EN

Translate:

  • AKWAABA!
  • ROOTS
  • ARTISTS
  • PROGRAMS
  • EVENTS
  • MEETINGS
  • JOIN
  • SPONSORS
  • WORKSHOPS
  • VIDEOS
  • PHOTOS
  • RESOURCES
  • ANCESTORS
  • More
    • AKWAABA!
    • ROOTS
    • ARTISTS
    • PROGRAMS
    • EVENTS
    • MEETINGS
    • JOIN
    • SPONSORS
    • WORKSHOPS
    • VIDEOS
    • PHOTOS
    • RESOURCES
    • ANCESTORS

EN

  • AKWAABA!
  • ROOTS
  • ARTISTS
  • PROGRAMS
  • EVENTS
  • MEETINGS
  • JOIN
  • SPONSORS
  • WORKSHOPS
  • VIDEOS
  • PHOTOS
  • RESOURCES
  • ANCESTORS

KEEPERS OF THE CULTURE, Inc.

KEEPERS OF THE CULTURE, Inc.KEEPERS OF THE CULTURE, Inc.KEEPERS OF THE CULTURE, Inc.

Philadelphia's Afrocentric Storytelling Group

Philadelphia's Afrocentric Storytelling Group Philadelphia's Afrocentric Storytelling Group Philadelphia's Afrocentric Storytelling Group

KOTC Logo (C) 1996 Columbus Knox



Akwaaba- (ahk-wah-bah) Welcome!

01/30

"Tell the story, tell the story...over and over again!"...Honorable Congressman John Lewis

“Telling Our Story, Claiming Our Glory"

“Telling Our Story Claiming Our Glory,”

Message 2025


“Telling Our Story Claiming Our Glory,” is the motto of Keepers

of The Culture, Inc. (KOTC), Philadelphia’s Afrocentric

Storytelling Group. It draws stories upon oceans deep

of Black experience, told within traditions of the

“Jali – West African Storyteller,” and heard by audiences

of every nationality, ethnicity, and background around the world.


“Telling Our Story, Claiming Our Story” carries

with it in 2025 the energy of “Call and Response”. KOTC hears

the call, …“ KOTC - Tell the Story,” and KOTC providing quality

Black storytelling workshops and labs where people may learn the craft of

telling our story, is the response.


Destiny calls KOTC in 2025 to …“Bring the Story Home In All

Its Glory.” It directs us to now pull together – collective work and

responsibility endures; create impactful partnerships and artistic collaborations; and then on the global stage from classrooms to the courtroom, to the streets, to our stoops – proudly perform our story in all its glory. Response KOTC heeds destiny’s call as follow, “We are KOTC 2025 strong, willing and ready to tell the story and claim its glory. KOTC 2025 all in and accounted for”


KOTC 2025 Message To The Storytellers


With bonds of unity tight

KOTC gathers stories of culture and legacy

Elated to be amongst ones we greet

Hearing The Ancestors call

“KOTC Telling Our Story, Claiming Our Glory”


We seriously meet

See you in 2025


Yours Respectfully,


Keepers of The Culture Leadership Council (KLC)

NFA

Follow KOTC on Facebook

Contact KOTC by email

kotccouncil.org@gmail.com

OUR STORY

OUR STORY


In 1991 storytellers and artists formed Keepers of the Culture,

Philadelphia’s Afrocentric Storytelling Group and served schools

and organizations throughout Pennsylvania,

New Jersey and Delaware with quality educational culturally

enriching storytelling experiences.


As a Keeper of the Culture Storyteller we

represent around the world. Our members have

performed and conducted workshops in the global community

of America, Africa, Europe, Asia and the Caribbean.

Keepers of the Culture artist storytellers offer

literary and educationally entertaining, customized storytelling performances and workshops.


Thousands in schools, organizations, festivals, museums, corporate

and social gatherings have enjoyed us both solely and as an ensemble.

Come create a KOTC adventure for yourself. Enjoy the journey.


We look forward to hearing from you.

KOTC ORGANIZATION 2025

KOTC Leadership Council (KLC) 2023 to 2025


Dr. Caroliese Frink Reed, Founding Member

Nashid Furaha-Ali

Wanda Giggets, Founding Member

Mama Nzinga

Jacqueline Wiggins


General Membership  2025 Officers


Mama Carla Wiley, Secretary

Nashid Furaha-Ali, Treasurer

Mama Nzinga Aselele -El, Spiritual Caretaker

Ron Carter, Spiritual Caretaker

Our Mission Statement

Keepers Of The Culture, Inc. KOTC, or ("Khotsi") of Philadelphia is an  educational, cultural art organization which seeks to perpetuate the African and African-American oral tradition. 


We  recognize the traditional African storytellers - griot's - were the  true "Keepers  Of The Culture." The  griot's role as historians of the community helped  people maintain a strong, positive sense of self and a clear understanding of the values  of the community and the individual's role in the community. 

The storyteller/griot presence insured that the history, culture  and values  of a people would be passed on in their own words.    


We  intend to highlight, reinforce and pass on the history and culture of  African-Americans and their antecedents, to educate and nurture   individual and collective self-esteem and foster pride of culture in  our community-especially in our children. 


Our objective is to do this by offering performances, workshops, seminars,  mini-festivals and  collaborations with other cultural arts organizations and artists of  various disciplines in the Philadelphia area.  


FIHANKRA - Adinkra symbol for a house of security, safety & unity.

FIHANKRA - Adinkra symbol for a house of security, safety & unity.   

I Am KOTC Pledge

I am KOTC

Keeper Of The Culture 

Keeper of our African culture.

I keep it through the telling

The telling of our stories.


Our Stories. Our Stories. Our Stories.

Reflecting our culture and 

The history of our People, I say

The history of our People..

Throughout the entire world


Our mission is to 

Educate

Entertain & Validate

Reinforce & Reinstate

The Truth of who WE are.

Humanize

Internalize

Eternalize

Immortalize

The Truth of who we are

The Truth of who we are

We are Keepers Of The Culture


(c) 2018 Wanda Gigetts, Founding Member


* * * * * * *



JALI AND JALIMUSO

The Jali (jaa-lee) (male) and the Jalimuso (jaa-lee-muu-so) (female) are the practitioners of Jaliyaa (jaa-lee-yaa) in the Mande Diaspora of West Africa.

They are praise singers, storytellers, genealogists,

storytellers and negotiators. Jeliw (jeh-lew) (plural) perform a variety of roles in the community, and are messengers  of good and bad news, e.g. birth, baptism, naming ceremonies, weddings, community meetings, war and death.

The Djali play the 21-stringed kora (kaw-ruh), xhalam(kha-lam), ngoni (ung-gow-nee) or Balafon (bal-laa-fon) during performances. The instrument of the Jalimuso is the nege (neh-gee), karinya (kar-inya) or karinyan, a tubular piece of metal,usually iron, that is struck with a metal stick.

The term griot (gree-ow) (male) and griotte (gri-otte) (female) is a French term preferred by European scholars to describe the Jali or Jalimuso.

The term became widely disseminated in the United States and the Caribbean upon the publication of the book Roots

(1976) by Alex Haley. African-Americans have embraced

the term as a positive and esteemed position in the culture.

Caroliese Frink Reed, M.S.L.S., Ph.D.


MOTHERLAND VOCABULARY PHONETIC SPELLING

Akwaaba- (ahk-wah-bah)

Fihankra – (fee-ank-ra)

Djali – (djal-i)

Djalimuso – (djal-i-mu-so)

Aya- (eye -ya)

Listen up! For the finest storytelling on the planet!

Keepers Of The Culture is an affiliate of NABS

The National Association of Black Storytellers, Inc.

24/7 - 365

We support Kwanzaa principals in our community year round!

Dance! Drum! Sing! Tell A Story!

 KOTC's dynamic storytellers enrich, educate, enlighten & entertain, everyone, everywhere!

Djali Works - Stories In Service

Check out this great video! 

Asante Sana (thank you)...to 

Joslyn Duncan of Griot Works for organizing and capturing this memorable storytelling event in Philadelphia. Featuring Keepers Of The Culture's storytellers, musicians and artists.

Book KOTC

Book KOTC as Solo Storyteller Ensemble, Community Partner, or Collaborator...

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.



KOTC Grows, You Grow  You Grow, KOTC Grows 

The Value of KOTC Membership

KOTC is a membership organization committed to preserving African Culture.
KOTC membership supports - Elder, General, and Youth - allows us to collectively bring quality cultural arts enrichment to schools, neighborhoods, and communities throughout the Philadelphia region including Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware.


If obtaining KOTC 2025 memberships interest you, please connect with us via the following platforms:


TEXT:769.258.6734


Email: kotccouncil.org@gmail.com


PO Box: 15083 Phila PA  19130

Attention: KOTC KLC

Connect With Keepers Of The Culture


KEEPERS OF THE CULTURE, INC.

Philadelphia's Afrocentric Storytelling Group

P. O. BOX 15083  

Philadelphia, PA 19130


Copyright © 2022  Keepers Of The Culture, Inc.

 All Rights Reserved


  • SPONSORS
  • WORKSHOPS
  • VIDEOS
  • PHOTOS
  • RESOURCES
  • ANCESTORS

"Telling Our Story, Claiming Our Glory"