Our Commitment to Youth Is Represented by the Growing Griots Literacy Learning Project

Since the last NABS Festival and Conference the Griots’ Circle of Maryland has been very active.

We have worked with The National Great Blacks in Wax Museum, the Greater Baltimore Urban League, and the Enoch Pratt Free Library.

Griots’ Circle members have appeared in Baltimore City, Baltimore County, Anne Arundel County,Charles County, St. Mary's County, Prince Georges County and Montgomery County.

We are truly reaching out to all of Maryland.

Our commitment to youth is represented by the Growing Griots Literacy Learning Project.

This program gives students the opportunity to develop important skills in oral presentations before small and large groups of people, the conduct of person to person investigatory research, writing format, dissecting historical facts surrounding the experiences of the African Diaspora, exploring their roles in the here and now and also to acquire service points which are necessary to graduate from Baltimore City Schools.

Under the leadership of S. Bunjo Butler and with the support of Griots’ Circle members the program continues to thrive.

Growing Griots and Staff with Mayor Rawlings-Blake and Congressman Cummings

We proudly participated in the First Annual Street Fair with the National Great Blacks in Wax Museum.

The Enoch Pratt Free Library 2015 Imagination Celebration was a weeklong storytelling event honoring the co-founder of the National Association of Black Storytellers and founder of the Griots’ Circle, Mother Mary Carter Smith. The National Great Blacks In Wax Museum, the Griots' Circle of Maryland, Inc., and the National Association of Black Storytellers, Inc. joined the Pratt for an afternoon of live stories, music, and fun to kick off the week.

Mother Mary Carter Smith: "Remember me as I am...heart to heart."

Griots' Circle and NABS Members performed at 20 Enoch Pratt Libraries throughout Baltimoreduring the ImaginationCelebration.

Our major fund raising event, Love Stories for Adults “Keeping the Legacy of Mother Mary Carter Smith Alive: Bringing the Fire” was a success.

The Griots and our audience always enjoy the event.

Co-Founder of NABS Linda Goss opened the program with Libation.

Grand Mother Edna Lawrence chaired the Event, Janice Curtis Greene proved more than an able Mistress of Ceremonies and our tellers brought the fire to the Historic Arena Players Stage. Congratulations to

Bob the Griot, Mama Olita ,Mama Gwen Marable, Rev. Walter Jones, Sister A. Anokwale,

Baba Robert “Sonny” Wood and Sacred Griot Grandmother Edna.

Cast Call at Love Stories2015 “Keeping the Legacy of Mother Mary Carter Smith Alive: Bringing the Fire"

Simone Rollings participated in the Epic Telling of the Acts of the Apostles at the Story Telling Gatheringof the Network of Biblical Storytellers International.

We are now in collaboration with the Rosemont Community Improvement Association as part of the Sankofa Intergenerational Oral History Project.

Congratulations toFrances Stith-Martin and John“Kinderman” Taylor on their Birthdays and

Diane “Silky Smooth” Macklinon her marriage!

Dorthy Harrison, the mother of Gail Harrison, and Kay Merrill’s mother, Alverta Merrill Brown have joined the ancestors.

Long time Griots’ Circle member Juanita Shorts has joined the ancestors and Maurice Brooks has also gone to be with the ancestors

and taken the recipe for his award winning sweet potato pie with him.

After the Baltimore Uprising Liliana Schlossberg-Cohenattended our monthly meeting and made a film with our members.

This was an African History and Film project forGarrison Forest School.

Please watch and enjoy our reflections.