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BLACK BANJO RECLAMATION PROJECT

Reclaiming Banjo and Black Earth-Based Connection through Self-Determination and Reparations

Our Goal, Vision & Commitment

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✨✨✨New Location for the Los Angeles meetup!
🪕🪕🪕

✨✨✨Second Saturday every month at @reparations.club 📚📚📚

See you there with @dejoireh

✨✨✨New Location for the Los Angeles meetup!
🪕🪕🪕

✨✨✨Second Saturday every month at @reparations.club 📚📚📚

See you there with @dejoireh

Hey Friends!
We have shirts on our website for sale!

We are out of a few sizes/colors and if you wear a larger size you are in luck because we are stocked up! We now have available three colors— black, white and “natural” which is a cream color.

A special shout out to the artist @earthwormarts for making and contributing this beautiful image. It started out as a stained glass, and our black banjo playing homie @scouttheillustrator @scoutthewise turned it into a digital rendering last year. Thank you both so much for your support 🙏🏽🔥✊🏾💕

Grab a shirt for summer and if we don’t have exactly what you want we will replenish our stock next month!

Shoutout to @starkey.custom.apparel for making these wonderful shirts and thank you all for buying them and contributing to our work!

One last shout out to our shirt models y’all are rockin it and lookin fly— thanks for repping bbrp 💗🙏🏽🪕✊🏾
@deidrahallmusic
@sappyrock_
@itsdalanta
@harriettubelman
@kelenitoto
@thee_banjolorian
@domflemons

Hey Friends!
We have shirts on our website for sale!

We are out of a few sizes/colors and if you wear a larger size you are in luck because we are stocked up! We now have available three colors— black, white and “natural” which is a cream color.

A special shout out to the artist @earthwormarts for making and contributing this beautiful image. It started out as a stained glass, and our black banjo playing homie @scouttheillustrator @scoutthewise turned it into a digital rendering last year. Thank you both so much for your support 🙏🏽🔥✊🏾💕

Grab a shirt for summer and if we don’t have exactly what you want we will replenish our stock next month!

Shoutout to @starkey.custom.apparel for making these wonderful shirts and thank you all for buying them and contributing to our work!

One last shout out to our shirt models y’all are rockin it and lookin fly— thanks for repping bbrp 💗🙏🏽🪕✊🏾
@deidrahallmusic
@sappyrock_
@itsdalanta
@harriettubelman
@kelenitoto
@thee_banjolorian
@domflemons

Baba Súle is releasing his new book Rhythm and Spirit! Sunday check out the book release event at @sankofadc and pick yourself up a copy of the next installation of wisdom being shared by our Banjo Baba with the world. If you have got a copy of Funky Banjo, we recommend it for beginners and seasoned banjos players alike. Congratulations on giving us all something real to celebrate this weekend! ✊🏾🪕💫🌀

Baba Súle is releasing his new book Rhythm and Spirit! Sunday check out the book release event at @sankofadc and pick yourself up a copy of the next installation of wisdom being shared by our Banjo Baba with the world. If you have got a copy of Funky Banjo, we recommend it for beginners and seasoned banjos players alike. Congratulations on giving us all something real to celebrate this weekend! ✊🏾🪕💫🌀

Almost exactly one year ago we set out on a week long journey to build gourd banjos as a community of Black Folks in Berkeley CA— the 9th cohort of banjo builders that BBRP has facilitated and only the second one to happen in the Bay.

A year later we are reflecting on the ways our community has grown since last year. We have a thriving local chapter here in the Bay, which we have had to work for! And the experience from last year really brought us together and allowed our community to anchor in this hands on work.

This was a milestone in many many ways. Everything from sourcing local wood from Northern California to growing in the design techniques and execution.

This project has always been a huge lift. One that is totally worth it but also, so much goes into it that it has been hard to give a lot of people the opportunity.

We are changing that in 2027

Be on the look out for banjo building updates through the end of this year— we have big plans for next year and really wanna expand this work for more of us who are wanting this experience. Make sure you are on that newsletter because we put a lot of important announcements on it! Look for banjo building updates toward the end of the year 💫🌀🪕🎻🙏🏽💗

Shoutout to @thecaningshop and @924gilmanstreet

Almost exactly one year ago we set out on a week long journey to build gourd banjos as a community of Black Folks in Berkeley CA— the 9th cohort of banjo builders that BBRP has facilitated and only the second one to happen in the Bay.

A year later we are reflecting on the ways our community has grown since last year. We have a thriving local chapter here in the Bay, which we have had to work for! And the experience from last year really brought us together and allowed our community to anchor in this hands on work.

This was a milestone in many many ways. Everything from sourcing local wood from Northern California to growing in the design techniques and execution.

This project has always been a huge lift. One that is totally worth it but also, so much goes into it that it has been hard to give a lot of people the opportunity.

We are changing that in 2027

Be on the look out for banjo building updates through the end of this year— we have big plans for next year and really wanna expand this work for more of us who are wanting this experience. Make sure you are on that newsletter because we put a lot of important announcements on it! Look for banjo building updates toward the end of the year 💫🌀🪕🎻🙏🏽💗

Shoutout to @thecaningshop and @924gilmanstreet

✨✨Reclamation Music Camp Summer 2026 ✨✨

Our first ever summer camp was an amazing experience— learning music together, exploring antique banjo sounds, singing, enjoying nature and wonderful food over the course of 4 days and 3 nights.

We truly are changing the face and the experience of being a Black folk practitioner as we advance Black life through musical folk ways. This was historic. Thank you to each and every person who participated in this camp and trusting us to provide you all with this experience.

Thank you our teachers @sulegreg @kelenitoto @dodiesingz @azerewilsonmusic @hannah_mayree

Thank you to @bluegrassfoundation and @mendocommunityfoundation for your instrumental grant support. Thank you to our friend @richard_raffel for your support making this camp happen as well!

