The Griot: An Anthology of African Necromancers
Friday, April 8th, 2011The Griot: An Anthology of African Necromancers
Ed by Grace Carter-Douglas. Published by Rumble, Inc.,
Sacramento, California, 1988. 192 pp.
“I acknowledge immense debt to the griots of Africa, where today it is rightly said when a griot dies, it is as if a library has burned to the ground. The griots symbolize how all human ancestry goes back to some place and some time, where there was no writing. Then the memories and the mouths of ancient elders was the only way that early histories of mankind got passed along . . . for all of us today to know who we are.” Alex Haley
“The Afro-American artist is simular to the Necromancer. He is a conjuror who works juju upon his oppressors; a witch doctor who frees his fellow victims from the psychic attack launched by demon of the outer and inner world.” Ishmael Reed 19 Necromancers From Now.
The above quotes define our title as well as the role and power of the Black literary artist… our historians …telling and preserving our story Connecting our past, present, and future. Subtlety transforming our collective unconsciousness.
When I think that in a few hundred years from today other people will be moving in the space that I now occupy, thinking their thoughts and experiencing their feelings, there arises in me a compelling need to establish a line of communication with them. The Griot is that link. It is my vehicle for connecting with those who will follow me. Its purpose is to convey how we as a collective whole are experiencing life in the now… how we Black folks are responding to the conditioning factors of our given environment. The Griot: An Anthology of African Necromancers is that bridge. We tell our story. Who can do that better than we?
Necromancers includes: Dr. Allan M. Gordon; Gregory E. Hodge: Kakwasi Somadhi; Dr. David Covin; Locksley D.M. Geoghagen: Ethel Mack Ballard: Rafiq Bilal; Grace Carter-Douglas. Poets: Olwen Davy-Hayford: Jay R. Cornelus, Eddie J. Porter, Gytha Sabeh, Pamela Garland Walker, Kweli Britt, Jamila Onaje, Zelphry-Tamu Chambers, Aisha Hightower, Uche Elendu, Nathaniel Scott.