Gloria Mogango Alumbi Ma Ekonzo
Oral Historian, storyteller, researcher
Navigating Identities: A Journey Through Oral History
Through this project, I want to take you on a journey through oral history, exploring the concept of the third culture within the African Diaspora.
Growing up in France as the child of Congolese parents, I have always been fascinated by the way different cultures intersect and shape our identities.
Background
Since my earliest childhood, I have been immersed in orality. My culture was constituted by orality, stories, and legends; everything was lived, spoken, and told. The very history of my family is perpetuated orally. We always laughed at the fact that we didn’t have a written family tree because everything was transmitted through voice. Unlike the different languages that I was able to learn throughout my childhood through written learning, I learned my mother tongue orally from birth. From then on, I knew that orality had an important place in the construction of my ideas and my own person.
Overcoming Challenges
Coming from a family of five siblings, it has always been difficult for me to make myself heard and to share my ideas. It took me many years to realize that my voice was also important. It was by realizing that my words could have an impact that I began to speak up and make my ideas heard. Through my project, I want everyone to have the opportunity to make their voices heard.