Celebrating US Black History Month – Black voices in storytelling

Here at Transmission, we are excited to celebrate US Black History Month so we can learn more, understand more and do better. We would love as much participation as possible so please dive in with us and enjoy the amazing content coming your way.

“Many stories matter. Stories have been used to dispossess and to malign. But stories can also be used to empower, and to humanize. Stories can break the dignity of a people. But stories can also repair that broken dignity.”

–  Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

The importance of sharing Black voices in storytelling

What happens when the stories we hear are told from only one perspective, the same, single voice? A dominant narrative begins to define what we perceive as truth and a bias forms that obscures the rich and varying experiences of Black storytellers and their lasting impact on the world. Conforming to the status quo is often simpler than challenging it but when you begin to push past your comfort zone and engage with stories that expand your understanding of the human experience, that’s when you begin to grow.

So, this US Black History Month and beyond, let’s amplify Black voices and their legacies by supporting Black storytellers and ensuring their narratives are seen and heard. As Novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie said, “when we reject the single story, when we realize that there is never a single story about any place, we regain a kind of paradise.”

Author Spotlight: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie understood the power of storytelling from a young age. Adichie grew up in Nigeria, and her work has been translated into over thirty languages and has appeared in various publications, including The New Yorker, Granta, The O. Henry Prize Stories, the Financial Times, and Zoetrope. She is the author of the novels Purple Hibiscus, which won the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize and the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award; Half of a Yellow Sun, which won the Orange Prize and was a National Book Critics Circle Award Finalist and a New York Times Notable Book; and Americanah, which won the National Book Critics Circle Award and was named one of The New York Times Top Ten Best Books of 2013. Ms. Adichie is also the author of the story collection The Thing Around Your Neck. We admire her and her work for bringing diversity to storytelling.

You can check out Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s ted talk on ‘The Danger of a Single Story’ here.

Storyteller highlight: Jessica Nabongo

Jessica Nabongo is a wanderlust, writer, entrepreneur, public speaker and travel influencer. At her core, she is a dreamer looking to craft a life and career that interconnects her passions and talents.

Instagram: @thecatchmeifyoucan

Storyteller highlight: Coach Cass

Coach Cass is a wellness and fitness coach that’s created dedicated to making healthy living and fitness contagious. Her KUKUWA African Dance workouts add living flavor to your workout, nourishing body, mind, spirit & soul.

Instagram: @coachcassfit

Storyteller highlight: Oneika Raymond

Oneika Raymond is a TV host & journalist dedicated to inspiring people of color to see the world.

Instagram: @oneikatraveller