Thank you our friends at @mariposainstitute for co-producing this event and for Elana June making 9 amazingly delicious meals.

We truly can’t wait to gather together again! Please join the patreon for a complete review of camp and JOIN THE BBRP NEWSLETTER TO BE NOTIFIED OF THE NEXT CAMP IN 2027!

📸 @jerkdusoleil

✨✨Reclamation Music Camp Summer 2026 ✨✨

Our first ever summer camp was an amazing experience— learning music together, exploring antique banjo sounds, singing, enjoying nature and wonderful food over the course of 4 days and 3 nights.

We truly are changing the face and the experience of being a Black folk practitioner as we advance Black life through musical folk ways. This was historic. Thank you to each and every person who participated in this camp and trusting us to provide you all with this experience.

Thank you our teachers @sulegreg @kelenitoto @dodiesingz @azerewilsonmusic @hannah_mayree

Thank you to @bluegrassfoundation and @mendocommunityfoundation for your instrumental grant support. Thank you to our friend @richard_raffel for your support making this camp happen as well!

Thank you our friends at @mariposainstitute for co-producing this event and for Elana June making 9 amazingly delicious meals.

We truly can’t wait to gather together again! Please join the patreon for a complete review of camp and JOIN THE BBRP NEWSLETTER TO BE NOTIFIED OF THE NEXT CAMP IN 2027!

📸 @jerkdusoleil

🎶✨🪕💐Welcome Instructors! 🎶✨🪕💐

@kelenitoto African Drumming Workshop

@dodiesingz Community Singing

@azerewilsonmusic Song Writing

@sulegreg Banjo 1 and 2+, Tambo, Dance

@hannah_mayree Banjo 1 and 2+

We can’t wait for the first ever Reclamation Music Camp! Come find us in the woods we will see you so soon and for anyone who can’t join us we will keep posting and updating our Patreon with our camp experiences!🏕️ 🥲✨🪕

🎶✨🪕💐Welcome Instructors! 🎶✨🪕💐

@kelenitoto African Drumming Workshop

@dodiesingz Community Singing

@azerewilsonmusic Song Writing

@sulegreg Banjo 1 and 2+, Tambo, Dance

@hannah_mayree Banjo 1 and 2+

We can’t wait for the first ever Reclamation Music Camp! Come find us in the woods we will see you so soon and for anyone who can’t join us we will keep posting and updating our Patreon with our camp experiences!🏕️ 🥲✨🪕

BBRP is coming to Harlem!
🎶🎶🎶🪕🪕🪕✨✨✨
This banjo meet up aligns perfectly to be a connector as a community practice lab and gathering space for banjo culture workers in NY. From Brooklyn, the group keeps growing and growing and we are so happy to be gathering this Saturday at the @natljazzmuseum to continue this music in the spirit of the Black folks who came before us.

BBRP is coming to Harlem!
🎶🎶🎶🪕🪕🪕✨✨✨
This banjo meet up aligns perfectly to be a connector as a community practice lab and gathering space for banjo culture workers in NY. From Brooklyn, the group keeps growing and growing and we are so happy to be gathering this Saturday at the @natljazzmuseum to continue this music in the spirit of the Black folks who came before us.

Indigenous community in Chicago welcomed us into an amazing collaboration— nothing like we’ve ever seen or been part of. We worked on this collaboration for a long time taking it from a need, a feeling, an idea into fruition for this full moon this past weekend.

It was sacred, beautiful and historic to say the least to be able to experience both of these musical technologies that have been birthed from the need to unite pan-Indigenous and pan-African communities through time— the drum and the banjo. These are the cultural pathways our people have used to thrive in the face of genocide and oppression and their power is deeply felt as a testament to our strength.

We are deeply grateful to Ronnie and Robert for their teachings at the center at our program. We love working with @americanindiancenter and our dear sister @simply_taka who is a brilliant member of BBRP, an alumni of our banjo building program and a cultural leader we look to for spiritual insights and are inspired by her continued contributions to our communities.
Thank you to @ilhumanities for awarding us all this grant the made this day possible.

Thank you to everyone who showed up, shared their music, time, cooking, and love so we could create music in a way that brought our cultures together to support one another. Thank you Baba @sulegreg and @hannah_mayree for teaching the banjo workshop and to @mud.torque and @sundlofengineering for making the necks we used for the workshop. Thank you @anne.harris.music and @cocoelysses_conga_diddley_bow for offering your beautiful insights on the panel and performance.

A big thank you to our original Chicago collaborators and ongoing partners @musicmoveschi and the @oldtownschool for lending the tools and for being the seed that brought us to Chicago for this work in the first place. We are so proud of everything that has happened over the last five years and counting!

This is just some of what we experienced, there’s more to share and so much that lives in our hearts as we walk away from this experience with so much fullness and gratitude for our growing and expanding ability to create with our hands and hearts, the music of our ancestors. ✨�

Indigenous community in Chicago welcomed us into an amazing collaboration— nothing like we’ve ever seen or been part of. We worked on this collaboration for a long time taking it from a need, a feeling, an idea into fruition for this full moon this past weekend.

It was sacred, beautiful and historic to say the least to be able to experience both of these musical technologies that have been birthed from the need to unite pan-Indigenous and pan-African communities through time— the drum and the banjo. These are the cultural pathways our people have used to thrive in the face of genocide and oppression and their power is deeply felt as a testament to our strength.

We are deeply grateful to Ronnie and Robert for their teachings at the center at our program. We love working with @americanindiancenter and our dear sister @simply_taka who is a brilliant member of BBRP, an alumni of our banjo building program and a cultural leader we look to for spiritual insights and are inspired by her continued contributions to our communities.
Thank you to @ilhumanities for awarding us all this grant the made this day possible.

