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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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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 ❄️🎶✨

The Black Banjo Reclamation Project has blown up this year to encompass many localities where Black people reside. But what will go down in history is that this project and this community spirit of reclaiming the banjo together started in the Bay.

I’m so grateful to everyone who has put us on the map as being a center for this work. We met each month of this year at @thefreight, we built banjos at @924gilmanstreet and we benefited from having each and everyone bring their energy to this project.

The Bay will forever be the birthplace of the BBRP so we have to shout out to this community. It has been hard rebuilding our network after the pandemic. But we are here thriving and cannot wait to continue our growing partnerships all over the bay and contributing and shaping the larger movement in Black folk music.

The Black Banjo Reclamation Project has blown up this year to encompass many localities where Black people reside. But what will go down in history is that this project and this community spirit of reclaiming the banjo together started in the Bay.

I’m so grateful to everyone who has put us on the map as being a center for this work. We met each month of this year at @thefreight, we built banjos at @924gilmanstreet and we benefited from having each and everyone bring their energy to this project.

The Bay will forever be the birthplace of the BBRP so we have to shout out to this community. It has been hard rebuilding our network after the pandemic. But we are here thriving and cannot wait to continue our growing partnerships all over the bay and contributing and shaping the larger movement in Black folk music.

We have shirts for banjo cuties 🎉
If you have to buy presents, might as well support @black.banjo.reclamation
We have a shop on etsy that you can check out
If you have cute photos of you wearing one tag us in your stories or send them to us we wanna see you model them!
Available in white and black, limited sizes
@earthwormarts @scoutthewise thank you for supporting us with your art and supplying us with this treasure that is a beautiful image and representation of our community and what we hold dear. ✊🏾🪕💕🙏🏽
Shirts by @everywhere

We have shirts for banjo cuties 🎉
If you have to buy presents, might as well support @black.banjo.reclamation
We have a shop on etsy that you can check out
If you have cute photos of you wearing one tag us in your stories or send them to us we wanna see you model them!
Available in white and black, limited sizes
@earthwormarts @scoutthewise thank you for supporting us with your art and supplying us with this treasure that is a beautiful image and representation of our community and what we hold dear. ✊🏾🪕💕🙏🏽
Shirts by @everywhere

🗽🪕Recapping some recent experiences in New York 🗽🪕

What a joy it has been to be in connection with so many amazing community members who are building and elevating their own work with the banjo in New York!

Scenes in the reel are recapping the amazing film premier last week at @docnycfest with the amazing team who created a film starring @hannah_mayree that highlights the work of the @black.banjo.reclamation project. @ebonymarieb @justinwhittinghamfilm @metamorphsound @alyssamopia all did a wonderful of portraying the work being done and making it so captivating and beautiful.

Other New York Highlights: Brooklyn Banjo Reclamation taking place once a month at @thefreeblackwomenslibrary and our new banjo brokerage repair collaboration with @brooklynlutherie!

So much connection was made, many good times were had. We talk more about this in our latest Patreon post. You can support our work by contributing on Patreon and we also have a free member tier because we wanna share this with you all, and we are doing everything we can to get as many folks to follow us off of meta so get on our newsletter and our Patreon for more expansive updates and resources we have over there! Thank you new friends and old, to everyone who has been in connection to bbrp and those of you who are holding important pieces of banjo culture and historic folk treasures, we love seeing you all thrive and we love being in community 🙏🏽🪕🫶🏽☮️🪘💜🌙

🗽🪕Recapping some recent experiences in New York 🗽🪕

What a joy it has been to be in connection with so many amazing community members who are building and elevating their own work with the banjo in New York!

Scenes in the reel are recapping the amazing film premier last week at @docnycfest with the amazing team who created a film starring @hannah_mayree that highlights the work of the @black.banjo.reclamation project. @ebonymarieb @justinwhittinghamfilm @metamorphsound @alyssamopia all did a wonderful of portraying the work being done and making it so captivating and beautiful.

