Storytelling is an essential component of Black existence, a component so integral to life that many African nations had their own storytellers, or griots, who acted as teachers, genealogists, historians, and praise-singers. Griots were responsible for cultivating their verbal artistry, but they were also in charge of completing various tasks that fostered intergenerational connections and encouraged the remembrance of people’s histories, communities, and homelands. By ensuring people’s stories were never forgotten, griots engaged in sacred work. Still, even though Black people have historically used stories in data collection, data analysis, and data representation, the field of qualitative research has collectively failed to (re)member this history and chosen to keep this sacred practice from forefront of academia. Considering the neglect of story in academic spaces, Toliver’s interactive centers Endarkened Storywork, a method that hinges on Black storytelling traditions and honors alternative ways of thinking about, doing, and writing academic scholarship.
