As the second anniversary approaches of the war in Sudan, which the UN identifies as a catastrophic humanitarian crisis, Baba highlights the significance of Sudanese folktales. The stories, including "Lolaba and the Eagle" and "The Father and Three Sons," convey values like familial love and warn against greed. Baba expresses deep sorrow for her relatives who are now refugees. Through performances at Oakland Public Libraries, she aims to elevate African narratives that are often overlooked, recalling the rich, often intense stories from her childhood and their importance in today's context.
"My aunties and my uncles who have preserved these folktales are now refugees in other countries. They've had to flee the very homes where I heard these stories."
"It was an incredible experience and it lived with me for decades," says Baba, adding that throughout her career as a journalist she's wanted to do something with this form of storytelling.
"I've always felt like our stories - our African folktales - deserved a global stage," she says.
"The stories were not rated PG-13... some of them were scary as hell."
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