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ABOUT

Griot Press was founded by me, Didier Osias, as the publishing and editorial arm of Griot, a place to report on our work, study the world around it, and share what we learn.

I wanted the Press to enter a tradition. Frederick Douglass built newspapers including The North Star, Frederick Douglass' Paper, and the New National Era as instruments of abolition, Black education, political argument, and collective life. He later served as the United States Minister Resident and Consul General to Haiti.

That history sits close to my own. I am from Baltimore. My maternal grandmother's family is rooted there, while my paternal grandfather was Haitian. I grew up with pride in both lineages, with Frederick Douglass's life close to the story Baltimore tells about itself, and with a deep sense of connection to Haiti.

I also come from a family of educators. Griot Press is my way of carrying that inheritance forward: a place to talk about Griot's projects, report on news and current events, keep a living index of the things shaping us, and dedicate time to helping people understand what we are making, seeing, and becoming.

Griot Press is a public notebook, a record, and a classroom for the worlds we carry.
Didier Osias