Other New York Highlights: Brooklyn Banjo Reclamation taking place once a month at @thefreeblackwomenslibrary and our new banjo brokerage repair collaboration with @brooklynlutherie!

So much connection was made, many good times were had. We talk more about this in our latest Patreon post. You can support our work by contributing on Patreon and we also have a free member tier because we wanna share this with you all, and we are doing everything we can to get as many folks to follow us off of meta so get on our newsletter and our Patreon for more expansive updates and resources we have over there! Thank you new friends and old, to everyone who has been in connection to bbrp and those of you who are holding important pieces of banjo culture and historic folk treasures, we love seeing you all thrive and we love being in community 🙏🏽🪕🫶🏽☮️🪘💜🌙

Join us for the WORLD PREMIERE of “Songs of Reclamation” by Ebony Bailey at the IFC Center as a part of the DOC NYC Film Festival! 😍🪕🎥 Q and A with Ebony after the film 🎬 RSVP and purchase tickets with link in bio! Use discount code HANNAH_MAYREE_SONGS_OF_RECLAMATION-GRP. Join Hannah Mayree and BBRP after the film at Grove St Social for happy hour! 🥂 Can’t make it on 11/15? Tickets to stream the film online are also available! ✨

Join us for the WORLD PREMIERE of “Songs of Reclamation” by Ebony Bailey at the IFC Center as a part of the DOC NYC Film Festival! 😍🪕🎥 Q and A with Ebony after the film 🎬 RSVP and purchase tickets with link in bio! Use discount code HANNAH_MAYREE_SONGS_OF_RECLAMATION-GRP. Join Hannah Mayree and BBRP after the film at Grove St Social for happy hour! 🥂 Can’t make it on 11/15? Tickets to stream the film online are also available! ✨

It was entirely appropriate to spend this Halloween with banjo ancestors and banjo history makers of our current day.

There were highlights galore for any banjo enthusiast. Banjos to play, internet banjo friends becoming real life connections, so much history and information also a disruption of the white take over of the banjo which has lasted a few centuries just by us being there.

Grateful that Daniel Jatta show up at this thing 25 years ago with an Akonting and exploded everything we knew about the origins of the banjo. Grateful for scholarship in this area growing and being influenced by Black researchers and thinkers.

Grateful to share about @black.banjo.reclamation with this community and to everyone who shared in this space. @sulegreg @notsoaveragjoe Tony Thomas, Cece Conway, Chuck Levy, @isaac.mccarthy @pangeabanjo @pisgahbanjos @banjopete and many others. To all our new banjo buddies I’m so glad we met!

Thank you @thebanjogathering @kgadz @chiefzen for all you have done to make it so the banjo is seen and felt by Black people. It’s so important. We had a great time 🫶🏽🎃🪕🪦🦴💜

It was entirely appropriate to spend this Halloween with banjo ancestors and banjo history makers of our current day.

There were highlights galore for any banjo enthusiast. Banjos to play, internet banjo friends becoming real life connections, so much history and information also a disruption of the white take over of the banjo which has lasted a few centuries just by us being there.

Grateful that Daniel Jatta show up at this thing 25 years ago with an Akonting and exploded everything we knew about the origins of the banjo. Grateful for scholarship in this area growing and being influenced by Black researchers and thinkers.

Grateful to share about @black.banjo.reclamation with this community and to everyone who shared in this space. @sulegreg @notsoaveragjoe Tony Thomas, Cece Conway, Chuck Levy, @isaac.mccarthy @pangeabanjo @pisgahbanjos @banjopete and many others. To all our new banjo buddies I’m so glad we met!

Thank you @thebanjogathering @kgadz @chiefzen for all you have done to make it so the banjo is seen and felt by Black people. It’s so important. We had a great time 🫶🏽🎃🪕🪦🦴💜

We are excited about two of our banjo meet ups, both of which are happening November 8th in Seattle and in Los Angeles!

