©2000-2002 by Carole Moore When O. J. Mozon speaks, lions roar across the African plains, the plaintive voices of
long-dead slaves ring out and bracelets tinkle on the arms of ebony princesses. If bringing these characters alive is truly magic, then it's the kind that comes from deep inside. "Storytelling came very natural to me,"
Mozon says. A captain serving as a chaplain in the U.S. Navy, Mozon says his interest in telling stories grew from listening to others. The more he heard, the more he wanted to do it himself. It was a fortunate decision judging
from the audience response to one of Mozon's recent performances. The crowd where he recently performed was in turn moved and entertained by the graceful man garbed in gold. Armed only with colorful walking sticks and a handheld
drum, Mozon slipped effortlessly into the characters in his stories. He became a rabbit, a lion, a monkey, a squirrel and a snake, much to the delight of the younger members of the audience. For the adults, he offered a little
food for the mind, taking on the persona of a slave, Thomas Hall, being interviewed many years after the Civil War. He also recounted tales of good-old fashioned common sense, the kind that transcends gender, race or ethnicity. And
that suits Mozon just fine. "I want to appeal to a multicultural audience," he said. His ministry is both multicultural and transdemominational in keeping with the career path he set for himself at his Wake Forest
University graduation. The son of Washington, D.C. schoolteachers, Mozon -- whose initials stand for Ollis Jon -- was named after his father. After graduating from Wake Forest, Mozon attended seminary at Morehouse School of
Religion and obtained a master's degree from Salve Regina. He initially wanted to be a university chaplain but discovered his true niche in the military. It's a mutually-enhancing relationship. Still basking in his recent
promotion, Mozon is both a both a man of God and a family man. He met his wife, Almena, at Wake Forest. She holds a doctorate and is a practicing psychologist. The couple have two children, 11-year-old Maya and Orin, who is eight.
Mozon loves to tell stories to children. In fact, that's how he first dipped his toe in the story-telling waters. A school volunteer, he started with simple tales, following in the path of Christ. "Jesus was a
storyteller," Mozon said. Incorporating mime and drama into his sermons, he found it simple to move beyond preaching to performing, with a repertoire of fables and tales reflecting his philosophy. "If you begin with
good stuff, then you end with good stuff," he said, echoing the words of one of his reoccurring characters, Mother Maybelle. Maybelle, through whom Mozon dispenses homilies and a lot of good old-fashioned common sense, is a
character who strikes a personal chord with his audiences. He says he pictured her as a black lady with blue hair, but to his audiences she transcends race and culture.
"Then someone said to me 'She's just like my Norwegian aunt'," he said. Mozon first started telling tales about Maybelle from his pulpit, then added his jungle friends to his repertoire back in 1992. And before he knew
it he was a member of the N.C. Association of Black Storytellers, performing at various functions and cultural events. Mozon's stories usually involve black characters but he aims those tales at a much broader audience. When he
speaks of rabbits and lions and their comical relationships, he wants people to see the story beneath the story. In fact, many of the tales he recounts have gentle lessons or morals built in to them. Where does he find his stories?
Many are African-American folk tales handed down by a people who were not allowed to learn to read and write. "They were an oppressed people who had to use their wits to stay alive," he said. Slaves often resorted
to stories as a means of chronicling history or passing along moral objects. Other stories are more contemporary treatments. One even came from the Internet. And Mozon tries to develop stories that reflect the character development
education presently underway in the schools. He translates these moral traits, such as responsibility and honesty, into stories with characters the kids find compelling.
"They get a kick out of the animal's antics," Mozon said. The Navy chaplain says he can retire in a few years and is looking at North Carolina as a possible permanent home. The Mozons have already established many deep
roots within the state, not to mention his following as a storyteller. "At this point, though, it's just something I do for fun," he said. He next wants to branch out by adding more urban characters to better reflect
the backgrounds of his audiences. As for where he gets his stories, some are sent by friends, others are traditional ground for storytellers and still others he finds himself.
"Just read and the stories are right there," Mozon said.
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