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Stories from the Heart of America

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African American Folktales

Tales of resilience, cleverness, and freedom born from African oral traditions and adapted in America.

Parchment-style artwork of Nanabozho and animals during the Great Flood, Ojibwe Native American folktale.

The Great Flood and the Creation of the Earth: An American (Ojibwe) Folktale that Teaches Lesson on Humility and Renewal

by Oyebode Ayoola

October 20, 2025

African American Folktales·American Folktales

When the world was young, the skies stretched endlessly over shimmering waters. The land had vanished beneath a vast flood that swallowed mountains, forests, and plains. The only living beings left adrift upon the endless waves were Nanabozho, the Great Hare and powerful culture hero of the Ojibwe people, and a few loyal animal companions, Otter, Beaver, Loon, and Muskrat.

Parchment-style artwork of a traveler speaking to a skull on a dusty road, African-American folktale scene.

African American Folktales·American Folktales

The Talking Skull: An African-American Folktale That Teaches Lessons on the Dangers of Talking Too Much

Long ago, when the world was quieter and the forests of the American South still whispered the voices of Africa’s old stories, a traveler walked a lonely road. The sun hung low in the sky, and the air was heavy with the hum of insects and the scent of wild

Parchment-style artwork of Brer Rabbit stuck to the Tar Baby while Brer Fox watches, African American folktale scene.

How the Rabbit Got His Tricks: A Lesson on Wit and Survival in African American Folklore

In the warm countryside of the old American South, where pine trees

Parchment-style artwork of a kind man feeding a glowing talking gourd as his greedy friend watches, African-American Gullah folktale scene.

The Two Friends and the Gourd: An African-American Folktale That Teaches Lessons on Greed and Humility

Long ago, when the pinewoods of the Carolina coast still whispered with

A strong African American woman steering a keelboat on the Mississippi River with her crew observing.

Annie Christmas, the Keelboat Captain

February 12, 2026

African American Folktales·American Folktales

In the bustling river ports of 19th-century Louisiana, where the Mississippi’s waters carried goods, stories, and dreams, one figure stood taller than all the rest: Annie Christmas, the fearless keelboat captain. Unlike any other captain, Annie was known not only for her extraordinary strength but for her sharp mind, courage,

A clever rabbit hopping across a forest clearing while fox and bear watch from behind trees.

Br’er Rabbit Outsmarts Br’er Fox

February 12, 2026

African American Folktales·American Folktales

In the heart of the Southern forests, where cypress knees rose from swampy waters and the sun dappled the ground through thick canopy, Br’er Rabbit lived quietly among the animals. Unlike the strong bear or the sly fox, he had no sharp claws or teeth that could overpower his foes.

A magical folk hero holding a root, standing in a forest clearing with glowing light.

High John de Conqueror’s Freedom Tales

February 12, 2026

African American Folktales·American Folktales

In the deep South, during a time when the land was fraught with hardship and oppression, stories of a clever and unyielding folk hero traveled from house to house, whispered along riverbanks, and passed from elders to children. His name was John the Conqueror, or High John, as people called

A lone jackal standing at the edge of a Southern forest at twilight.

How Jackal Became an Outcast

February 12, 2026

African American Folktales·American Folktales

In a time before the world settled into the rhythms known today, animals lived much as humans did, together in communities where laughter, conversation, and work were shared. The jackal, slender and clever, was no exception. In those early days, the jackal had friends, neighbors, and companions, moving through forests

A young boy with wings flying above a Southern village at sunset while children watch from below.

The Little Boy Who Grew Wings

February 12, 2026

African American Folktales·American Folktales

In a small Southern village nestled between rolling hills and wide rivers, life moved slowly and predictably. Children played in the dusty streets, farmers tended to their fields, and families gathered each evening under the soft glow of lanterns. Among the village children was a boy named Elijah, quiet and

A magical golden girl standing in a shaded Southern countryside near a rustic cottage.

The Girl Made of Butter

February 12, 2026

African American Folktales·American Folktales

Long ago, in a quiet Southern village surrounded by rolling fields and dense forests, there lived an elderly couple who had never been blessed with a child. Their home was filled with the warmth of hearth fires and the aroma of fresh bread, yet a quiet emptiness lingered in the

Small brown lizard nodding on a wooden fence in a warm Southern countryside setting.

Why the Lizard Often Nods

February 12, 2026

African American Folktales·American Folktales

Long before people claimed to understand the habits of the creatures around them, there was much curiosity about the small brown lizard that darted along wooden fences and sun warmed stones. Children noticed something peculiar about it. Whenever someone stepped near, the lizard would pause, lift its tiny head, and

Winter farm scene with a wooden barn glowing from firelight in the distance and mist drifting across frost covered fields under moonlight.

Tales of the Barn Burning Mystery

February 12, 2026

African American Folktales·American Folktales

During one long and unforgiving winter, a quiet farming community found itself shaken by a series of unexplained barn fires that no one could fully understand. The land had always been steady and dependable. Fields stretched wide beneath pale skies, livestock rested in wooden shelters, and families measured time by

A legendary Ohio laborer holding up a storm filled sky to protect a town below

The Man Who Held Up the Sky in Ohio

January 12, 2026

African American Folktales·American Tall Tales

Long before highways stitched the Midwest together and before Ohio’s towns were pinned neatly on maps, there lay a working settlement pressed between river, forest, and open sky. The people there lived by the rhythm of labor. They cut timber, hauled stone, tilled soil, and raised barns with their own

A gentle giant resting beside a wide curved Mississippi River, shaping the land as water flows around him.

The Giant Who Carved the Mississippi Bend

January 12, 2026

African American Folktales·American Tall Tales

Before maps gave the Mississippi River a name and before people argued over where its waters began or ended, the river moved as it wished. It wandered across the land slowly, testing the soil, listening to the ground, and remembering everything it touched. In those early days, when the earth