A new partnership has birthed with @black.banjo.reclamation project and @therhapsodyproject, an amazing musical institution in the Pacific Northwest that we are proud to be collaborating with! It’s taking place at the historic @wanawariseattle in the central district. We will have a link for registration in our bio. This is a banjo instructional workshop and practice space for Black people being taught by @joebanjo, one of our trusted white accomplices in banjo reclamation. A big thank you to our friend @slowcookedstew for making all these collaborations weave together so well.

Is you’re located in Southern California join @dejoireh for the outdoor nature meet ups that happens monthly at Griffith Park!

We are incredibly excited about all the banjo activity happening on the west coast! We are everywhere and we are grateful to be a resource and a grounding space for folks pursuing banjo music, craft and community all over. See you out there jamming🌙 🪕⭐️🎶

We are excited about two of our banjo meet ups, both of which are happening November 8th in Seattle and in Los Angeles!

A new partnership has birthed with @black.banjo.reclamation project and @therhapsodyproject, an amazing musical institution in the Pacific Northwest that we are proud to be collaborating with! It’s taking place at the historic @wanawariseattle in the central district. We will have a link for registration in our bio. This is a banjo instructional workshop and practice space for Black people being taught by @joebanjo, one of our trusted white accomplices in banjo reclamation. A big thank you to our friend @slowcookedstew for making all these collaborations weave together so well.

Is you’re located in Southern California join @dejoireh for the outdoor nature meet ups that happens monthly at Griffith Park!

We are incredibly excited about all the banjo activity happening on the west coast! We are everywhere and we are grateful to be a resource and a grounding space for folks pursuing banjo music, craft and community all over. See you out there jamming🌙 🪕⭐️🎶

From start to finish @blackamericanafest offered us music that was truly incredible. The artistry was stellar and it was so moving to see these artists in real time up close, I highly recommend going to this festival next year and also watch live videos on the @wwoz_neworleans YouTube channel!
Among the artists were @leylacello @domflemons Dr. Michael White and the @libertyjazzband @hannah_mayree @bassic_nelson @marcellasimienmusic @anne.harris.music @duskywaters @sunnywarmusic @thesuffers and many more.

From start to finish @blackamericanafest offered us music that was truly incredible. The artistry was stellar and it was so moving to see these artists in real time up close, I highly recommend going to this festival next year and also watch live videos on the @wwoz_neworleans YouTube channel!
Among the artists were @leylacello @domflemons Dr. Michael White and the @libertyjazzband @hannah_mayree @bassic_nelson @marcellasimienmusic @anne.harris.music @duskywaters @sunnywarmusic @thesuffers and many more.

TODAY (9/13) begins NYC BBRP’s set of fall and winter meet ups @thefreeblackwomenslibrary ! 😍🪕🍂🎃 If you love folk and bluegrass, are folk curious, are a total beginner or have been playing banjo for years, or you just simply want to have a good time with Black banjo players, come on out! ✨🎶 There are 2 loaner banjos for people to play at the library, bring your own banjo, or another instrument! 🎻 🪘🪈

TODAY (9/13) begins NYC BBRP’s set of fall and winter meet ups @thefreeblackwomenslibrary ! 😍🪕🍂🎃 If you love folk and bluegrass, are folk curious, are a total beginner or have been playing banjo for years, or you just simply want to have a good time with Black banjo players, come on out! ✨🎶 There are 2 loaner banjos for people to play at the library, bring your own banjo, or another instrument! 🎻 🪘🪈

