Charlotte Blake Alston: Stories and Songs in the Oral Tradition

Award-winning, master storyteller, Charlotte Blake Alston selects from her wide repertoire of African and African American stories and songs that were shared for hundreds of years throughout the African continent. Gathering and telling stories aided in preserving the beliefs, mythology, cultural identity, history, and shared community values that impact generations. The tradition may be the strongest in the West African countries of Senegal, Gambia, Guinea and Mali where history was preserved and is still passed down orally through the words and music of the griots or jalis. The tradition continued when Africans were brought to America. This 60-minute show is adapted to suit family audiences.

Pre-show activities begin at 12:00 p.m. in the lobby of the Ware Center. Immediately after the show, Charlotte will hold a FREE workshop, Come Play With Stories Together. We’ll water the seeds of story with a little rhythm and rhyme, call-and-response, story starters, and maybe even a backwards story! Stories are all around us and can be told in a myriad number of ways. Let’s explore them together. 

Participation is limited to 20, so all interested parties should email Barry.Kornhauser@millersville.edu to be added to the list.

This engagement of Charlotte Blake Alston is funded through the Mid-Atlantic Tours program of Mid-Atlantic Arts Foundation with support from the National Endowment for the Arts.