Thank you to everyone who showed up, shared their music, time, cooking, and love so we could create music in a way that brought our cultures together to support one another. Thank you Baba @sulegreg and @hannah_mayree for teaching the banjo workshop and to @mud.torque and @sundlofengineering for making the necks we used for the workshop. Thank you @anne.harris.music and @cocoelysses_conga_diddley_bow for offering your beautiful insights on the panel and performance.

A big thank you to our original Chicago collaborators and ongoing partners @musicmoveschi and the @oldtownschool for lending the tools and for being the seed that brought us to Chicago for this work in the first place. We are so proud of everything that has happened over the last five years and counting!

This is just some of what we experienced, there’s more to share and so much that lives in our hearts as we walk away from this experience with so much fullness and gratitude for our growing and expanding ability to create with our hands and hearts, the music of our ancestors. ✨�

✨BBRP is coming up on some really amazing performances over the next few weeks!

Join us in Chicago THIS weekend May 30th with @americanindiancenter for Reclaimed Resonance— a day long cultural event ending with performances that include @anne.harris.music and @cocoelysses_conga_diddley_bow two women who take the Black string tradition to new heights and levels in their work! @hannah_mayree and @sulegreg will be leading the banjo building portion of the day long seminar, tickets available and more information about instructors and performers online.

June 19th for our second year BBRP will be showcasing at the @californiabluegrass Fathers Day Festival playing a very special performance ON JUNETEENTH featuring @kelenitoto @deidrahallmusic @tula.b.strong @anne.harris.music @hannah_mayree. Another historic step in the world on string band music and bluegrass culture, we can’t wait! Please send us a DM for a special discount code if you are Black and or POC.

Following the Juneteenth Holiday will be a special performance in Orange County produced by @debora.wondercheck, Gospel Voices of the OC featuring @tula.b.strong @destinielynnmusic and @dejoireh Saturday June 27th!

Tickets for all events are available now so procure your spots now!

We are so excited to performance, share our music join together with these casts of heavy hitters in the world of folk music and across our Black diaspora! Join us for these special occasions in our cultural trajectory.

@black.banjo.reclamation

✨BBRP is coming up on some really amazing performances over the next few weeks!

Join us in Chicago THIS weekend May 30th with @americanindiancenter for Reclaimed Resonance— a day long cultural event ending with performances that include @anne.harris.music and @cocoelysses_conga_diddley_bow two women who take the Black string tradition to new heights and levels in their work! @hannah_mayree and @sulegreg will be leading the banjo building portion of the day long seminar, tickets available and more information about instructors and performers online.

June 19th for our second year BBRP will be showcasing at the @californiabluegrass Fathers Day Festival playing a very special performance ON JUNETEENTH featuring @kelenitoto @deidrahallmusic @tula.b.strong @anne.harris.music @hannah_mayree. Another historic step in the world on string band music and bluegrass culture, we can’t wait! Please send us a DM for a special discount code if you are Black and or POC.

Following the Juneteenth Holiday will be a special performance in Orange County produced by @debora.wondercheck, Gospel Voices of the OC featuring @tula.b.strong @destinielynnmusic and @dejoireh Saturday June 27th!

Tickets for all events are available now so procure your spots now!

We are so excited to performance, share our music join together with these casts of heavy hitters in the world of folk music and across our Black diaspora! Join us for these special occasions in our cultural trajectory.

@black.banjo.reclamation

✨🪕🎉 Please join BBRP Los Angeles for a special meetup celebrating Black Music Month in person at Reparations Club on Saturday, June 13th.

✨🪕🎉 Come learn more about the history of the banjo in Black music, listen to songs in the old-time tradition by local Black banjo players, and join in to jam!

✨🪕🎉 While our monthly meetups are a Black affinity space, this is a social gathering for EVERYONE! All instruments and voices welcome!

Thank you to @reparations.club and @dejoireh for this musical community collaboration!

✨🪕🎉 Please join BBRP Los Angeles for a special meetup celebrating Black Music Month in person at Reparations Club on Saturday, June 13th.

✨🪕🎉 Come learn more about the history of the banjo in Black music, listen to songs in the old-time tradition by local Black banjo players, and join in to jam!

✨🪕🎉 While our monthly meetups are a Black affinity space, this is a social gathering for EVERYONE! All instruments and voices welcome!

Thank you to @reparations.club and @dejoireh for this musical community collaboration!

We are just weeks away from the Inaugural Reclamation Music Camp!🏕️ 🪕✨🙌🏽

Words cannot express our excitement at hosting this Black Music Camp in Northern California Pomo Land so we are just going to let the photos do the talking.

@mariposainstitute will be our home in nature for the weekend as we are immersed in music and community learning.

Donations to support our upcoming camp can be made through our website blackbanjoreclamationproject.org

We are just weeks away from the Inaugural Reclamation Music Camp!🏕️ 🪕✨🙌🏽

Words cannot express our excitement at hosting this Black Music Camp in Northern California Pomo Land so we are just going to let the photos do the talking.

@mariposainstitute will be our home in nature for the weekend as we are immersed in music and community learning.

Donations to support our upcoming camp can be made through our website blackbanjoreclamationproject.org

We have a lot of cool events happening in Maryland!

