Who Tells Your Story

Oral tradition has long been a key element of sharing family history in the African diaspora. This program provides tips and tools for uncovering and preserving your family stories. Attendees will learn best practices in research, oral storytelling and using art to preserve memories.

About The Artist

Rhonda Watlington considers herself an old soul and as a child, she wanted to be in the kitchen, listening to the old folks talk. As she got older, she combined her love for family and history by asking questions and capturing those stories. It was her great uncle Bill who proclaimed her the "family orator" and encouraged the documentation of their family's history. Now that she's older, wiser, and has more time, she's continuing her journey as the family historian inching closer toward Uncle Bill's dream. Rhonda is excited to share about the journey of gathering and sharing her family’s history.

Charlene Graves is an artist, educator and creative person. After spending many years in New York as an art educator she returned to her home state, Virginia. There she was commissioned to help cultivate a collection of photographs for the historic Gainesboro area of Roanoke. Her love of art and preserving history have intertwined in her latest project. She’ll be sharing about a work in progress called My Legacy Box. A legacy box is a creative method of assembling mementos from the person's responsible for the inheritance of your legacy.