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Connection between storytelling and identity?

Moderated by

Nadia Williams

Posted on

April 14, 2012

At the Identity & Oral History workshop at the Brooklyn Museum (grounded in the Question Bridge: Black Males exhibit), participants discussed important turning points in our lives and practiced deep listening skills, which inspired reflections on the role of storytelling and listening in our own lives.

What role does storytelling/listening play in your life? 

Is there a connection between storytelling and your identity?  

Submitted by Liz on May 2, 2012 ()

I love listening to stories... especially my father's stories. I learn a lot about myself and his history, then I use it to connect to a greater history. My father is Puerto Rican, which is an important part of my identity. Stories preserve and confirm our connection to the past. As far as I'm concerned, everything is past or future, and one would have trouble focusing on the future without having knowledge of the past.

Submitted by Nadia Williams on October 27, 2012 ()

I agree that listening to our families' stories is a great entry to learn about a broader history.

Thanks for sharing, Liz!  

 

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