🪕DMV (Hyattsville) Meet Ups | Every 1st Monday of the Month (June 1st, July 6)
📍Location: The Archie Edwards Blues Heritage Foundation (4502 Hamilton Street
Hyattsville, Maryland 20781)
⏰ Time: 6:30PM-8:00PM

🪕 Baltimore Meet Ups | Every 3rd Wednesday of the Month (May 20, June 17, July 15)
📍Location: The Baltimore Museum of Industry (1415 Key Hwy, Baltimore, MD 21230)
⏰Time: 6:30PM-8:00PM

🚨EXTRA BBRP MEET UP 🚨
🪕 Baltimore Banjo Workshop ft. @wildjimbo
📍Location: The Baltimore Museum of Industry
⏰: Saturday, June 27 @ 11:00AM

Lastly, we are also excited to shoutout the @craftwellpplschool ‘s inaugural Rhythms of the Diaspora roots music festival on May 30! There will be workshops, performances, food, jams, and camping! Get your tickets today 🎟️

Reach out to @lex_ojedi with any questions

We have a lot of cool events happening in Maryland!

🪕DMV (Hyattsville) Meet Ups | Every 1st Monday of the Month (June 1st, July 6)
📍Location: The Archie Edwards Blues Heritage Foundation (4502 Hamilton Street
Hyattsville, Maryland 20781)
⏰ Time: 6:30PM-8:00PM

🪕 Baltimore Meet Ups | Every 3rd Wednesday of the Month (May 20, June 17, July 15)
📍Location: The Baltimore Museum of Industry (1415 Key Hwy, Baltimore, MD 21230)
⏰Time: 6:30PM-8:00PM

🚨EXTRA BBRP MEET UP 🚨
🪕 Baltimore Banjo Workshop ft. @wildjimbo
📍Location: The Baltimore Museum of Industry
⏰: Saturday, June 27 @ 11:00AM

Lastly, we are also excited to shoutout the @craftwellpplschool ‘s inaugural Rhythms of the Diaspora roots music festival on May 30! There will be workshops, performances, food, jams, and camping! Get your tickets today 🎟️

Reach out to @lex_ojedi with any questions

It is with great honor that we are announcing that our inaugural camp happening this summer in Northern California, Norther Pomo Land, is FULL!

We had such a strong response to this offering that we never were able to publicly announce it to gain attention— however we are sharing our excitement about this gathering in real time as it approaches over the next few weeks!

BBRP is partnering with @mariposainstitute to bring a music camp to the people— the first overnight music camp we know of that specializes in music playing technique and history while creating a Black community space in a rural setting.

We hope to gather folks in the future, but for now there are dozens of yall who are gearing up to join us and we can’t wait!

Banjo Instruction by Baba @sulegreg and @Hannah_Mayree
Elective Classes by @kelenitoto @azerewilsonmusic and @dodiesingz
Flyers by @lex_ojedi

Thank you for the support from @bluegrassfoundation and @mendocommunityfoundation to make this possible and of course our partners and friends at @mariposainstitute

Please suppprt this camp by making contribution directly through our website or purchasing our shirt designed by @earthwormarts and @scoutthewise all through our website!

For more details on the BTS of our events join our Patreon! And if you want to be the first to be notified about events like this in the future make sure you are signed up for our newsletter!

🪕🎶✨🏕️

It is with great honor that we are announcing that our inaugural camp happening this summer in Northern California, Norther Pomo Land, is FULL!

We had such a strong response to this offering that we never were able to publicly announce it to gain attention— however we are sharing our excitement about this gathering in real time as it approaches over the next few weeks!

BBRP is partnering with @mariposainstitute to bring a music camp to the people— the first overnight music camp we know of that specializes in music playing technique and history while creating a Black community space in a rural setting.

We hope to gather folks in the future, but for now there are dozens of yall who are gearing up to join us and we can’t wait!

Banjo Instruction by Baba @sulegreg and @Hannah_Mayree
Elective Classes by @kelenitoto @azerewilsonmusic and @dodiesingz
Flyers by @lex_ojedi

Thank you for the support from @bluegrassfoundation and @mendocommunityfoundation to make this possible and of course our partners and friends at @mariposainstitute

Please suppprt this camp by making contribution directly through our website or purchasing our shirt designed by @earthwormarts and @scoutthewise all through our website!

For more details on the BTS of our events join our Patreon! And if you want to be the first to be notified about events like this in the future make sure you are signed up for our newsletter!

🪕🎶✨🏕️

Today was a beautiful and joyous testimony to Black folks in Berkeley and the whole Black Bay Area. Ourselves and our families have come from many places around the world and we are celebrating our home by engaging in the traditions that brought us here and sustain life.

These are just a few of the moments from the Berkeley Cake Walk 2026. Thank you to all the folks who came out, the bakers, the judges, volunteers, sponsors, vendors, elders and ancestors who made this possible. Thank you MJ and the Brass Boppers for putting on an amazing show and thank you to Traveon for cooking some of the best food west of the Mississippi. Thank you to all the BBRP folks in our community holding it down and building community over years and preserving in our studies and growth with the banjo. We the organizers are very happy about this cultural milestone. We look forward to all the ways we can keep our music and our culture alive in our communities.

Monthly meetup at @thefreightberkeley is Friday May 8th and every second Friday of the month. Come to our Black affinity space and make music or enjoy it any way you’d like. All skills levels and ages welcome.

@hushharborrootworks
@pcombash
@dagumbogriot
@mjsbrassboppers
@hannah_mayree
@danniblackmaan
@deidrahallmusic
@seraphimfairy
@real.knitta
@blingphotobooths

🙏🏽🎉🎶🎂💯☀️✨🍰🎻🪕🎶🧵🪡

Today was a beautiful and joyous testimony to Black folks in Berkeley and the whole Black Bay Area. Ourselves and our families have come from many places around the world and we are celebrating our home by engaging in the traditions that brought us here and sustain life.

These are just a few of the moments from the Berkeley Cake Walk 2026. Thank you to all the folks who came out, the bakers, the judges, volunteers, sponsors, vendors, elders and ancestors who made this possible. Thank you MJ and the Brass Boppers for putting on an amazing show and thank you to Traveon for cooking some of the best food west of the Mississippi. Thank you to all the BBRP folks in our community holding it down and building community over years and preserving in our studies and growth with the banjo. We the organizers are very happy about this cultural milestone. We look forward to all the ways we can keep our music and our culture alive in our communities.

