Beyond The Book
Jaqueline Woodson ﹠ The African American Tradition of Storytelling
Britin Machuca CI-334 Dr. Caffey
Reflect on books
Have the books you read recently included characters that look like you?
If you answered yes, you might have something in comon with author Jaqueline Woodson.
Jaqueline Woodson and Black Representation:
She began writing because she didn’t see Black girls or families in the stories she read. Her work centers on themes of identity, race, family, and belonging.
Her memoir Brown Girl Dreaming tells her childhood story through poetry and has earned major awards like the National Book Award and Coretta Scott King Award.
Woodson's writing reflects her experiences growing up in South Carolina and New York during the 1960s and 1970s, offering insight into the social and racial dynamics of that era.
"We write for people who are not like us, for people who don't look like us, for people who don't know what it feels like to walk in our shoes."- Jaqueline Woodson
African American Storytelling Tradition:
(Click for a story on the legacy of black storytelling)
Oral tradition in African American culture began in African societies, where griots (storytellers) preserved history, values, and beliefs through spoken word, music, and performance. These traditions were interactive and deeply rooted in community life.
Enslaved Africans brought their oral traditions to the Americas during the transatlantic slave trade. Despite brutal conditions, they used storytelling in secret gatherings to share folktales, spirituals, and memories. This preserved identity and culture.
Think and Respond:
What stories do you hear in your family or community? Why do you think it’s important to see people like you in books? Write a short poem or paragraph about a memory that matters to you?
African oral traditions blended with Native American, European, and other African influences, evolving into unique African American forms like spirituals, work songs, and slave narratives that reflected life under slavery and plantation systems.
After emancipation, oral storytelling thrived in churches and communities, inspiring writers like Frederick Douglass, Langston Hughes, and Zora Neale Hurston. These traditions shaped African American literature and fueled cultural movements like the Harlem Renaissance.
How Does This Affect You?
Storytelling includes voices that were left out
Inclusive stories build stronger classrooms
African American storytelling shares real experiences that were often ignored in history books. It makes space for voices that deserve to be heard.
Reading diverse books helps students understand each other, celebrate differences, and create a community where everyone belongs.
Representation helps everyone feel seen
When books include Black characters and stories from different cultures, students feel proud of who they are and learn to respect others too.
Tap each year on the timeline to see real documents of African Americans telling their story:
1828
1923
1845
1855
1904
For The Classroom:
Try This!
Write your own stories or poems inspired by Jacqueline Woodson’s work.
Start a Unit
History + Literacy Link
Use excerpts from Brown Girl Dreaming to spark discussion about identity and storytelling.
Connect African American storytelling to lessons on slavery, civil rights, and justice.
Reflection
Impact on my understanding of identity, representation, and justice
Connection To My Fututre Teaching Role
I learned that African American storytelling has always been a way to share history, stay strong, and speak out. Jacqueline Woodson continues that tradition by writing books that help kids feel seen and heard.
I now see how powerful it is when students see themselves in books. It’s not just about reading, it’s about feeling proud of who you are and learning to stand up for others. Woodson’s writing shows that stories can be a form of activism.
As a teacher, I want every student to feel included and valued. I’ll use diverse books like Woodson’s to help students explore identity, build empathy, and share their own stories. Storytelling will be a big part of how I teach.
What I Learned
Citations:
CBS. (2018, February 28). The legacy of storytelling in African-American history. YouTube. https://youtu.be/I5hth0VvSyA?si=UyvHl7V8V88IcSRM
Collier, A. (2019, February 27). Why telling our own story is so powerful for black Americans. Greater Good Magazine. https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/why_telling_our_own_story_is_so_powerful_for_black_americans
Cunningham, D. (n.d.). African American folktale. Encyclopædia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/art/African-American-folktale Douglass, F. (2013). My bondage, my freedom. Start Publishing LLC.
Du Bois, W. E. B. (1923). The Superior Race. Retrieved 2025,.
FAIZA FARHAT MOHAMMAD MUSTAFA. (2024, August). The Power of Oral Tradition: Storytelling in Afro-American Literature. International Journal of Humanities Social Science and Management (IJHSSM).
N/A. (1845, August 22). Washington’s runaway slave. Liberator (1831-1865).
Truth, S. (n.d.). NARRATIVE OF SOJOURNER TRUTH, A NORTHERN SLAVE, EMANCIPATED FROM BODILY SERVITUDE BY THE STATE OF NEW YORK, IN 1828.
Washington, B. T. (1967). Up from slavery: Booker T. Washington. Airmont Pub. Co.
