An Oral History Project
Water remembers.
So do we.
The Black Water Memory Project is collecting stories about water, memory, and identity across the African diaspora — the ocean, the river behind a childhood home, the pool you were never taught to swim in, the baptism, the boat. Every relationship counts.
Share your storyI've spent my life in and around water — surfing, teaching, building surf therapy programs, listening to people talk about what water means to them. Some of those conversations have stayed with me for years. This project is my way of making space for more of them, and making sure they're not lost. — Dr. Kwame LaBassiere, Founder, WeSurf Media
Why this project exists
For people of African descent, water holds complicated history. It has carried us, fed us, healed us, and connected us to faith and family. It has also been the site of displacement, exclusion, and loss.
The Black Water Memory Project exists to listen to both sides of that story — through one-on-one interviews with people across the diaspora about their own lived relationship with water, whatever shape that takes.
What sharing your story looks like
A conversation, not an interrogation
30–60 minutes, recorded, one-on-one. You talk, we listen.
No experience required
Whether you swim, surf, fish, or stay far from the water's edge, your story belongs here.
Your story, your call
Before anything is shared or archived, we'll talk through how your interview may be used.
What we talk about
Conversations might touch on childhood memories, family teachings, fear or confidence around water, faith and ritual, surfing and swimming, healing and mental health, or the quieter ways water shows up in everyday life. There's no wrong story to tell.
Who can take part
The project welcomes adults of African descent from anywhere across the diaspora. You don't need a positive relationship with water — or any relationship with water at all — to take part.
- African American
- Afro-Caribbean
- Afro-Latino
- Black Canadian
- Black British
- Continental African
- African diaspora, worldwide
About the founder
Dr. Kwame LaBassiere
Surfer, educator, and storyteller. Founder, WeSurf Media. Board member, International Surf Therapy Organization.
He has spent decades working at the intersection of water, identity, and healing — and started this project to make sure those stories outlast any one conversation.
"Every relationship with water tells a story. Together, those stories become an archive."
Thank you — your information has been received.
Dr. LaBassiere will be in touch soon.
Prefer to reach out directly?
Dr. Kwame LaBassiere · Founder, WeSurf Media · Board Member, International Surf Therapy Organization (ISTO)
contact@wesurfmedia.com