GRIOT IN AMERICA

PBS Digital Studios presents

Theo the Hiztorian, LLC

in association with Black Robin Media

A film by Theo M. Moore II 

GRIOT IN AMERICA

Produced & Directed By

Theo M. Moore II

Writer

Kayla Watkins  

Director of Photography  

Greg Harriott 

Caleb Zorn

Sound Engineer

Brett Vandeusen

Editor

Melissa Salpietra

Executive Producer

Lynne Robinson

MEDIA CONTACT

Stephanie Kennard, PBS

skkennard@pbs.org;

571-319-7478

TAGLINE: …the sound of living history

LOGLINE: Born to the title, a musician celebrates life and empowers peace through music, while ensuring the griot tradition continues on. 

SYNOPSIS: Note by note, modern-day West African griot (or d’joli), Yacouba Sissoko, preserves history while creating connections to the past for new generations. As the custodian of oral traditions, genealogy and peace among people, the griot heals through the spiritual music of the instruments n’goni, balafon, and kora. 

PBS: GRIOT IN AMERICA is one of eight films in the PBS Creative Voices series, “The Story in Us”, a new anthology series premiering on PBS VOICES, a documentary-focused YouTube channel. Produced in collaboration with PBS Creative Voices Ignite Filmmakers Program, the eight-part series explores how culture, history, and identity are preserved through the universal art of storytelling. 

Director’s Bio: Theo Moore is an award-winning filmmaker and historian dedicated to uncovering and preserving the untold stories of the American South. As the founder of Hiztorical Vision Productions and Theo the Hiztorian LLC, he creates films that amplify marginalized voices, honor cultural memory, and connect history to present-day movements in society.

A PBS Ignite Filmmaker, Moore’s work has been recognized nationally for its powerful storytelling and visual impact. His documentaries highlight pivotal yet often overlooked moments in Southern history, blending archival research, oral history, and cinematic artistry to bring the past to life for new generations.

Most recently, the YouTube series In the Margins, for which Moore produced and directed four episodes, was honored as an NAACP Image Award nominee and received several Telly Awards, further affirming his role as a leading voice in historical filmmaking. Through his projects, he continues to use film as a tool for education, healing, and empowerment, ensuring that the legacies of resilience and struggle in the South are never forgotten.

Technical Details: GRIOT IN AMERICA

Country of Origin: United States

Runtime: 10:11 minutes

Screening Formats DCP

Aspect Ratio 16:9

Sound Dolby 5.1

Spoken Language: English

Subtitles: none

Closed Captions Yes

Principle Location: Filmed in New York, New York at Artfull Walls Fine Art Gallery and in Opelika, Alabama at The Sound Wall

 FULL CREDITS

Produced and Directed by

Theo M. Moore II 

Co-Producer 

T. Marie King 

Line Producer 

Jocelyn B. Moore 

Writer  

Kayla Watkins 

Editor  

Melissa Salpietra  

Animation/Motion Graphics  

Melissa Salpietra  

Researcher/Fact Checker 

Richard Trammell Jr.  

Subject Matter Expert 

C. Sade Turnipseed, PhD 

Director of Photography  

Greg Harriott 

Caleb Zorn  

Sound Engineer  

Brett Vandeusen  

Production Assistant 

Trey Gilbert 

Featuring  

Yacouba Sissoko  

Constance Bailey, PhD 

Deoné Newell 

Chisama Ku Penn Swagerty 

Moussa Mafa Diabaté 

Scene Locations 

Artfull Walls Fine Art Gallery 

The Sound Wall 

Special Thanks  

Robert L. Newman III 

Music 

APM 

Yacouba Sissoko  

Additional Images/Footage 

Yacouba Sissoko Personal Collection 

Shutterstock 

Library of Congress American Folklife Center: Balla Kouyate & World Vision: Traditional Malian Music from Massachusetts 

Library of Congress American Folklife Center: Cheick Hamala Diabate Ensemble 

Rockhopper_Media: Festival In Mali  

Jump Cut Films: Man Plays Kora at Ceremony 

AsiaProd: Man Playing Kora Strings 

Reuters: West African "Griots" Celebrated In Wroclaw 

Archival Material 

Archive of Malian Photography 

New York Public Library  

Yale University  

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston  

Slavery Images  

Spurlock Museum of World Cultures 

National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institute 

The Metropolitan Museum of Art 

University of Wisconsin Madison 

FOR BLACK ROBIN MEDIA

Executive Producer

Lynne Robinson

FOR PBS

Executive In Charge

Maribel Lopez

Director of Programming

Gabrielle Ewing

Fact Checker

Yvonne McGreevy

Series Branding Leah Nichols

Project Manager for PBS Creative Voices

Nina Shelton

Sr. Director of Programming/Development for PBS Creative Voices

Wendy Llinas

Original Production Funding provided by Anne Ray Foundation.

The Story In Us is a production of Theo the Hiztorian, LLC in association with Black Robin Media for PBS Digital Studios. 

This program is produced by Theo the Hiztorian, LLC, which is solely responsible for its content.