Welcome to The English Griot:
My Storyteller’s Legacy
Many years ago, I learned about the history of West African storytellers, the Griots, who told oral histories to their people. In modern times, I first consciously linked this to the lyrics of songs, which were and still are as important as the music. This was an inspiration to my work, providing joy for a young Black man growing up in Britain, confused by my identity and the racism that came with it. I continued to follow these modern griots and their ancestral legacy in spoken and written word, film, theatre, art, photography, and, of course, history. I have been honoured to follow this tradition across several books, articles and blogs on this site. Also, in spoken-word as a presenter and chair at the award-winning Ujima Radio.
Now I welcome you to my Substack newsletter.
The English Griot provides an opportunity to share my two worlds. The Griot traditions from West Africa were taken and shipped to the Caribbean, where my ancestors gained freedom, before Mum and Dad came to England as Windrush pioneers. As a proud son of the Windrush Generation, my life has been shaped at the intersection of cultures, continents, and connections, unpicking the knots of race, discrimination, and prejudice into racial equality, social justice, and equity for all.
In my latter years, I have come to embrace the two worlds and contradictions that stare back at me from my mirror. I am born in England, but call myself British. The colour of my skin is brown, yet I’m politically Black, bridging the two worlds through a multifaceted diaspora. Only the gatekeepers and border guards of identity seek to lay hurdles or traps to navigate. Identity, whether through DNA or migration, is in the soul of the beholder.
This Substack is my notebook and platform. Where global history intersects with personal reflections. Whether you have followed my work through my writing, community projects with Creative Connex CIC, or lectures, or are encountering my work anew, I thank you for your subscription and hope you enjoy this next chapter in my creative journey.
Here is what we will be exploring together.
Our Content –
To give me the best platform to share with you, The English Griot will have several themes:
o ✈️ My American Summer Odyssey: 250th Anniversary Edition. It’s the 250th birthday of the Republic of the USA. In 2009, I became a chronicler of American history after witnessing the inauguration of the first Black US president, while writing My American Odyssey. I’ve been back many, many times since then, but never with the USA in such conflict. On its semi-quincentennial, the contradictions between its founding ideals of liberty and representation remain a chasm. This summer, I will return to travel through the USA. I’ll be travelling from the Northeastern corridor and a writing retreat in the Southwest. My first trip was to my aunt’s in Brooklyn in 1981, where I will start this journey for the World Cup final stages. For me, the US has always been, and is, best observed up close and personal.
o ⚽ The World Cup 2026. I’ll be attending my fourth World Cup during this semi-quincentennial period. Sadly, thanks to FIFA’s extortionate, eye-watering prices, I won’t be attending games, so my view will be at street level in the fan parks and bars. As a boy, my first research was going through atlases to find out where the 1930s winners, Uruguay, were located in South America, the continent where my parents were born in Guyana. I also fell in love with Pele and how he, as a Black man, enchanted the world in the 1958 finals in Sweden. And of course, I’ve grown up in the footballing shadow of England’s only World Cup win in 1966, so brilliantly captured by writer James Graham in his play and BBC drama Dear England https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/m002qktz/dear-england.
I can recall, with misty-eyed nostalgia, every tournament since, with replays of Pelé again and the magic of the yellow shirt playing in a faraway land of Mexico in 1970. The sight of the orange-shirted Dutch and the most impactful football figure of all. Johan Cruyff was a great footballer as well as a manager, mentor, and football philosopher. I made my dreams come true by attending three World Cups (France 1998, Germany 2006, and Brazil 2014). I’ll be writing about those memories, how football unites people around the world, and also how poorer supporting nations are playing a different game
o ⚓ First Born Second: Children of the Windrush Era: Here, I will share behind-the-scenes updates on my multi-media heritage project called First Born Second: Children of the Windrush Era. https://creativeconnex.org/first-born-second-children-of-the-windrush-era/, whichexplores the generational joy and pain of a vital yet overlooked chapter in Britain’s history.
o The Untold Story: We’re uncovering fresh perspectives on the first generation born Black and British during the turbulent 1970s and ‘80s. This generation navigated a hostile environment of heavy-handed policing and systemic discrimination, moving the narrative of Caribbean migration beyond the Windrush Scandal.
o The Mission: Through filmed interviews, writer call-outs, and workshops, we are capturing the lived experiences of Black British writers and our supporters through the generations.
o The Impact: In collaboration with artists and institutions, we will compile these stories into a book anthology, and we’ll share ancestral journeys as we send a young Windrush descendant to discover their ancestry in Dominica. We will also host public events to celebrate that rich history and the benefits it continues to bring our multicultural Britain.
I’ll also be sharing highlights from Windrush Day 2026 and the season surrounding it, plus excerpts from my book, My American Odyssey: From the Windrush to the White House. https://rogergriffith.co.uk/my-book/
- 🎬 The Griot’s Kulture Korner: I’m a huge lover of the arts, so this is a space to share reviews and recommendations that shape our world from our cultural landscape.
- ✍️ Reflections: Personal reflection, quirky stories and a special place for your Readers’ Comments, alongside my latest news and updates.
Join My Journey
I will be publishing essays, travel notes, photo-dispatches, cultural recommendations, and updates regularly. Subscribing is completely free; donations are welcome, and you will receive every update straight to your inbox.
Thank you for reading and supporting independent writing.
Let our odyssey together begin!
Read this article and more on Substack