The mission of the retreat has is to gather storytellers and 

other lovers of African/American culture to involve themselves 

in four expressions of culture: music, dance movement, visual arts,

 and the spoken word. In each year of its existence, the Retreat has 

had storytelling workshops to deepen our understanding of the 

place of Blackstorytelling (one word) in the social fabric of our

 people. We have told stories, made instruments and played

 instruments, and prayed, and circled up and healed and planted 

trees to honor ancestors, and have added African names to befit

 our new personalities. Most of all we have shared ourselves and our

 families in creating a  cultural community. These are important

 activities. The need for dedicated folk artists, pioneers of culture 

and righteous personalities has increased, and this is the training ground, 

this retreat is where the “words we speak are the deeds we do.”

The Retreat Continues.

Harambee na Masakhane - Pull together and rebuild

Baba Jamal Koram, Ed.S.