The Griot and Grits Heritage Dinner brought community members together for an evening of storytelling, culture and fundraising in support of Griot and Grits, a nonprofit that documents African American family histories through oral and video storytelling. The organization is developing documentary-style films using artificial intelligence technology in partnership with Red Hat.
ABC 11 morning anchor Joel Brown, who first reported on the project last year, served as emcee.
Tuesday's dinner also marked the public launch of a $100,000 fundraising campaign designed to expand the project's reach across North Carolina and beyond. Organizers structured the campaign in four phases, beginning with a $15,000 goal to equip story preservation teams with professional recording gear. Later phases focus on building a permanent AIpowered digital archive where families can access and explore preserved histories for generations.
Griot and Grits provides all of its preservation services at no cost to participating families, relying entirely on community donations. According to the organization, every $100 raised covers the complete process of capturing, editing and archiving one family story.
Donations can be made at give.griotandgrits.org.