Woodson, J. (n.d.). Award winning author: Brown girl dreaming: Jacqueline Woodson. jacquelinewoodson.com. https://jacquelinewoodson.com/
Beyond The Book
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Transcript
Beyond The Book
Jaqueline Woodson ﹠ The African American Tradition of Storytelling
Britin Machuca CI-334 Dr. Caffey
Reflect on books
Have the books you read recently included characters that look like you?
If you answered yes, you might have something in comon with author Jaqueline Woodson.
Jaqueline Woodson and Black Representation:
She began writing because she didn’t see Black girls or families in the stories she read. Her work centers on themes of identity, race, family, and belonging.
Her memoir Brown Girl Dreaming tells her childhood story through poetry and has earned major awards like the National Book Award and Coretta Scott King Award.
Woodson's writing reflects her experiences growing up in South Carolina and New York during the 1960s and 1970s, offering insight into the social and racial dynamics of that era.
"We write for people who are not like us, for people who don't look like us, for people who don't know what it feels like to walk in our shoes."- Jaqueline Woodson
African American Storytelling Tradition:
(Click for a story on the legacy of black storytelling)
Oral tradition in African American culture began in African societies, where griots (storytellers) preserved history, values, and beliefs through spoken word, music, and performance. These traditions were interactive and deeply rooted in community life.
Enslaved Africans brought their oral traditions to the Americas during the transatlantic slave trade. Despite brutal conditions, they used storytelling in secret gatherings to share folktales, spirituals, and memories. This preserved identity and culture.
Think and Respond:
What stories do you hear in your family or community? Why do you think it’s important to see people like you in books? Write a short poem or paragraph about a memory that matters to you?
African oral traditions blended with Native American, European, and other African influences, evolving into unique African American forms like spirituals, work songs, and slave narratives that reflected life under slavery and plantation systems.
After emancipation, oral storytelling thrived in churches and communities, inspiring writers like Frederick Douglass, Langston Hughes, and Zora Neale Hurston. These traditions shaped African American literature and fueled cultural movements like the Harlem Renaissance.
How Does This Affect You?
Storytelling includes voices that were left out
Inclusive stories build stronger classrooms
African American storytelling shares real experiences that were often ignored in history books. It makes space for voices that deserve to be heard.
Reading diverse books helps students understand each other, celebrate differences, and create a community where everyone belongs.
Representation helps everyone feel seen
When books include Black characters and stories from different cultures, students feel proud of who they are and learn to respect others too.
Tap each year on the timeline to see real documents of African Americans telling their story:
1828
1923
1845
1855
1904
For The Classroom:
Try This!
Write your own stories or poems inspired by Jacqueline Woodson’s work.
Start a Unit
History + Literacy Link
Use excerpts from Brown Girl Dreaming to spark discussion about identity and storytelling.
Connect African American storytelling to lessons on slavery, civil rights, and justice.
Reflection
Impact on my understanding of identity, representation, and justice
Connection To My Fututre Teaching Role
I learned that African American storytelling has always been a way to share history, stay strong, and speak out. Jacqueline Woodson continues that tradition by writing books that help kids feel seen and heard.
I now see how powerful it is when students see themselves in books. It’s not just about reading, it’s about feeling proud of who you are and learning to stand up for others. Woodson’s writing shows that stories can be a form of activism.
As a teacher, I want every student to feel included and valued. I’ll use diverse books like Woodson’s to help students explore identity, build empathy, and share their own stories. Storytelling will be a big part of how I teach.
What I Learned
Citations:
CBS. (2018, February 28). The legacy of storytelling in African-American history. YouTube. https://youtu.be/I5hth0VvSyA?si=UyvHl7V8V88IcSRM Collier, A. (2019, February 27). Why telling our own story is so powerful for black Americans. Greater Good Magazine. https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/why_telling_our_own_story_is_so_powerful_for_black_americans Cunningham, D. (n.d.). African American folktale. Encyclopædia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/art/African-American-folktale Douglass, F. (2013). My bondage, my freedom. Start Publishing LLC. Du Bois, W. E. B. (1923). The Superior Race. Retrieved 2025,. FAIZA FARHAT MOHAMMAD MUSTAFA. (2024, August). The Power of Oral Tradition: Storytelling in Afro-American Literature. International Journal of Humanities Social Science and Management (IJHSSM). N/A. (1845, August 22). Washington’s runaway slave. Liberator (1831-1865). Truth, S. (n.d.). NARRATIVE OF SOJOURNER TRUTH, A NORTHERN SLAVE, EMANCIPATED FROM BODILY SERVITUDE BY THE STATE OF NEW YORK, IN 1828. Washington, B. T. (1967). Up from slavery: Booker T. Washington. Airmont Pub. Co. Woodson, J. (n.d.). Award winning author: Brown girl dreaming: Jacqueline Woodson. jacquelinewoodson.com. https://jacquelinewoodson.com/