From Compton to Cairo: Journeys of Education and Storytelling with author Dr. Koko Zauditu-Selassie

In this insightful episode of The Truth in This Art, Rob Lee engages in a profound conversation with Dr. Koko Zauditu-Selassie, affectionately known as Mama Koko. Dr. Zauditu-Selassie, a retired professor of English, is a deeply respected voice in African American literature and spiritual identity. Together, they explore themes of language, culture, and memory, with Dr. Zauditu-Selassie offering her unique perspectives on storytelling’s transformative power.

Dr. Zauditu-Selassie begins by sharing her early experiences in Compton, where she cultivated a love for language, fascinated by how Black people could artfully “bend words” and create powerful expressions. Her appreciation for language’s nuances, from gentleness to sharpness, grew alongside her admiration for words’ cultural roots and evolving significance. Reflecting on language as both healing and disruptive, she recalls how her passion for words eventually led her to a scholarly path in literary criticism and African American cultural studies.

In her recollections, Dr. Zauditu-Selassie speaks to the role of travel, from hitchhiking adventures in her youth to time spent in Africa, which broadened her worldview. Learning new languages in each place she visited allowed her to connect authentically with diverse communities and experience the beauty of cultural exchange. The discussion also touches on her contributions to the Netflix documentary In Our Mothers’ Gardens, where she highlights the importance of memory and the strength of women’s stories, offering a powerful tribute to her heritage.

A fascinating part of the conversation dives into Dr. Zauditu-Selassie's view on Black dance and the vibrational connection between music and earth, connecting African American traditions like the electric slide to ancestral practices. She sees dance not merely as movement but as a spiritual act that harmonizes with the land and honors cultural identity, echoing traditions rooted in African and Indigenous cosmologies.

This episode is a compelling journey into literature, culture, and resilience with Dr. Koko Zauditu-Selassie, as she and Rob Lee explore how storytelling preserves, heals, and unites communities. Her reflections provide a deeper understanding of the power and responsibility of words, cultural legacy, and the transformative strength found in African American traditions.

Host: Rob Lee
Music: Original music by Daniel Alexis Music with additional music from Chipzard and TeTresSeis.
Production: