Griot (n): a member of a class of traveling poets, musicians, and storytellers who maintain a tradition of oral history in parts of West Africa
The Griot is a central figure in numerous West African cultures. Historically, the Griot held many functions within society as a community historian, cultural critic, indigenous artist, collective spokesperson, and storyteller. Borrowing from this rich tradition, the Bucknell Griot employs the figure to symbolize the Institute’s interdisciplinary academic and creative exploration of the arts, literatures, and cultures of Africa and the African diaspora.