The Intertextuality of Black American Spoken Word and African Griot Tradition

Griots in Africa are considered among the first spoken word poets, as they used this oral tradition to preserve their society’s cultural artifacts and traditions. These African oratory institutions underwent a transformative evolution during the Transatlantic Slave Trade, and in the New World, many displaced African-born people continued the griot tradition, expanding this practice to include their lived experiences and social realities; hence, modernizing spoken word poetry. The Intertextuality