Monthly meetup at @thefreightberkeley is Friday May 8th and every second Friday of the month. Come to our Black affinity space and make music or enjoy it any way you’d like. All skills levels and ages welcome.

@hushharborrootworks
@pcombash
@dagumbogriot
@mjsbrassboppers
@hannah_mayree
@danniblackmaan
@deidrahallmusic
@seraphimfairy
@real.knitta
@blingphotobooths

🙏🏽🎉🎶🎂💯☀️✨🍰🎻🪕🎶🧵🪡

🪕🧜🏿‍♀️We are thrilled to be coming to @baltimoreoldtime festival next weekend!

🪕🚨RAFFLE ALERT FOR 2 TIX🚨🪕

✨To enter you must be a local in the area of Baltimore.
✨Comment BBRP in the comments and
✨Tag 2 Black people who love the banjo so they can find their way to more of our content

For all Black folks trying to make it to this event, we have a special offer from the festival for 25% off tickets with the code BBRP. Please consider this in the spirit of reparations and reserve this for Black people and Indigenous People, especially the Piscataway and Lumbee people and other tribes who are native to these lands.

Read on for more details:

There has been many local developments in the DMV and in Baltimore since last year with our collaborators @lex_ojedi and @bmiatwork.

This year we are returning with another Black Banjo Meet-Up during the festival Saturday from 5-7 pm so we can talk and jam! See you there!

Executive Director @hannah_mayree will be present this year tabling and around the festival!

We will have a table and shirts this year!

We are so excited to be coming to celebrate this amazing line-up that includes some amazing folk musicians and historians @rhiannongiddens @kgadz @jerronpaxton and more!

Find out more at www.baltimoreoldtimefest.com

🪕🧜🏿‍♀️We are thrilled to be coming to @baltimoreoldtime festival next weekend!

🪕🚨RAFFLE ALERT FOR 2 TIX🚨🪕

✨To enter you must be a local in the area of Baltimore.
✨Comment BBRP in the comments and
✨Tag 2 Black people who love the banjo so they can find their way to more of our content

For all Black folks trying to make it to this event, we have a special offer from the festival for 25% off tickets with the code BBRP. Please consider this in the spirit of reparations and reserve this for Black people and Indigenous People, especially the Piscataway and Lumbee people and other tribes who are native to these lands.

Read on for more details:

There has been many local developments in the DMV and in Baltimore since last year with our collaborators @lex_ojedi and @bmiatwork.

This year we are returning with another Black Banjo Meet-Up during the festival Saturday from 5-7 pm so we can talk and jam! See you there!

Executive Director @hannah_mayree will be present this year tabling and around the festival!

We will have a table and shirts this year!

We are so excited to be coming to celebrate this amazing line-up that includes some amazing folk musicians and historians @rhiannongiddens @kgadz @jerronpaxton and more!

Find out more at www.baltimoreoldtimefest.com

Yall get ready because the DMV blowin up the banjo scene next month and we want you to be there and prepared!

New meet ups are starting up, Baltimore has been holding it down but now our banjo meet ups will be available closer to DC for furthered community engagement!

Join @lex_ojedi and crew at the Archie Edwards Blues Heritage Foundation starting April 6th for monthly programming 🪕🎸

We are also excited about the upcoming @baltimoreoldtime festival where we will be hosting a Black affinity Space jam and enjoying the multitude of musical performances and seminars by Black folks and trailblazers in old time @rhiannongiddens @jerronpaxton @brandipacemusic

This includes a showing of @boilthatcabbagedowndoc by Director @heycandacemae featuring the likes of @hannah_mayree @iamleejohnson_ and Dr @wellmanangela

We are so excited about the upcoming events happening in the DMV, we hope to see you there, check out our newsletter for more!
Blackbanjoreclamationproject.org

Yall get ready because the DMV blowin up the banjo scene next month and we want you to be there and prepared!

New meet ups are starting up, Baltimore has been holding it down but now our banjo meet ups will be available closer to DC for furthered community engagement!

Join @lex_ojedi and crew at the Archie Edwards Blues Heritage Foundation starting April 6th for monthly programming 🪕🎸

We are also excited about the upcoming @baltimoreoldtime festival where we will be hosting a Black affinity Space jam and enjoying the multitude of musical performances and seminars by Black folks and trailblazers in old time @rhiannongiddens @jerronpaxton @brandipacemusic

This includes a showing of @boilthatcabbagedowndoc by Director @heycandacemae featuring the likes of @hannah_mayree @iamleejohnson_ and Dr @wellmanangela

We are so excited about the upcoming events happening in the DMV, we hope to see you there, check out our newsletter for more!
Blackbanjoreclamationproject.org

BBRP NYC is growing and with it comes a new meetup opportunity in Manhattan! 🗽The Brooklyn meetup planned for 2/22 is CANCELED due to weather but come play with us at the Harvey Fierstein Theatre Lab on Saturday 2/28! RSVP on the BBRP website or link in bio 🎶🪕❄️

BBRP NYC is growing and with it comes a new meetup opportunity in Manhattan! 🗽The Brooklyn meetup planned for 2/22 is CANCELED due to weather but come play with us at the Harvey Fierstein Theatre Lab on Saturday 2/28! RSVP on the BBRP website or link in bio 🎶🪕❄️

We had a banjo meet up of epic proportions and historical significance! 🪕🪕🪕🫶🏽🫶🏽🫶🏽😮‍💨😮‍💨😮‍💨

Cannot begin to express how much gratitude for the service, validation and energy of support that these two folks heros bring to the world.

