Kings and Queens: Voices of Love, Strength, and Wisdom!
Join us for an afternoon of stories where we celebrate the lives of some extraordinary people!
Date and time
Location
Online
Refund Policy
About this event
- 2 hours
Welcome to Kings and Queens: Voices of Love, Strength, and Wisdom!
Join Kuumba Storytellers of Georgia for our virtual celebration to hear inspiring stories about the mother and father figures in our lives who we often refer to as Kings and Queens. Those individuals who are simply the best, one in a million, for in them we find our inner strength, character, and soul.
We have a stellar cast including Emcee Deborah Strahorn and featuring tellers Brenda Griffin, Denise Chapman-Acosta, Gloria Elder, Gwendolyn Napier, Josie Bailey, and Enama Arinze of The Kuumba Tattle Tales!
Program will be recorded so if you are unable to attend, you can watch up to two afterwards or consider making a tax-deductible donation to Kuumba Storytellers of Georgia in any amount!
This promises to be an unforgettable experience with Kuumba Storytellers of GA as we continue to Tell it well, in the A-T-L! Visit - https://kuumbastorytellers.org/
Deborah Strahorn believes that Storytelling is the “Voice of Literacy.” A Professional Storyteller with Kuumba Storytellers of GA for over 25 years. Teacher of storytelling for the RISE after-school program at Drew Charter School. In 2015 and 2017 Deborah was the featured teller at over 33 libraries for the Atlanta Public Library Summer Reading programs. Founder & Director for Word-of-Mouth Stories n3d, Inc. providing storytelling & literacy workshops and performances for youth and adults.
Atlanta, Georgia native, Brenda D. Griffin, aka Queen Storyteller has a natural flare for storytelling. Her love of stories is drawn from family tales infused with community folklore and her love of local and global history. This extensive traveler and professional storyteller have a talent for writing, listening, and developing stories from various cultures, particularly the African American genre. Her goal is not to just tell a story, but to feel and see the tale in your mind. Her love of research gives cause to examine the African fingerprint of tales that have been repackaged to fit a particular narrative. She is a member of the Kuumba Storytellers of Georgia as well as The National Association of Black Storytellers. Previously she served on Kuumba's Board of Directors as the Program Chairperson for its annual Historical Black Portraits production for seven years. She and fellow Storyteller Carsie Mason are co-authors of Voicing Our Stories, " Honoring the Griot Tradition in the Spirit of Spirit and Truth" currently circulating on Amazon. Ms. Griffin is the proud mother of two beautiful daughters and the loving grandmother of six.
DENISE CHAPMAN-ACOSTA
A retired Buffalo Public School speech-language therapist, Denise Chapman-Acosta is a storyteller and longtime member of the National Association of Black Storytellers, Inc. and serves as Co-Director of the Affiliate Program. She is also a member of Tradition Keepers: Black Storytellers of WNY and Kuumba Storytellers of Georgia. As a former Buffalo Bills cheerleader and Zumba instructor, current praise dancer and djembe drummer with a Buffalo women’s drum ensemble, Denise often incorporates her dancing and drumming passions into her storytelling performances. Denise is the recipient of numerous awards, but her greatest treasures are being a child of God, wife, mother, and grandmother. Denise feels very blessed to share her God-given gifts with others.
Enama Arinze is Kuumba tattle Tale who loves to read. She began to tell stories when she was four years old. Being an only child, she entertains herself by telling elaborate stories out loud. Enama wants to be a computer scientist. She also wants to pursue a career in acting. She also enjoys swimming and soccer.
A retired Wholistic Health Educator of 30 years, Gloria Elder is now a Qi (Chee) Gong, Master Instructor. Gloria earned her Master's degree in Early Childhood Education and she began telling stories to children and adults. When Gloria isn't telling stories, she's writing them. She is the author of "I Walked A Mile in Her Shoes: A Story of Unconditional Love".
Gwendolyn J. Napier aka "Miss LuvDrop" is a native of Atlanta, a retired educator from Fulton County Schools and Founder of LuvDrop Storytelling Productions. She has been sharing stories for 15 years. She is a member of Kuumba Storytellers of Georgia, Georgia Storytelling Network, and the National Association of Black Storytellers. She is the President of the Georgia Storytelling Network and a performing and teaching artist for the Georgia Council of the Arts.
Inspired to become a storyteller after months of volunteer work at her son’s elementary school as a story reader, Josie Bailey has performed in hundreds of schools, churches, festivals, and retirement and community centers. Since 1993, Ms. Bailey has been touring the southeastern United States to share the art of storytelling. Get ready for a delightful experience . . . in the form of Josie Bailey! Travel on a voyage of discovery, humor and understanding as she captures imaginations and transports you to another place, another time. Through body movements, literary magical voices, dialects and colorful garments, Josie presents original stories and beloved works that will delight all ages. Her stories often reflect her African American roots, and a bit of history.