There’s been so much going on with BBRP across the country! 🪕✊🏾✨Last month the NYC chapter played their first live event as a part of @thefreeblackwomenslibrary’s 10 year anniversary celebration 📚🎶 We’re so proud to be a part of the ongoing legacy! Here we’re sharing a few highlights from the folks who performed and the day. In the videos you’ll hear Old Joe Clark and This Little Light of Mine 🌟🕯️The next NYC meeting is Saturday Sept 13! We have banjos that live at the library for folks to use while at the meetups if you do not have your own. See you there! (More info in next post)

There’s been so much going on with BBRP across the country! 🪕✊🏾✨Last month the NYC chapter played their first live event as a part of @thefreeblackwomenslibrary’s 10 year anniversary celebration 📚🎶 We’re so proud to be a part of the ongoing legacy! Here we’re sharing a few highlights from the folks who performed and the day. In the videos you’ll hear Old Joe Clark and This Little Light of Mine 🌟🕯️The next NYC meeting is Saturday Sept 13! We have banjos that live at the library for folks to use while at the meetups if you do not have your own. See you there! (More info in next post)

It’s official
LA we have some meet ups on the books!

@dejoireh will be hosting this black affinity space in Griffith Park for the rest of the year and it’s exciting to be creating space in nature for our musical practice even in places that are known to be a metropolis. It is within urban centers that the Black banjo culture of today finds itself thriving so come be part of that development as we return to the banjo and string music of the African diaspora.
🎉🎉🎉💯💯💯🪕🪕🪕🫶🏽🫶🏽🫶🏽🎶🎶🎶🎶🌴🌴🌴🌴🌴

It’s official
LA we have some meet ups on the books!

@dejoireh will be hosting this black affinity space in Griffith Park for the rest of the year and it’s exciting to be creating space in nature for our musical practice even in places that are known to be a metropolis. It is within urban centers that the Black banjo culture of today finds itself thriving so come be part of that development as we return to the banjo and string music of the African diaspora.
🎉🎉🎉💯💯💯🪕🪕🪕🫶🏽🫶🏽🫶🏽🎶🎶🎶🎶🌴🌴🌴🌴🌴

Banjo Meet Ups are in Session!
Friday August 22nd from 5-7 pm at @thefreightberkeley

Last month was our biggest meet up yet and it has been a joy connecting our work of banjo building to banjo playing!

This Banjo Meet Up is a Black affinity space: meaning, it’s a affirmation space to support us engaging with the banjo and other folk practices. This type of container did not exist before @black.banjo.reclamation created and started facilitating these spaces in the Black community. Black people are coming to the banjo more than ever these days and we need a space to explore this tender connection that is free from the racial stigma that has existed under the colonization of the instrument and is attached to the legacy of slavery and minstrel music, a form of music used to demean African folks in the worst ways for over 150 years of American musical history.

Join us whether you have a banjo or not! Other instruments are welcome to jam with!

Plus we have a VERY SPECIAL GUEST joining us Friday! She’s out in California all the way from Harlem. She’s one of most prominent voices in the world of Black Americana music and sings across genres. @thisisqueenesther will be with us so you are gunna want to get over to 2020 Addison in Berkeley! It’s right off the downtown Berkeley BART. Thank you to our unofficial sponsors @arizmendilakeshore for being the best pizza ever, it’s our Friday tradition, we will see you there! 🍕🪕

PS: heading back up to Guernville after the meet up for the Golden Old Time Camp out with @californiabluegrass so let us know if you wanna come!

Banjo Meet Ups are in Session!
Friday August 22nd from 5-7 pm at @thefreightberkeley

Last month was our biggest meet up yet and it has been a joy connecting our work of banjo building to banjo playing!

This Banjo Meet Up is a Black affinity space: meaning, it’s a affirmation space to support us engaging with the banjo and other folk practices. This type of container did not exist before @black.banjo.reclamation created and started facilitating these spaces in the Black community. Black people are coming to the banjo more than ever these days and we need a space to explore this tender connection that is free from the racial stigma that has existed under the colonization of the instrument and is attached to the legacy of slavery and minstrel music, a form of music used to demean African folks in the worst ways for over 150 years of American musical history.