Especially bringing them together as old friends, we were grateful to witness conversation, credits to banjo players from before our time and to be part of continuing the folk lineage through our playing and expression of life through music. Thank you @tajmahalblues @domflemons @thefreightberkeley and to everyone who came, jammed and made these community connections that are necessary to grow music in ourselves. Truly a night to be remembered.

We had a banjo meet up of epic proportions and historical significance! 🪕🪕🪕🫶🏽🫶🏽🫶🏽😮‍💨😮‍💨😮‍💨

Cannot begin to express how much gratitude for the service, validation and energy of support that these two folks heros bring to the world.

Especially bringing them together as old friends, we were grateful to witness conversation, credits to banjo players from before our time and to be part of continuing the folk lineage through our playing and expression of life through music. Thank you @tajmahalblues @domflemons @thefreightberkeley and to everyone who came, jammed and made these community connections that are necessary to grow music in ourselves. Truly a night to be remembered.

We are excited to welcome @domflemons THE American Songster himself to the Bay Area Friday February 13th at @thefreightberkeley !

Conveniently, we will be having our Black Banjo Meet Up upstairs directly before the show from 5-7 pm and if you are a Black acoustic musician and folkie in the Bay and have been waiting for a sign to join us THIS IS IT!

We are excited to celebrate living Black history in ourselves, in our peers and in @domflemons who is a wonderful person and musician I hope you all can experience in real time 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽🪕🪕🪕❤️💛💚

We are excited to welcome @domflemons THE American Songster himself to the Bay Area Friday February 13th at @thefreightberkeley !

Conveniently, we will be having our Black Banjo Meet Up upstairs directly before the show from 5-7 pm and if you are a Black acoustic musician and folkie in the Bay and have been waiting for a sign to join us THIS IS IT!

We are excited to celebrate living Black history in ourselves, in our peers and in @domflemons who is a wonderful person and musician I hope you all can experience in real time 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽🪕🪕🪕❤️💛💚

We have our Black History Month edition of the online banjo meet up Saturday February 7th! The meet up happens the first Saturday every month and you are welcome to join this Black affinity space if you are learning banjo or just want a community of folks to connect with who are in this folk practice. We join from around the continent and around the world so whatever corner you are living in as a Black person we are happy to have you! I’ll put a link up and also there’s a QR code with that. We have a guide book available in the sessions and lots of tutorials online for you to learn from in this virtual way! Until we meet, see yall on zoom tomorrow 🪕🎉🤗🙌🏽☀️

We have our Black History Month edition of the online banjo meet up Saturday February 7th! The meet up happens the first Saturday every month and you are welcome to join this Black affinity space if you are learning banjo or just want a community of folks to connect with who are in this folk practice. We join from around the continent and around the world so whatever corner you are living in as a Black person we are happy to have you! I’ll put a link up and also there’s a QR code with that. We have a guide book available in the sessions and lots of tutorials online for you to learn from in this virtual way! Until we meet, see yall on zoom tomorrow 🪕🎉🤗🙌🏽☀️

Black History Month is a special time for us to celebrate US 🎉🎉🎉

The convenient thing about having this thing we call BBRP is that we get to celebrate US allllll the time like it’s our business! But we just get to go even harder. And it’s needed so bad in our world.

We’ve got some special events planned for Black History Month we wanna invite everyone to join us for in the Bay and LA, both February 27th.

We also have a whole host of our regular programming happening as well— our Black Affinity spaces where folks meet up and play banjo and folk music across the board.

Special note: no flyer at the moment but there will be a Banjo Meet Up in Manhattan this month February 28th from 10:30-12, we just wanted to let folks know even though we will have a flyer soon.

Also we start our banjo meets back up in LA and Chicago this month

Find out about all these amazing events and more from our newsletter so sign up at the bottom of our webpage if you haven’t done so! And the events page on our website site! Updating this week *

Special performances include @destinielynnmusic Album release event featuring @dejoireh and @tula.b.strong and a special collaboration with the @alamedafreelibrary featuring @seraphimfairy @azerewilsonmusic @hannah_mayree and maybe even some rock stars from our banjo meet up. The whole community is invited to these two events so come out❤️💛💚

We can’t wait to spread music and celebrate with you all this month 🎉🎉🎉🪕🪕🪕🪕

Black History Month is a special time for us to celebrate US 🎉🎉🎉

The convenient thing about having this thing we call BBRP is that we get to celebrate US allllll the time like it’s our business! But we just get to go even harder. And it’s needed so bad in our world.

We’ve got some special events planned for Black History Month we wanna invite everyone to join us for in the Bay and LA, both February 27th.

We also have a whole host of our regular programming happening as well— our Black Affinity spaces where folks meet up and play banjo and folk music across the board.

Special note: no flyer at the moment but there will be a Banjo Meet Up in Manhattan this month February 28th from 10:30-12, we just wanted to let folks know even though we will have a flyer soon.

Also we start our banjo meets back up in LA and Chicago this month

Find out about all these amazing events and more from our newsletter so sign up at the bottom of our webpage if you haven’t done so! And the events page on our website site! Updating this week *

Special performances include @destinielynnmusic Album release event featuring @dejoireh and @tula.b.strong and a special collaboration with the @alamedafreelibrary featuring @seraphimfairy @azerewilsonmusic @hannah_mayree and maybe even some rock stars from our banjo meet up. The whole community is invited to these two events so come out❤️💛💚

We can’t wait to spread music and celebrate with you all this month 🎉🎉🎉🪕🪕🪕🪕

@jes_jess Jess Garland is a Guitar teacher, music educator and harp player in Dallas Texas who is offering her skills in music and community to @black.banjo.reclamation project by partnering her organization Swan Strings to bring the monthly meet ups to her area 🎉 Join the session in person for a Black affinity space and learn more about the multitude of organizations we get to work with to share our love and cultural study of the banjo 🪕💯🙏🏽🥰🎉✊🏾

@jes_jess Jess Garland is a Guitar teacher, music educator and harp player in Dallas Texas who is offering her skills in music and community to @black.banjo.reclamation project by partnering her organization Swan Strings to bring the monthly meet ups to her area 🎉 Join the session in person for a Black affinity space and learn more about the multitude of organizations we get to work with to share our love and cultural study of the banjo 🪕💯🙏🏽🥰🎉✊🏾

Exciting collaborations are happening with @brooklynlutherie 🪕🪕🪕🎉🎉🎉

As our New York group grows we are incorporating our work as crafter artists learning the trade of fixing banjos. Maime and Chloe the owners of Brooklyn Lutherie are our partners in collaboration to continue this life-long learning journey of caring for these precious instruments!

