Black Folk Tales and Chronicles of South Carolina

Stories of a People

Throughout history, African Americans passed along folk tales to ease burdens and make sense of experiences. Tracing back to West Africa, this storytelling tradition provided laughter, instruction and resilience. Animal stories often were proverbs for adults and teaching points for children. Two pioneering Black schoolteachers told of their careers in education. An eyewitness described the Charleston Race Riot in 1919. Others gave testimonies of Denmark Vesey’s attempted slave rebellion. Author Damon L. Fordham presents this collection of Black South Carolina stories and narratives based on interviews and research, including his travels in Africa.

Damon L. Fordham was born in Spartanburg, South Carolina, and raised in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, near Charleston. A graduate of the University of South Carolina and the College of Charleston, he is the author of five books, a public lecturer, tour guide, storyteller and adjunct professor of history at The Citadel. He has lectured in America, Canada and West Africa and has worked for numerous foreign and domestic media outlets.