Join us whether you have a banjo or not! Other instruments are welcome to jam with!

Plus we have a VERY SPECIAL GUEST joining us Friday! She’s out in California all the way from Harlem. She’s one of most prominent voices in the world of Black Americana music and sings across genres. @thisisqueenesther will be with us so you are gunna want to get over to 2020 Addison in Berkeley! It’s right off the downtown Berkeley BART. Thank you to our unofficial sponsors @arizmendilakeshore for being the best pizza ever, it’s our Friday tradition, we will see you there! 🍕🪕

PS: heading back up to Guernville after the meet up for the Golden Old Time Camp out with @californiabluegrass so let us know if you wanna come!

✨✨Special Event August 24 Brooklyn✨✨

Since the beginning of this year our Banjo Meet Up has been happening in Brooklyn, NYC at @thefreeblackwomenslibrary, a very special space that commemorates legacies of Black women’s freedom through writing in this living archive that features over 5000 books in its collection. We will be celebrating the 10th anniversary of this special space with a performance by our Banjo Meet Up group happening at the block party hosted by TFBWL ! 🪕🪕🪕🎶🎶🎶✨✨✨🎉🎉🎉🎉

Everyone is excited to share their truly amazing progress and community efforts to preserve and innovate the banjo in the hands of black communities near and far.

Come and share and support this experience later this month and join for the next meet up happening 8/9 from 1-2:30 pm
Fall dates coming soon🗽🗽🗽🗽🪕🪕🪕🌆🌆🌆🌆

✨✨Special Event August 24 Brooklyn✨✨

Since the beginning of this year our Banjo Meet Up has been happening in Brooklyn, NYC at @thefreeblackwomenslibrary, a very special space that commemorates legacies of Black women’s freedom through writing in this living archive that features over 5000 books in its collection. We will be celebrating the 10th anniversary of this special space with a performance by our Banjo Meet Up group happening at the block party hosted by TFBWL ! 🪕🪕🪕🎶🎶🎶✨✨✨🎉🎉🎉🎉

Everyone is excited to share their truly amazing progress and community efforts to preserve and innovate the banjo in the hands of black communities near and far.

Come and share and support this experience later this month and join for the next meet up happening 8/9 from 1-2:30 pm
Fall dates coming soon🗽🗽🗽🗽🪕🪕🪕🌆🌆🌆🌆

✨Thursday August 7th
🪕4-5:30
🎵Front street between California and Sacramento Streets
🎻San Francisco

Showcase will feature
@lizlub @azerewilsonmusic @seraphimfairy @deidrahallmusic @hannah_mayree

Square Dance featuring
@8nerakkia8 @lesliekeir @katyhillharris @evieladin @hannah_mayree

Come dance with us in the streets and celebrate the Black music folk scene brewing in the Bay and traditional folk music and dance of the African diaspora, we will see you there !

✨Thursday August 7th
🪕4-5:30
🎵Front street between California and Sacramento Streets
🎻San Francisco

Showcase will feature
@lizlub @azerewilsonmusic @seraphimfairy @deidrahallmusic @hannah_mayree

Square Dance featuring
@8nerakkia8 @lesliekeir @katyhillharris @evieladin @hannah_mayree

Come dance with us in the streets and celebrate the Black music folk scene brewing in the Bay and traditional folk music and dance of the African diaspora, we will see you there !

