The Spoken Word Lives: Inside The Day of Orature 2026

Before it was written, it was spoken. On July 18, 2026, Clinton Square in downtown Syracuse became a gathering ground for oral storytelling — where an Ashanti dirge opened the day, the Onondaga Nation offered its own Thanksgiving, and the words of the late Professor Mĩcere Gĩthae Mũgo — poet, playwright, and lifelong champion of orature — carried through the square. This was the inaugural public event of the Mĩcere Gĩthae Mũgo Foundation in celebration of the spoken word, youth voice, and cultural memory. Young orators competed for the Sol Salahou Prize for Outstanding Orature. Adult performers stood alongside them as testimony that the tradition Professor Mũgo devoted her life to is still very much alive. This short film is preview of a longer account about the day that's currently under development, the first chapter of a movement being planted. Stay tuned for more. 🔔 Subscribe for the next chapter of The Day of Orature and the Mĩcere Gĩthae Mũgo Foundation's work 🌍 Learn more, get involved, or support future events at https://www.miceregithaemugofoundation.org 📩 Join our newsletter for The Day of Orature updates #TheDayOfOrature #Orature #MicereGithaeMugo #Utu #PanAfricanism #SpokenWord #OralTradition #CulturalHeritage #Storytelling #CommunityStorytelling #Herstory