James Graham, Storyteller and J&J GOD'S Djs

The Storyteller, James W. Graham Jr.

(In the Tradition of the African Griot) 

     A husband, father, and grandfather to five; James W. Graham Jr has been telling stories professionally since 1993.  With a history of performances in schools ranging from kindergarten to high school, the start of his storytelling began while reading to his children before bedtime.  His storytelling venues have included volunteering at Children’s Hospital of Michigan, prisons, detention homes, Sunday schools and reading programs for inner city youth.

     James is a graduate of the Medical College of Virginia, a division of Virginia Commonwealth University, with a BS in Physical Therapy. In addition, James has received a Masters degree in Secondary Education from Wayne State University with Michigan teaching certification in Learning Disabilities.  He is deemed “Highly Qualified” to teach Special Education in Elementary settings and in High School Earth Science. 

      As a Physical Therapist for twenty years, primarily in a home care environment, James practiced his stories on an audience of which he will admit, most of whom could not easily walk away.  In his former duties as a Sunday school teacher, James used stories to fine-tune his educational skills in delivering positive moral messages.

      Recently James taught an eleventh grade special education Earth Science class at Henry Ford in the Detroit Public Schools as well as students at a center for adjudicated youth. Due to medical issues, James has left his positions and enrolled in a Sign Language program at Oakland County Community College.

      To his credit he has published his stories in the forms of one book, three CDs and a multimedia project.  Current project include a CD titled “Stories behind the Stories” along developing a DJing venture with his grandson.

                A summary of what drives James is his love for The Creator, a love of people, a love for stories, and the desire to become what and who The Creator wants him to be.

DJ SMOKIE, Jayden Finley

     DJ Smokie is not only his Paw-Paw's  number one grandson he is his ROAD DOG. Presently a second grader as well as a first year Tun Soo Do karate student with a very clean white belt, DJ Smokie brings one month of DJing experience (at the time of this posting), including the one Prayer breakfast that he helped at the set-up....we forgot stuff but we learned from the experience... This venture is an attempt to help DJ Smokie learn to get his side hustle-on.

    What Paw-Paw wants to drive Smokie is:

with each given mile,  Do your best to make GOD smile.