Category: Griot

Sam Reed, a mortician and the caretaker of Atlanta's historic Oakland Cemetery, talks about how his interest in the funeral business started at a young age.

Recorded in partnership with WABE in Atlanta, GA.

Judge Olly Neal tells his daughter, Karama, how he discovered African American author Frank Yerby while cutting class and hiding out in the school library.

Recorded in partnership with the Federation of Genealogical Societies in Little Rock, AR.

Sharon Holley, a retired librarian, tells her husband, Kenneth, about preparing for her career at an early age. Holley operated Harambee Books and Crafts, a community black bookstore, for 29 years in Buffalo, NY.

Recorded in partnership with WBFO in Buffalo, NY.

Mildred Bond Roxborough, who has worked for the NAACP for more than 50 years, tells her colleague Maxim Thorne about an incident from her early days on the road.

Recorded in partnership with the NAACP in New York, NY.

Mamie Todd (R) tells her daughter, Ann Todd Jealous (L), and grandson, Benjamin Todd Jealous, about demanding supplies from the white school superintendent while teaching at an all-black school in the 1930s. Benjamin Todd Jealous is President and CEO of the NAACP.

Recorded in Pacific Grove, CA.

John Hope Franklin, the late scholar of African American history, tells his son, John, about being a Boy Scout during the 1920s.

Recorded in Tulsa, OK, in partnership with National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC).

Reverend James Seawood remembers how African-American families were forced out of Sheridan, Arkansas, when the schools attempted to integrate.

Recorded in Staten Island, NY, in partnership with the Sandy Ground Historical Society.

Jerry Johnson interviews his mother, Carrie Conley, about raising six children as a single mother.

Recorded in Detroit, MI.

James Ransom and Cherie Johnson remember their neighbor and Sunday school teacher.

Recorded in Sarasota, FL.

Joe Buford tells his literacy tutor, Michelle Miller, about what it was like not knowing how to read.

Recorded in Nashville, TN.