✨✨✨Next weekend there are three different Banjo Meet Ups around the country! 🪕🪕🪕🎉🎉

✨Bay Area Friday July 25 from 5-7 pm facilitated by @hannah_mayree at @thefreightberkeley

✨Chicago Sunday July 27 from 12-2 pm hosted by @planet.arf with banjos provided by @musicmoveschi

✨Brooklyn Sunday July 27 from 1-2:30 pm facilitated by @sappyrock_ at @thefreeblackwomenslibrary

Excited about the summer activities and for us to keep convening in our local communities! So come out, and we do our best to provide banjos at these events so please let us know if you would like to play on one next weekend 🪕🎶✨

✨✨✨Next weekend there are three different Banjo Meet Ups around the country! 🪕🪕🪕🎉🎉

✨Bay Area Friday July 25 from 5-7 pm facilitated by @hannah_mayree at @thefreightberkeley

✨Chicago Sunday July 27 from 12-2 pm hosted by @planet.arf with banjos provided by @musicmoveschi

✨Brooklyn Sunday July 27 from 1-2:30 pm facilitated by @sappyrock_ at @thefreeblackwomenslibrary

Excited about the summer activities and for us to keep convening in our local communities! So come out, and we do our best to provide banjos at these events so please let us know if you would like to play on one next weekend 🪕🎶✨

We made a shirt! This is our first prototype so we don’t really have them on sale yet but we will! And for now we just wanted to share our excitement because we love the artists who made this possible for us! We wanted to get shirts for the staff and folks who spent the entire week making these incredible gourd banjos! 🍐🍐🍐🪕🪕🪕

@earthwormarts designed an amazing stained glass creations few years ago and contributed this gorgeous image to us so we could be represented in this beautiful and unique image of a black person playing the banjo out on a porch somewhere with a kitty for company.
@scoutthewise our friend and fellow black banjo player made a digital rendering of the design.

Thank you so much to these artists for supporting @black.banjo.reclamation and for making us look fly and spread beautiful messages throughout the lands.

People who come today will get some bbrp swag that you can’t get anywhere else so come to the showcase today at noon at @924gilmanstreet

We made a shirt! This is our first prototype so we don’t really have them on sale yet but we will! And for now we just wanted to share our excitement because we love the artists who made this possible for us! We wanted to get shirts for the staff and folks who spent the entire week making these incredible gourd banjos! 🍐🍐🍐🪕🪕🪕

@earthwormarts designed an amazing stained glass creations few years ago and contributed this gorgeous image to us so we could be represented in this beautiful and unique image of a black person playing the banjo out on a porch somewhere with a kitty for company.
@scoutthewise our friend and fellow black banjo player made a digital rendering of the design.

Thank you so much to these artists for supporting @black.banjo.reclamation and for making us look fly and spread beautiful messages throughout the lands.

People who come today will get some bbrp swag that you can’t get anywhere else so come to the showcase today at noon at @924gilmanstreet

The banjos are complete! They are gorgeous, functional, sacred objects that serve the purposes of the individual and of collective through preserving and innovating Black folk traditions, so many of which connect to the banjo, land-based stewardship, community collaboration, and music!

Come see and hear the finished instruments and celebrate Black craftsmanship and musicianship at our Banjo Reclamation Showcase!

Excited to share this joy and this huge accomplishment from this last week and from hundreds of years of the banjo, the folk knowledge of indigenous African and displaced African peoples. Get tickets now and support this incredibly important cultural work. Funded in part by the @caltradarts

The banjos are complete! They are gorgeous, functional, sacred objects that serve the purposes of the individual and of collective through preserving and innovating Black folk traditions, so many of which connect to the banjo, land-based stewardship, community collaboration, and music!

Come see and hear the finished instruments and celebrate Black craftsmanship and musicianship at our Banjo Reclamation Showcase!

Excited to share this joy and this huge accomplishment from this last week and from hundreds of years of the banjo, the folk knowledge of indigenous African and displaced African peoples. Get tickets now and support this incredibly important cultural work. Funded in part by the @caltradarts

It’s happening!

Banjos in the making
Community in the making
History in the making

Grateful for such amazing people sharing their art, skills and life experience to grow the presence and stewardship of the banjo in our Black communities.

Do you wanna check out some of the magic we’ve been making? Come to our showcase Sunday. 🪕🪕🪕✨✨✨🎶🎶🎶🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽

It’s happening!

