Black in the Black Belt: Cultural Organizing & Narrative Storytelling in a Storied Region of Alabama

- Green, Salaam*
This talk explores the cultural record of human experience, identifying origin stories from the region of Alabama known as the Black Belt. Come learn about the ways human storytelling impacts the science of literature in the South.

Storytelling is a lifestyle in the Black Belt. As a storyteller herself, Green believes you will be hard-pressed to travel through the region and not see people gathered on front porches, telling stories, and enjoying the thick summer air. The rich culture of the Black Belt is informed by the telling of tall tales, hopeful literature, and auspicious stories of the lifestyles of many Black residents of the Black Belt past, present, and future. Also, there will be some surprising storytelling examples that come from Black Belt artists and everyday residents.