The BBRP Banjo Brokerage evolved through our flagship program— banjo distribution to create access to instruments in the Black community. Through accepting donations of banjos and learning to fix them ourselves, we have utilized both the concepts of reparations and self-determination through this program.

As many of you know first hand, it is a community that is driving this forward. A big thank you to everyone who has contributed to our community reclaiming banjos through acquiring them and by allowing us the opportunity to learn trade skills directly through hands on work with them!

A big gratitude for everyone who has got a banjo through us— scholarship or sliding scale, who has also taken on the hands on journey of learning and playing! We see you and are so happy to share music in this way!

Details for contributing banjos are located in the slides! For local shipping, please fill out the Banjo Brokerage Inquiry Form located in our linktree! Please reach out to us if you have any questions! For banjo donations in other regions we have other distribution centers we can share about in other posts.

These photos are from our Banjo Repair 101 workshop that we hosted at Brooklyn Lutherie this fall! If you are in the NY region please look out for more opportunities to join the next workshop and of course, check out the monthly meetup happening in Brooklyn and around the City!

We are so happy to be working with these amazing women and learning from our allies and new friends in this profession 🎉🎉🎉🪕🪕🪕🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽

Exciting collaborations are happening with @brooklynlutherie 🪕🪕🪕🎉🎉🎉

As our New York group grows we are incorporating our work as crafter artists learning the trade of fixing banjos. Maime and Chloe the owners of Brooklyn Lutherie are our partners in collaboration to continue this life-long learning journey of caring for these precious instruments!

The BBRP Banjo Brokerage evolved through our flagship program— banjo distribution to create access to instruments in the Black community. Through accepting donations of banjos and learning to fix them ourselves, we have utilized both the concepts of reparations and self-determination through this program.

As many of you know first hand, it is a community that is driving this forward. A big thank you to everyone who has contributed to our community reclaiming banjos through acquiring them and by allowing us the opportunity to learn trade skills directly through hands on work with them!

A big gratitude for everyone who has got a banjo through us— scholarship or sliding scale, who has also taken on the hands on journey of learning and playing! We see you and are so happy to share music in this way!

Details for contributing banjos are located in the slides! For local shipping, please fill out the Banjo Brokerage Inquiry Form located in our linktree! Please reach out to us if you have any questions! For banjo donations in other regions we have other distribution centers we can share about in other posts.

These photos are from our Banjo Repair 101 workshop that we hosted at Brooklyn Lutherie this fall! If you are in the NY region please look out for more opportunities to join the next workshop and of course, check out the monthly meetup happening in Brooklyn and around the City!

We are so happy to be working with these amazing women and learning from our allies and new friends in this profession 🎉🎉🎉🪕🪕🪕🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽

Are you in Baltimore and Interested in the Banjo?

This Black History Month join the Black Banjo Reclamation Project (BBRP) in celebrating the BLACK roots of the Banjo!
Learn about Black artists and musicians in the folk and old-time music space and get connected with other resources about the banjo and traditional Folk music…also don’t be shy– jam with us!
This Black-Led affinity space (@lex_ojedi ) takes place during the Baltimore Museum of Industry’s extended hours, which is every 3rd Wednesday of the Month. Feel free to come early and explore the museum, free admission starts at 4PM!
If you have a banjo, bring it! If not, no worries–we can share!

Are you in Baltimore and Interested in the Banjo?

This Black History Month join the Black Banjo Reclamation Project (BBRP) in celebrating the BLACK roots of the Banjo!
Learn about Black artists and musicians in the folk and old-time music space and get connected with other resources about the banjo and traditional Folk music…also don’t be shy– jam with us!
This Black-Led affinity space (@lex_ojedi ) takes place during the Baltimore Museum of Industry’s extended hours, which is every 3rd Wednesday of the Month. Feel free to come early and explore the museum, free admission starts at 4PM!
If you have a banjo, bring it! If not, no worries–we can share!

Hey everyone this is @hannah_mayree
I’m the founder and the executive director of the @black.banjo.reclamation project and I’m inviting Black folks to join our online banjo meeting up that happens once a month the first Saturday of the month, details are on the flyer and on our events page on the bbrp website.

Many of you are part of our in person meet ups that happen around the country. These online practice groups enhance the in person experience and also give folks a chance to connect with Black banjo players from all walks of life all over the planet for a few hours a month.

This year we have each month outlined in an E-booklet that’s available to all learning that has many many resources all about Banjo playing and details for practicing between sessions.

All of this is offered at sliding scale and is available regardless of cost because of the barriers that we face getting to access cultural knowledge of African rooted music. This is a support system and a growing community that we are excited to offer more publicly after a full year of meeting on this schedule. All skill levels are welcome!

As a banjo player for the last 15 years, I am always learning and challenging myself constantly to grow as a musician, performer and educator.

This is me playing a gourd banjo that I built in Chicago in 2021 with our very first banjo build collaboration with @musicmoveschi and @oldtownschool. I learned this song recently after the passing of banjo elder @grampzmeade and it’s still a work in progress, just like my garage and my banjo building set up but it’s happening. It’s been happening and you all should know about this program that is building cohesion and unity amongst the various branches of the bbrp network.

