Wise Voices, Plain Speaking: Twentieth Century Griots by Lorraine M. Roberts and Eileen M. Hayden
In recent decades, preserving and interpreting the stories of everyday people has gained increasing credibility and recognition among historians as a vital history gathering tool. Local historian Helen Wilkinson Reynolds, working in the first half of the 20th century, noted "that it was not the kings, queens and prime ministers who shaped history, but the everyday man and woman at the base of the pyramid who provided the stimulus to affect great decisions." She could well have been foreshadowing Dutchess County Historical Society's Black History Committee oral history project. Recognizing the need for a closer, more focused look at Black history in Dutchess County, the Black History Committee has worked since the early 1980s documenting the lives and events of generations of people of color. In keeping with the committee's mission to inform the community of the rich heritage and contributions made by Black people in Dutchess County, a variety of programs—including oral history interviewing—have provided an opportunity to expand such knowledge. One of the earliest programs of the Black History Committee was a lecture on genealogy by David A. G. Johnson of the Schomburg Center for Research and Culture. In a lecture entitled "Routes to Roots," Johnson sparked the interest of a diverse audience —an interest which increased steadily following several planning meetings and a compelling talk entitled "Echoes of the Past" by Dr. Albert Williams-Myers of SUNY New Paltz. Williams-Myers spoke of Biblical accounts in Genesis as being, at one level, the oral history of families passed from one generation to the next. The keeper of the official memory, also known in Black culture as the "Griot," was a deeply honored person whose role was to help perpetuate the history and spiritual values of African culture. As a result of Dr. Williams-Myers' lecture, the Black History Committee participated in a "how to" session on oral history led by author and Bard College professor, Dr. Myra Young Armstead. Using this training in
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