Griots At The Museum
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Griot: Fran Kaplan, EdD
What is a "Griot"?
"Griot" (pronounced GREE-oh) is the French name given to the oral historians of West Africa. Traditionally griots travel from city to city and village to village as living newspapers, carrying in their heads an incredible store of local history and current events. They pass on their knowledge of history by singing traditional songs, which they must recite accurately, without errors or deviations. Like rappers, they also make up songs as they go to share current events, gossip, political commentary and satire.
Being a griot is often an inherited position, and griots generally marry other griots. There are still many practicing griots in West Africa today. Most often they accompany themselves on the kora, a 21-string harp made from half of a large gourd covered with animal skin. The strings, made of gut or fishing line, are plucked with the fingers. Griots may also play other traditional and modern instruments and are often very accomplished musicians.
Griots at the Museum
At ABHM we call the curators of our exhibits "griots," because they tell our history. In the former bricks-and-mortar museum, they were the docents who showed groups around the exhibits and helped them discuss and make sense of what they saw and felt. In our virtual museum, griots are scholars who research and write the exhibits and dialogue with visitors through the comments section.
Griots in the virtual museum commit to responding to visitors' comments and questions in the Comments section at the foot of each new exhibit for three weeks. Be sure to visit new exhibits as they are posted, so you can dialogue with scholar-griots!
Griots in Africa Today
Read about how griots are applying their conflict-resolution skills in Africa right now, and why this traditional peacemaker's role is threatened, here.
See a Video by a Young Person about the Role of the Griot
Dr. Fran Kaplan, is an independent scholar, filmmaker, and racial justice activist. She co-authored an award-winning screenplay, Fruit of the Tree, based on the life and legacy of Dr. James Cameron, and served as managing editor of his memoir, A Time of Terror.
Comments Are Welcome
Note: We moderate submissions in order to create a space for meaningful dialogue, a space where museum visitors – adults and youth –– can exchange informed, thoughtful, and relevant comments that add value to our exhibits.
Racial slurs, personal attacks, obscenity, profanity, and SHOUTING do not meet the above standard. Such comments are posted in the exhibit Hateful Speech. Commercial promotions, impersonations, and incoherent comments likewise fail to meet our goals, so will not be posted. Submissions longer than 120 words will be shortened.
See our full Comments Policy here.
Thank you all so much for your hard work to reinvent and re-imagine ABHM as a virtual museum! I was heartbroken when the museum closed. As a colleague of Dr. Robert Smith’s at UWM and as a board member of the Wisconsin Humanities Council, I am so grateful for the rebirth of this resource. And look forward to using it in my teaching.
Sincerely,
Jasmine Alinder
Associate Professor of History
Coordinator of Public History
UWM
I did not know that this museum existed, to my detriment. I am very glad to see a site like this, and I will be a regular contributor starting in the near future. I am also recommending this to my friends on facebook!
Thanks for your comment, Curtis. We’re happy you found us and look forward to reading your views.
I am part of a group that is planning Waukesha County’s 2013 Martin Luther King Celebration. One of the items we are considering is the possibility of having a link to your website that would give attendees at the Celebration exposure to some of the exhibits on your site. Is it permissable for us to do that or are we violating any copyright restrictions your site has.? Any information you can provide is appreciated. Thank you. Peter Slesar, Waukesha County Department of Health & Human Services
Former Griot
Just checking it. Thanks for the breaking news column.
Thanks for just being here!!
Thanks for your comment, Jeanette. It means a lot that one of our former griots is pleased with the virtual museum.
I love this and more and more of it needs to be televised on the African channel!! Other channel for that matter!!
It is also a Pitiful SHAME we as a race dont know or history as the whites do!!!!!!
KEEP IT BLACK!!!!!
I am a student at Springfield College/Milwaukee Branch. I am so glad for the virtual site it is a great resource and eye-opener to many that aren’t aware of the dreadful past history. Such noble act for Dr. Cameron to have encountered and lived long enough to establish the Museum and now the virtual. We miss his presence. We have assignments to complete and this is a great resource. I am hopeful that the Museum will reopen, I do plan to contribute to the funding. Thanks for being here.
Thank you for your kind words and support. Best of luck on your assignments. Glad we could help.