in the shoes of those she has researched.  Her concentration is on the Seminoles in the American South/Southwest and the Bahamas.

 "Blog, Vlog, Tweet, Pin & Storify the Culture" presented by Jos Duncan

          Jos stressed that African Americans need to make our presence known on social media to tell our own stories and to education/guide our youth.  Social media is another venue to build our cultural community.  Not only do we need to tell our stories, we also need to put up positive images of ourselves.  As a librarian I wholeheartedly agree with her; too often I have helped patrons that have "goggled" terms like "African American women". "African American family", etc and the results are stereotypical and/or offensive.  We need to flood social media with our positive stories and images!  To that end I started this blog thanks to the encouragement of Luckie Daniels and the African American Genealogy & Slave Ancestry Research facebook page.

Next year (November 2014) NABS will be held in Chicago & I will definitely be there!

National Association of Black Storytellers Festival & Conference, Hampton VA -- The Tour

From November 6 -10, 2013 I attended the 31st annual National Association of Black Storytellers Festival & Convention in Hampton, Virginia.  On Wednesday (11/6) before the festival officially began, there was a tour that highlighted some of the Black history sites in Hampton.   We had a libation ceremony at the site that is considered to be where the first Africans came into America. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We moved on to the Hampton Museum & Visitors Center and saw a special exhibit, entitled "Toward Freedom: Hampton and the Contraband Exhibit".  The most powerful statement the curator made was that he put together the exhibit to show the human side of enslaved people because too often the enslaved are grouped together as "slaves" with no indication that they are individuals with names, families, and lives (Mike Cobb, curator).  It was very emotional looking upon the faces of the nameless men, women, and children and hearing the "contraband" story.  Escaped enslaved individuals and families made their way to the Hampton area and in some strange, acceptable way they were declared "contraband"  --  not enslaved but not quite free and allowed to stay in the area.  The exhibit includes photographs, artifacts, documents and audio-visual presentations.  Our time there was much too short for me.

 

 

 

At the last stop before dinner we learned that Hampton Institute had an "Indian Program" in the late 19th century with the purpose to "civilize and educate" American Indians.  There were over 1,000 students in the program that came from various Indian nations in the Midwest (not quite sure if they came voluntarily).  The program  ended in the 1920s.  Below are markers of those who died while at Hampton Institute.

 

 

At each of these sites I wanted to tarry and commune with the ancestors.  Very spiritual . . .