Southwest Middle School got a dose of West African storytelling Friday in Jerry Bizjak’s World Cultures class.

Tuesday, March 13, 2001

Southwest Middle School got a dose of West African storytelling Friday in Jerry Bizjak’s World Cultures class. The experience showed the students how dynamic storytelling can be.

Nothando and Vusumuzi Zulu, members of the Black Storytellers Alliance, shared their storytelling traditions and techniques with three sections of Bizjak’s class. Their message: story telling isn’t always about bedtime. It can be exciting, humorous, dynamic and participatory.

&uot;Storytelling from the African tradition is not a spectator sport,&uot; Vusumuzi told the students. &uot;It demands input and involvement.&uot;

The Zulu’s are frequent visitors to schools across the state. When they’re asked to share stories, Nothando usually asks for a particular theme or issue. Bizjak asked for stories about justice or respect.

&uot;I’ve got a repertoire of stories to draw from,&uot; Nothando said. &uot;Many of them can be refashioned to fit the situation. Storytelling always involved the moment.&uot;

Nothando told the class that many of her stories, especially regarding justice and respect, come from the era of slavery.

&uot;The slaves used stories to give them hope that the situation would eventually change, that they’d someday have justice and respect,&uot; Nothando said.

&uot;How did the slave maintain the spirit of humanity in the face of physical and mental trials? They dreamed of a better day,&uot; said Vusumuzi. &uot;Stories were integral to that dream.&uot;

Nothando said many stories date back to the continent, long before slavery. Others are more modern, and can tell of urban life, or country life. Each storyteller also has their own personal stories.

&uot;Our stories, even from different eras, show how the more things change, the more they stay the same,&uot; Nothando said.

Bizjak’s World Cultures students will tell their own stories in the coming weeks, but having the chance to hear professionals first gives them some good ideas, Bizjak said.

&uot;This is a great experience for the class,&uot; said Bizjak. &uot;These are world class storytellers.&uot;