Stories have the power to entertain and, at the same time, change the way we see ourselves and the world. They preserve our history, explain things and help us understand how people and events have shaped our lives and beliefs today.
From the list below, pick a movie, a book, a storyteller performance or an oral history interview with people right here in our own region. As you enjoy these stories, learn more about the influence of African American accomplishments, struggles and culture that have influenced life for us all.
These stories are great way to open a conversation as you view, listen to or read these together with friends or family. Ballad Health encourages you to watch, listen, learn… and start talking.
Watch a movie
The Black Church: This is Our Story, This is Our Song
Two-part documentary series airs Tuesday & Wednesday, Feb. 16-17, at 9 p.m. on local PBS stations. For more information and an extended trailer, go to: https://www.pbs.org/show/black-church
The United States vs. Billie Holiday
Releases on Hulu Friday, Feb. 26
Online screening discussion of The United States vs. Billie Holiday
Mon. Feb 22, 7-8 p.m.
Join a free online discussion about the film featuring jazz musician Billie Holiday. hosted by the African American History and Culture Museum. Registration recommended. https://nmaahc.si.edu/event/united-states-vs-billie-holiday-screening-discussion?trumbaEmbed=view%3Devent%26eventid%3D150743848
Other suggested movies:
- Just Mercy
- Hidden Figures
- LA 92 (Rodney King story)
- Queen of Katwe
- The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind
- Fences
- Harriet
- If Beale Street Could Talk
- Roots
Learn from oral history interviews
- StoryCorps Griot collection
https://storycorps.org/stories/?collection=storycorps-griot
Stories and experiences of ordinary African Americans are represented in this collection of video stories. In parts of West Africa, a griot (gree-oh) is a traditional title for a person known for keeping alive the treasured tradition of oral history.
- Interviews with Langston High School alumni
johnsoncitytn.org/residents/langston_community_center.php
The Langston Centre, in partnership with East Tennessee State University, shares recorded stories of the history of Johnson City’s Langston High School along with personal accounts and experiences from alumni.
- More interviews with Langston High School alumni
www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FHoj6FuGR0
During a History Happy Hour segment produced by the Heritage Alliance, Langston Centre Director Adam Dickson interviews two Langston School alumni.
- Our Voices documentary project
Hear stories of Black historical figures you probably haven’t heard about. Performed by high school students in collaboration with “Our Voices,” new stories are shared on the site every Monday during Black History Month. “Our Voices” also welcomes people of Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) communities to submit their own stories to share on the site.
Listen to a podcast
- “Black in Appalachia” Podcast
Hear under-told stories that highlight how Black families have shaped and been shaped by the region.
Experience a storytelling performance
- StoryTown Radio Show Celebrates Black History Month
Livestreamed Monday, Feb. 22, 7 p.m., FREE. Hosted by the McKinney Center in Jonesborough. Celebrates local African American leaders who have made a difference. Stories from historical accounts and local oral histories highlight the Melungeon culture, accounts of former slaves, Langston High founder Dr. Hezekiah Hankal, music guest Jae’zus, a segment from Black in Appalachia podcast and more. View on Facebook Live at facebook.com/events/901242500637703
- Robert B. Jones, African American storyteller, singer, instrumentalist, blues musician, ordained minister
Livestreamed Thursday, Feb. 25, 7:30 p.m., $15 Presented by the International Storytelling Center’s Storytelling Online! winter concert series. Performance available for viewing for 4 days following the concert. Purchase tickets for access link at 800-952-8392 or storytellingcenter.net/storytelling-online
- Jackie Torrence, African American storyteller
Free storytelling performance from the International Storytelling Center Story Vault:
www.storytellingcenter.net/stories/episode-3-jackie-torrence/
Vintage footage of Jackie Torrence at the National Storytelling Festival: www.storytellingcenter.net/stories/stories/flow-the-mark-of-a-masterful-teller
- National Association of Black Storytellers (NABS)
This page on the NABS website showcases the One Story At A Time project featuring noted Black storytellers. www.nabsinc.org/one-story-at-a-time-videos
- “Fair Play,” StoryTown Radio Show’s 2020 Black History Month show
Hosted by the McKinney Center, the play features the story of Johnny Russaw, the first African American football player at ETSU, and music guest We Five. View on the following links: https://storytown.simplecast.com/episodes/fair-play
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram: https://cdn.simplecast.com/audio/5b5f0a/5b5f0ac4-3f89-42b0-8869-189bb60e1889/111e7088-fee3-4972-9c44-6f08e8dbe01f/storytown-podcast-3_tc.mp3
Read a book
- Story Time Live: Black History Month, livestreamed every Wednesday at 11 a.m.
Weekly story time throughout February features a children’s book celebrating Black history read by special guests. Recorded versions are also on the McKinney Center Facebook page. Go to: www.facebook.com/mckinneycenter/videos
Books recommended for Black History Month by the Johnson City Public Library:
Fiction
The Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler
Ring Shout by P. Djeli Clark
An Extraordinary Union by Alyssa Cole
The Turner House by Angela Flournoy
Delicious Foods by James Hannaham
A Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon James
How Long Til Black Future Month? by N. K. Jemisin
It’s Not All Downhill From Here by Terry McMillan
An Orchestra of Minorities by Chigozie Obioma
Binti Trilogy by Nnedi Okorafor
Riot Baby by Tochi Onyebuchi
The Travelers by Regina Porter
Heads of the Colored People: Stories by Nafissa Thompson-Spires
Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward
No One is Coming to Save Us by Stephanie Powell Watts
Nonfiction
Biased: Uncovering the Hidden Prejudice that Shapes what We See, Think, and Do by Jennifer Eberhardt
A Black Women’s History of the United States by Daina Berry
We Can’t Breathe by Jabari Asim
The Fire This Time: A New Generation Speaks About Race by Jesmyn Ward
The Radical King by Martin Luther King Jr.
Unbowed by Wangari Maathai
The Rise: Black Cooks and the Soul of American Food by Marcus Samuelsson
Black Diamond Queens by Maureen Mahon
African American Poetry: 250 Years of Struggle and Song by Kevin Young
Feel Free by Zadie Smith
I’m Still Here by Austin Channing Brown
Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom by David W. Blight
Heavy: An American Memoir by Kiese Laymon
Children’s books recommended by Jonesborough’s McKinney Center:
Virgie Goes to School with Us Boys by Elizabeth Fitzgerald Howard
Hidden Figures: The True Story of Four Black Women and the Space Race by Margot Lee Shetterly
Mae Among the Stars by Roda Ahmed
When Marian Sang: The True Recital of Marian Anderson by Pam Munoz Ryan
Radiant Child: The Story of Young Artist Jean Michel Basquiat by Javaka Steptoe
Freedom in Congo Square by Carole Boston Weatherford and R. Gregory Christie
Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet, Slave by Laban Carrick Hill
Let’s Read About…Ruby Bridges by Ruby Bridges and Grace Maccarone
Who Were the Tuskegee Airmen? by Sherrie L. Smith
Sulwe by Lupita Nyongo
Don’t Touch My Hair! By Sharee Miller
