Keepers of the Culture Pays Tribute to Ladybird

In February, Keepers of the Culture: Philadelphia's Afrocentric Storytelling Group honored Lady Bird Strickland, a remakable eighty-four year-old, full of stories. Her paintings tell of a rich legacy and colorful folklife. Sitting at her feet, I heard tales from the riches of her southern childhood, to the sophisticated syncopated days of Harlem, to the marching demands of the civil rights movement.

In the griotic tradition, we sustain our community values by honoring our elders. They hold a treasured role in society.... at least that's the way of long ago, and oceanic miles away. With the flourishing of senior homes and intergenerational disconnect, a sore is festering. The custom of listening to our elders borders on becoming a relic. How do we listen once again to those who carry the wisdom? How do we teach the young to sit at their feet and inhale the stories? How do we impart the need to tell new stories to heal the wounds of today?

For more on Lady Bird Strickland visit: Lady Bird's Blog

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