NABS on the Road: Baba Jamal Koram - Family Visit

Documenting 2024 Black Appalachian Storyteller Fellows (with NABS Family visits)

A Ten-Week Series by Ilene Evans Editor: Karen Abdul-Malik

It was a day of visiting family, our storytelling family.  Anika Koram invited us to visit our mentor and friend, the storytellers’ storyteller, Baba Jamal Koram. Anika, Baba Jamal’s eldest daughter has been helping him get the care he needs since he suffered several falls. Baba was in the nursing home recovering from a fall that injured his head and left a lot of memory damage. But his spirit was powerful and loving.  He has enjoyed visits and telling stories even as he has been recuperating. We shared memories. Baba Jamal has always been a “road warrior”. He made stop-by visits to members as the 3rd President of our organization, the National Association of Black Storytellers (NABS). Baba lead the development of NABS’ 14 Affiliate organizations and traveled far and wide to support, encourage, and just visit. For my family he was a kind of traveling minister. Such Honor, Warmth and Joy. 

Queen sang “Pulling on the Yam”, then sang a song about his story still being told. And he said, “It was more than that… (with a smile).”

Queen said, “Yeah, Baba… more than that for sure. Cause’ wisdom has always flowed from you.” Baba has been and will always be one of our great libraries, a mighty oak that dropped a many, many, MANY  acorns which are growing tall now with perennially extending branches from his care.

When he started the African American Storytellers Retreat, it became the place of initiation for many of us. He set the standard and helped us hold ourselves to re-enforce the cultural norm, folk traditions, and heritage. We had a legacy – our responsibility – to share with authority.

Even as I write this, not long after Queen and I returned home, I got the news that Baba Jamal had passed away, that was June 11, 2025, and is now an ancestor. Surely, he flew off to the care of the angels. They will be happy to have him, but I grieve his loss deeply. Even as he went from one care facility to another, I kept hoping that he would come back to us; heal the wounds and the long journey of healing and suffering he endured.  I would ask him if he was in pain. He said, “I am always in pain.” I would never have known from his energy, his joy, his enthusiasm and his playful spirit. He struggled to recover from surgeries on his legs. But his spirit never flagged.

Baba Jamal spent time a lot of time here, in West By God Virginia, learning how important the life of Black Folks here was to the growth of our people in strength, entrepreneurship, industry, and culture. I knew that if he understood the importance of Black Appalachia, then others would know too. He shared a wealth of knowledge that makes us strong and illuminated a pride in our history. I came to understand that more deeply at the annual retreats that were held at Franklinton at Bricks in North Carolina where he officiated and initiated storytellers into the lifelong spiritual calling that it is.

Visiting the Coke Ovens in Thomas, WV with Arthuretta Martin (ancestor) , Baba Jamal Koram (ancestor) and Charles Pace (ancestor).

Not many people knew about his time here in the mountains of Appalachia. The winding roads down into and out of the hollers, the amazing and wise elders that he treated as mentors, the hungry minds of the children he enthralled. We toured programs where he stretched his skills in storytelling by portraying one our early Civil War heroes, Robert Smalls.

Collecting oral histories in Welch, WV with 96 year old Ellis Ray Williams and his daughter Patricia.

Touring “Light and Liberty” in Davis, WV, Arthuretta Martin as Frances Ellen Watkins Harper, Baba Jamal Koram as Robert Smalls, Ilene Evans as Harriet Tubman and Charles Pace as Frederick Douglass.

He was a king, a light bringer, a truth teller, a poet, a singer, a seer, and caregiver. 

Baba Jamal had suffered in his life and bore pain he rarely spoke of. He knew the weaknesses we are prone to, and the greatness we could achieve. For some he was the father they never had, or the brother and luckily a faithful friend. Baba called me when he needed to talk about something deep and he kept calling me Professor Evans, though I would not achieve that until much later in life. We travelled thousands of miles together on tour and countless hours talking about history  – our history, black history, American History, “Does it make Black Sense?” I added, “Does it make “woman sense”. Black Woman Sense?” We were not the same-not at all!!!! …  ,,,, —–and it helped both of us make more sense of the world.

Baba Jamal , Arthuretta, Charles, and Ilene in Welch WV heading to the High School for the day of programs, workshops, seminars and storytelling.