Come practice with us in this Black affinity space. Next meet up is February 7th
🪕🪕🪕💯💯💯🫶🏽🫶🏽🫶🏽👩🏽‍💻👩🏽‍💻👩🏽‍💻👩🏽‍💻

Hey everyone this is @hannah_mayree
I’m the founder and the executive director of the @black.banjo.reclamation project and I’m inviting Black folks to join our online banjo meeting up that happens once a month the first Saturday of the month, details are on the flyer and on our events page on the bbrp website.

Many of you are part of our in person meet ups that happen around the country. These online practice groups enhance the in person experience and also give folks a chance to connect with Black banjo players from all walks of life all over the planet for a few hours a month.

This year we have each month outlined in an E-booklet that’s available to all learning that has many many resources all about Banjo playing and details for practicing between sessions.

All of this is offered at sliding scale and is available regardless of cost because of the barriers that we face getting to access cultural knowledge of African rooted music. This is a support system and a growing community that we are excited to offer more publicly after a full year of meeting on this schedule. All skill levels are welcome!

As a banjo player for the last 15 years, I am always learning and challenging myself constantly to grow as a musician, performer and educator.

This is me playing a gourd banjo that I built in Chicago in 2021 with our very first banjo build collaboration with @musicmoveschi and @oldtownschool. I learned this song recently after the passing of banjo elder @grampzmeade and it’s still a work in progress, just like my garage and my banjo building set up but it’s happening. It’s been happening and you all should know about this program that is building cohesion and unity amongst the various branches of the bbrp network.

Come practice with us in this Black affinity space. Next meet up is February 7th
🪕🪕🪕💯💯💯🫶🏽🫶🏽🫶🏽👩🏽‍💻👩🏽‍💻👩🏽‍💻👩🏽‍💻

We been in the kitchen getting ready to BAKE!

Generations of people of the African diaspora have made their way around the planet— from Africa to the islands, to the south and even as far out west as California. And here we are getting ready for a special occasion in @cityofberkeley coming up this spring that honors our food-ways and cultural traditions 🎉🎉🎉

We get to share a special sweet surprise we been working on soon! Our newsletter comes out this week and there are full details included in it.

Go to our website and sign up for the newsletter, link is at the bottom of the page

🍰🍰🍰🍰🪕🪕🪕🪕🪕

We been in the kitchen getting ready to BAKE!

Generations of people of the African diaspora have made their way around the planet— from Africa to the islands, to the south and even as far out west as California. And here we are getting ready for a special occasion in @cityofberkeley coming up this spring that honors our food-ways and cultural traditions 🎉🎉🎉

We get to share a special sweet surprise we been working on soon! Our newsletter comes out this week and there are full details included in it.

Go to our website and sign up for the newsletter, link is at the bottom of the page

🍰🍰🍰🍰🪕🪕🪕🪕🪕

🪕This Friday
🌉Bay Area Banjo Meet Up

🪕This Sunday
🗽Brooklyn New York Banjo Meet Up

This is the place for you if you have been:
- playing by yourself and want to try with people
- want to try playing your instrument as part of a folk music ensemble
- you want to learn banjo in a Black community
- culturally, historically relevant and aware music space
- you want to meet banjo baddies
- you want to start the New Year off by having fun!
- you’re ready to get connected to a worldwide network of Black Banjo but start with your local community

🪕This Friday
🌉Bay Area Banjo Meet Up

🪕This Sunday
🗽Brooklyn New York Banjo Meet Up

This is the place for you if you have been:
- playing by yourself and want to try with people
- want to try playing your instrument as part of a folk music ensemble
- you want to learn banjo in a Black community
- culturally, historically relevant and aware music space
- you want to meet banjo baddies
- you want to start the New Year off by having fun!
- you’re ready to get connected to a worldwide network of Black Banjo but start with your local community

Greetings NYC! 🗽 This is our first virtual town hall of it’s kind and we hope you will join! This is open to absolute BBRP newbies as well as seasoned returners. We will be talking about where we’ve been and where we are headed in 2026 🎊 We will also have space to talk about the NYC community, how you all can grow as banjo players, the ways we are unique to and embraced by the larger BBRP organization, and more 🪕 All NY area based folks are welcome whether or not you have been to a meetup. DM to RSVP! See you there ❄️🎶✨

Greetings NYC! 🗽 This is our first virtual town hall of it’s kind and we hope you will join! This is open to absolute BBRP newbies as well as seasoned returners. We will be talking about where we’ve been and where we are headed in 2026 🎊 We will also have space to talk about the NYC community, how you all can grow as banjo players, the ways we are unique to and embraced by the larger BBRP organization, and more 🪕 All NY area based folks are welcome whether or not you have been to a meetup. DM to RSVP! See you there ❄️🎶✨

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Upcoming Events

Multiple Dates
Dallas Hybrid Banjo Study Group
Sat, Aug 01
Oak Cliff Cultural Center
RSVP
Multiple Dates
Online Banjo Study Group
Sat, Aug 01
Zoom
RSVP
Multiple Dates
BBRP Maryland Meetups
Mon, Aug 03
Archie Edwards Blues Heritage Foundation
RSVP
Multiple Dates
Los Angeles Banjo Meet Up
Sat, Aug 08
Griffith Park
RSVP
Multiple Dates
Bay Area Banjo Meet Up!
Fri, Aug 14
Berkeley
RSVP
Multiple Dates
Chicago Banjo Meetup
Sun, Aug 16
Chicago Art Department
RSVP

Watch PBS Special: American Masters feat Hannah Mayree

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Why Bajno
Building
Matters

It is a point of truth-telling and having our own narrative!

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