Submit Guest Post on African Oral History and Living Memory

African oral history is the transmission of historical knowledge, cultural identity, and collective memory through spoken narratives, performance, and community storytelling. If you research, document, or practice African oral traditions, this platform invites you to contribute serious, well-documented work that preserves living memory with integrity.

Across Africa and the diaspora, oral history remains a primary source of knowledge. From griot traditions in West Africa to praise poetry in Southern Africa, memory is not folklore alone. It is historical record, social archive, and cultural continuity. This page explains what we publish, who should contribute, and how to submit work that meets scholarly and ethical standards.

Overview

We publish original research, essays, interviews, and documentation projects related to African oral history, living memory, and indigenous knowledge systems. Submissions must be original, ethically sourced, culturally respectful, and grounded in credible research or firsthand documentation. Scholars, community historians, archivists, and practitioners are welcome.

If your work preserves, analyzes, or documents oral narratives in Africa or the diaspora, you may submit.

What Is African Oral History

African oral history is the study and preservation of historical knowledge transmitted through speech, storytelling, performance, and memory rather than written texts. It includes genealogies, epics, praise poetry, ritual narratives, proverbs, and community testimony passed across generations.

In many African societies, oral tradition has functioned as a structured archive. Historian Jan Vansina, author of Oral Tradition as History, demonstrated that oral sources can be critically evaluated like written documents when context, transmission patterns, and corroborating evidence are considered.

Oral history in Africa includes:

• Griot and jeli traditions in Mali and Senegal

• Akan proverbs and royal court narratives in Ghana

• Zulu praise poetry in South Africa

• Yoruba Ifa corpus, a complex body of divination poetry

• Community testimony documenting colonialism, migration, and conflict

This platform treats oral history as a legitimate historical source, not as anecdote.

Why African Oral History Still Matters

African oral history remains essential because it preserves perspectives often absent from colonial archives and written state records. It carries memory, identity, and political meaning.

UNESCO recognizes many oral traditions under its Intangible Cultural Heritage framework, acknowledging that performance-based knowledge is central to cultural survival. The International Oral History Association also supports rigorous oral history methodology worldwide.

Today, oral history matters for several reasons:

1. It documents lived experiences of colonialism, independence movements, and social change.

2. It safeguards indigenous epistemologies and local historiography.

3. It strengthens intergenerational knowledge transmission.

4. It contributes to decolonizing history education.

If you are documenting living memory in rural communities, diaspora networks, or urban settings, your work has scholarly and cultural value.

What We Publish

We publish serious, original contributions related to African oral history and living memory.

We accept research-based articles, case studies, interviews, fieldwork documentation, archival analysis, and critical essays grounded in credible sources or firsthand work.

Research and Analysis

• Oral history methodology in African contexts

• Memory studies and collective memory

• Indigenous knowledge systems

• Performance and narrative analysis

• Comparative regional traditions

Field Documentation

• Interview-based community histories

• Transcription and translation projects

• Digital archiving initiatives

• Documentation of endangered storytelling traditions

Thematic Essays

• Ethics in oral history research

• Decolonizing historiography

• Story ownership and intellectual property

• Digital preservation challenges

We do not publish speculative, unsourced, or purely opinion-based pieces.

Who Should Contribute

We welcome contributors who work directly with oral traditions or study them seriously.

Ideal contributors include researchers, archivists, historians, graduate students in African studies, community practitioners, and cultural custodians involved in documenting living memory.

You may be:

• A scholar publishing fieldwork findings

• A doctoral student researching oral sources

• A community archivist building a digital oral history archive

• A cultural practitioner preserving lineage narratives

• An educator developing curriculum around oral tradition

What matters most is depth, accuracy, and respect for communities.

Our Editorial and Evaluation Standards

We evaluate submissions using clear criteria.

Submissions must demonstrate originality, relevance to African oral history, ethical research practices, and credible sourcing.

Our review process considers:

1. Relevance to African oral history or living memory

2. Evidence of research or documented fieldwork

3. Clear methodology when applicable

4. Respectful representation of communities

5. Proper citation of sources

6. Clarity and structure

If you cite research, use recognized publishers or academic presses such as Cambridge University Press, Oxford University Press, or peer-reviewed journals in African studies.

If you document interviews, explain how consent was obtained.

Ethical Standards and Cultural Integrity

Ethics are central to oral history work.

We require documented consent, accurate representation, and sensitivity to cultural ownership and community context.

Key principles include:

• Informed consent from interview participants

• Clear attribution of stories and narrators

• Transparency about translation choices

• Respect for restricted or sacred knowledge

• Awareness of indigenous intellectual property concerns

Oral history often involves vulnerable memory. We do not publish exploitative or extractive research.

Submission Checklist

Before submitting, confirm the following:

• Is your article directly related to African oral history or living memory: Yes

• Is the work original and unpublished: Yes

• Have you cited credible academic or archival sources where needed: Yes

• Did you obtain consent for interviews: Yes

• Does the article clearly explain context and methodology: Yes

If you cannot confidently answer yes to all five, revise before submitting.

How to Submit

Prepare your article according to our guidelines, include citations and a short author bio, and submit through our official contact page.

Submission requirements:

• 1500 to 4000 words depending on depth

• Clear headings and structured sections

• Proper citations in a consistent style

• 100 to 150 word author bio

• Disclosure of institutional affiliation if applicable

We respond after editorial review. Complex research pieces may undergo peer consultation.

Pricing Overview

• Guest Post: Paid editorial placement with one dofollow link - $30

• Sponsored Post: Full brand-focused article with disclosure - $15

• Link Insertion: Contextual link in existing content - $10

• Content Writing: Professionally written article only - $20

• Extra or Second Link: Additional contextual placement - $5

• Brand Mention: Entity-focused exposure without link - $10

• Banner Advertisement: Monthly or campaign-based placement - $20