The 44th Annual National Black Storytelling Festival and Conference concluded in Warwick, Rhode Island, on Sunday, Nov. 8, marking the first time the event has returned to the state in 23 years.
WJAR reported that the gathering brought together storytellers for a week of performances, workshops, and specialized programming for youth. The event was co-hosted by Rhode Island Black Storytellers under the theme “Unbreakable Spirit: Telling Our Story, 250 Years and Beyond.”
For the organizers, the festival serves as more than a cultural gathering; it is a method of preservation. Tahira, the festival director, said documenting Black experiences through their own perspectives is important.
“I learned to craft story, but I learned that telling stories from our voice, our experience, and documenting those stories, just like Zora Neale Hurston did, is sacred work,” Tahira said.
Valerie Tutson, who serves as the co-founder and executive director of Rhode Island Black Storytellers, noted that these narratives provide a framework for personal and communal identity. Tutson stated that stories allow people to find meaning in their experiences and understand their roles within their communities.
The conference focused heavily on the power of the untold story to shape public perception. Karen Abdul-Malik, a project manager and grant writer for the National Association of Black Storytellers, encouraged participants to share narratives that are frequently omitted from the broader historical record.
“Make sure that you tell them,” Abdul-Malik said. “It keeps us alive, and it bears the truth of who we truly are.”
This effort to provide accurate representation acts as a social corrective. Chetter Galloway, the president-elect of the National Association of Black Storytellers, suggested that direct engagement with a person’s history can dismantle preconceived notions.
“Once you know a person and you know their story, you know more about them, and all misconceptions or stereotypes disappear,” Galloway said.
As the festival ended, attendees focused on maintaining traditions and passing stories down to younger generations.
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