Coming Soon: We're Joining Black Storytelling Week đź–¤
September 6 - 12, 2026
Black Storytelling Week was founded by journalist and cultural advocate Martina Abrahams Ilunga, who launched the very first celebration back in September 2023. What started with 34 families committing to record their elders' stories has grown into a national movement built on a simple idea: our homes can be our archives, and it takes just one relative and a little patience to get started.
This year, The Obsidian Collection Archives is proud to join that movement. Starting this week, we're launching Obsidian Stories, our own contribution to a week built around remembering, recording and sharing the histories that too often go untold.
Why We're Joining In
An archive is only as powerful as the people who see it. We've spent years gathering and preserving photographs, newspapers and cultural artifacts that document the Black diaspora, but preservation is only half the mission. The other half is amplification.
That's what our seven prongs of storytelling are all about: digital pages, email features, podcast conversations, blog posts, social media, Google Arts & Culture, gallery exhibits and cross-promotion across our community of storytellers. With the launch of Obsidian Stories, we're bringing several of those prongs together for Black Storytelling Week, pulling one story from our archives and telling it well.
Martina Abrahams Ilunga put it best when she said this work isn't just about collecting history to connect history. It's about relationships, patience and giving Black families ownership of their own narratives at a time when those narratives are under attack.
Who It's For
This isn't just for history buffs. It's for:
Educators looking for real and richly documented stories to bring into the classroom
Students and researchers exploring Black history beyond the textbook
Families wanting to reconnect with their own history and legacy
Anyone curious about The Culture, its resilience, its joy and its truth
What to Expect
Once a week, we'll spotlight a story from the archives: the people, the photographers and the context behind the image, so it can be read, shared, taught and remembered.
Follow along, share with a friend and help us keep these stories alive.
First story drops this week. Stay tuned.
The Obsidian Collection Archives is dedicated to preserving and amplifying the stories and contributions of Black history through digital storytelling. Learn more about Black Storytelling Week and its founder Martina Abrahams Ilunga’s vision at Word In Black.  Learn more about us at theobsidiancollection.org.
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