Since 2009, Mut Griot has appeared as part of Charlotte’s Citywide Kwanzaa celebration. Dr. Rhue performance name’s is Mut Griot, an ancient word that simply means Mother.  Dr. Rhue’s career path includes working in an academic library as an Archivist and Library Director. She has led several advocacy projects involving working with communities to preserve and share their stories about urban renewal, Rosenwald schools, Black Philanthropy, Black Physicians in Charlotte, North Carolina journey to integrate Mecklenburg County’s hospitals and the state medical society, and other cultural projects. Dr. Rhue received her doctorate degree in Educational Leadership in May 2024 focusing on discovering current leadership training and community archival leadership models that provide support to librarians and archivists who are engaged in community archives work. At the soul of Dr. Rhue’s work is her talent as a griot, which she has weaved into her presentation and leadership style. Dr. Rhue is the author of Organizing and Preserving Family and Religious Records: A Step-by-Step Guide, and a contributing writer to ACRL publication, Creating Leaders: An Examination of Academic and Research Library Leadership Institutes. 

EDUCATION

May 2024                  Ed.     Educational Leadership

May 1991                    B.A.   Telecommunication, Johnson C. Smith University (JCSU)

August 2002           MLIS University of North Carolina at Greensboro

January 2004          Public Library Certification

August 2008            ACRL Harvard Leadership Institute Certificate

WORK HISTORY

2022-2025: Project Manager, University of California, Los Angeles

2008-2022: Director of Library Services, Johnson C. Smith University, Charlotte, NC

1999-2008: Library Technician and Archivist, Johnson C. Smith University, Charlotte, NC

1995-1999: Library Assistant II, Public Library of Charlotte Mecklenburg County

ARTISTIC EXPERIENCES

Mut Griot Storytelling Blog: Educating Minds and Touching Souls, the African Way!

My storytelling blog created to share positive and historical stories to children throughout the globe. Visit us at https://mutgriot.wordpress.com

Links to Examples of Storytelling

Hinds Community College Oral history & Stories

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMOALrReA9I

Kwanzaa Citywide Celebration, Charlotte Mecklenburg County ∙ 2009-Present: Performed children’s stories at the citywide Kwanzaa event, sharing unique, entertaining and engaging African folklores. https://www.facebook.com/KwanzaaCharlotte/photos_stream

Know Your Plate, Charlotte Mecklenburg County ∙ 2012-2013: Wrote the children publication and designed games for the Know Your Plate project. The Know Your Plate project was an innovative and creative approach for promoting awareness of obesity among the African American community in Charlotte, North Carolina. I coordinated eight community healthy fun day activities, reaching over 200 people in the community. This program was a part of Johnson C. Smith University UNCFSP HBCU ACCESS /National Library Medicine grant funded project.

Community Outreach, Charlotte Mecklenburg County ∙ 2002-2014: Performed unique, entertaining and engaging African folklores and activities at the A Child’s Place (ACP) summer read-a-book program, Hidden Valley Elementary School; Kamit Natural Foods health festival; Johnson C. Smith University National Library Week; Statesville Avenue Presbyterian Church health festival; University Meadows Elementary School; Festival-In-the Park; Community School of the Arts, Neighborhood Arts Program/Afterschool Enrichment Program at Albemarle Road, and Winterfield Elementary introducing “Storytelling for the Fun of it!; Storytelling and African is Not A Country program at Avery Freeman Plaza Rd., Elizabeth Traditional ASEP, Ebenezer Baptist Church Youth Ministry, Family Stories Night, Mountain Island ASEP, Thomasboro Elementary School ASEP, and the Youth Network.