Introduction: When an Elder Dies, a Library Burns There is an African proverb: “When an old man dies, a library burns to the ground.” We are in the middle of Black History Month. Often, we look to books and documentaries for history. But for the African immigrant community, our history is sitting in the living room. It is in the memory of the grandmother (Jjajja) who remembers independence day. It is in the father who survived the civil war. These are the Griots—the storytellers.
The Disconnect of the Youth The tragedy of 2026 is that the “iPad Generation”—the children of immigrants born in the US—are losing their language and their stories. They know about Martin Luther King Jr. (which is vital), but they do not know about their own grandfather’s role in their nation’s history. This creates an Identity Vacuum. A tree without roots cannot stand in the wind.
ELOIM’s “Record the Story” Challenge This week, we are launching a challenge to our youth: Interview Your Elders.
- The Questions: “How did you come to America?” “What was your village like?” “What is the meaning of my surname?”
- The Medium: Use your phone. Record the video. Save the audio.
- The Goal: To create a digital archive of our community’s resilience. To bridge the gap between the “American” child and the “African” parent.
Conclusion: Own Your Narrative Black History is not a monolith. It is a tapestry of African American struggle woven with African immigrant resilience. By recording these stories, we are claiming our place in the American story. We are saying: We are here. We have a history. And we will not be erased. Don’t let the library burn. Press record.
