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The Mission Baba Jamal Koram, Ed.S. "Everything begins and ends with a story. No one ever goes through any day thatdoesn't begin and end with a story. All of the solutions in our lives are either solved by or are affected by a story . . . Therefore, the professional storyteller's responsibility is to set an easy to follow example steeped integrity, which can be used to create positive and safe environments for learning and inquiry through the creative art of storytelling." "Every story is not for every ear."
African Stories in the Americas™ African Stories in the Americas is both the title of storytelling programs that Baba puts on during performances, and it's a philosophy of how he views his responsibility as a storyteller. Baba Jamal has said: "Our stories came to the Western Hemisphere with us. Our philosophies, religions, languages, and cultures came with us. It is apparent to me that we should keep, and hold on to those cultural affiliations that sustain our lives and that protect who we are. There are some among us, that we come in contact with during our sojourn in this life, that would deny us the benefit of our stories. This is wrong. This should not happen. The wisdom and caring that comes through storytelling should be shared with all who have the sensitivity to receive them." A Cool Glass of Water Baba Jamal Koram never physically met his Great Grandmother Mary Sheppard. But through story and recollections he has created an image of her that adds strength and viability and stature to how he carries himself in the world. He remembers his Cousin Ida Kay: I was told by my cousin Ida Kay that my South Carolina great-grandmother Mary would say to her grandchildren, "Bring me a cool glass of water, and I'll tell you a story." She had plenty of stories to tell. I follow in her spoken word tradition - - A tradition that has been in the making for more than 500 years - - The African American Griotic Tradition™.
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