ETSU students have been challenged to check out the storytelling program.
Speaking during the luncheon of Tennessee Umoja Black Storytellers, ETSU Program Coordinator Dr. Joseph Sobol said the storytelling graduate program is growing rapidly. “The program is passing on stories from older generations to the present,” he said.
In addition, he said, storytelling passes on wisdom and addresses the mysterious questions that linger in our minds. “Storytelling is making alliances with various programs at the university, including education, theatre, Appalachian Studies, bluegrass, the humanities and even the medical school, to show the wide range of applications open to storytelling today,” he said.
Presently, ETSU is the only university that is offering this kind of program in the United States.
According to Brenda White-Wright, a graduate student in storytelling, the current generation is losing out in knowing about their history. White-Wright said the program is here to help. “We try to help people understand their history and where they came from through this program,” she said.
She said storytelling involves all aspects of life, contrary to the perception that it is all about fairy tales. “They think it is all about children which is not true, we study our culture and language and the cultures and languages of others,” she said.
She said that storytelling is oral history, and through the program we learn to keep our stories alive. “You only know where you’re going when you know where you came from, and that’s what storytelling can tell you,” White-Wright said.
She and her fellow graduate students have learned to appreciate each and everyone’s cultural backgrounds.
Apart from learning from books they also learn by listening to each other and the sharing of their hearts.
“In storytelling you way is the right way as there is no right or wrong story,” she said. “It’s all about unity in diversity”
Linda Goss, who is currently teaching African-American storytelling traditions at ETSU, performed traditional stories and play-party songs at the luncheon.
The luncheon was organized by Johnson City Umoja, Festival Committee, which has been collaborating with ETSU to bring a major component to the annual Umoja (Unity) Festival at Freedom Park in August.

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