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[[image]]

COMMUNICATION [[cutoff]]

In the beginning, Afro-Americans had little else to sustain themselves but their cultural heritage.  This heritage served as art, as emotional release and as a means of communicating the hopes, needs and fears of a despairing people.

The Oral Tradition

The oral tradition is probably the most pervasive of all African cultural traits the slave brought with him.

The stylistic elements which make up this art are found in dance and music as well as the spoken word.

The Griot

The history of many African societies has been preserved for centuries by men called griots.  These men are living archives of oral history...masters of eloquence, repositories of secrets, preservers of the customs, achievements, philosophies and traditions of African kingdoms.

The griots are a significant [[cutoff]] 
of the universal oral tradition [[cutoff]] 
which people all over the worl[[cutoff]] 
have passed on their cultures.

Griots train for many years [[cutoff]] 
perfect their skills as teachers [[cutoff]]
history, as storytellers, The so[[cutoff]]
griots usually take up the cha[[cutoff]]
and become griots in turn.  It [[cutoff]] 
their duty.  So important was t[[cutoff]] 
task in ages past, there was of[[cutoff]] 
risk of death for inaccuracy.

The griot is a living archive of oral history

Transcription Notes:
[[image - color drawing of a group of adults and children listening to the stories told by an elder]]