Banjos in the making
Community in the making
History in the making

Grateful for such amazing people sharing their art, skills and life experience to grow the presence and stewardship of the banjo in our Black communities.

Do you wanna check out some of the magic we’ve been making? Come to our showcase Sunday. 🪕🪕🪕✨✨✨🎶🎶🎶🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽

We are a week away from our two community cultural events happening in the east Bay.

Come to our Summer celebrations, we are so excited to share magic from our time together!

Tix available now through eventbrite and linked in the bi@

We are a week away from our two community cultural events happening in the east Bay.

Come to our Summer celebrations, we are so excited to share magic from our time together!

Tix available now through eventbrite and linked in the bi@

Cultural Immersion Starts Monday!!!

We cannot wait to gather in person with all the cadre, community members and with everyone who is part of this circle to support Black craftwork and musicianship in the folk music of the banjo!

Another huge thank you to our friends at @coastukulele for allowing us to work in the shop and help us craft these pieces that will be assembled and created into banjos in the coming week! We are so glad to be in relation with them and if you’re in the market for an amazing ukulele check them out.

Get your tickets now for the Showcase 7/13 from 12-2 pm at @924gilmanstreet @thecaningshop

Cultural Immersion Starts Monday!!!

We cannot wait to gather in person with all the cadre, community members and with everyone who is part of this circle to support Black craftwork and musicianship in the folk music of the banjo!

Another huge thank you to our friends at @coastukulele for allowing us to work in the shop and help us craft these pieces that will be assembled and created into banjos in the coming week! We are so glad to be in relation with them and if you’re in the market for an amazing ukulele check them out.

Get your tickets now for the Showcase 7/13 from 12-2 pm at @924gilmanstreet @thecaningshop

✨🪕🎉We are less than a week from starting our Cultural Immersion Week in the Bay Area!

So much planning goes into projects like this and we are feeling just about ready to board this banjo train for the next week!

5 years of building banjos

5 years learning gourd cultivation through experimentation

Months of planning

Decades of research by our contemporaries

Hundreds of years or Black culture through music, land and community

Thousands of years of African peoples communing with the gourd

Its powerful to be joining with a new group of people for this purpose and we invite you all the come to our cultural events listed in the slide before this!

We will be documenting and sharing all about the build in real time, we encourage everyone following our journey to consider purchasing a ticket to our fundraising showcase event July 13th or donate to our organization through our website. We are always grateful to our donors, supporters and collaborators— the importance of their contributions is invaluable in keeping this work going into the future. Thanks to @caltradarts for granting us funding for this project in particular! BBRP is going strong and we can’t wait to create and share our work with you all 🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽🎶🎶🎶🪕🪕

✨🪕🎉We are less than a week from starting our Cultural Immersion Week in the Bay Area!

So much planning goes into projects like this and we are feeling just about ready to board this banjo train for the next week!

5 years of building banjos

5 years learning gourd cultivation through experimentation

Months of planning

Decades of research by our contemporaries

Hundreds of years or Black culture through music, land and community

Thousands of years of African peoples communing with the gourd

Its powerful to be joining with a new group of people for this purpose and we invite you all the come to our cultural events listed in the slide before this!

We will be documenting and sharing all about the build in real time, we encourage everyone following our journey to consider purchasing a ticket to our fundraising showcase event July 13th or donate to our organization through our website. We are always grateful to our donors, supporters and collaborators— the importance of their contributions is invaluable in keeping this work going into the future. Thanks to @caltradarts for granting us funding for this project in particular! BBRP is going strong and we can’t wait to create and share our work with you all 🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽🎶🎶🎶🪕🪕

🕸️🕸️🕸️We have two events to invite you all to next month as part of our cultural immersion week so mark your calendars now🌴🌴🌴🌴

✨Friday July 11th we are co-hosting a vinyl dinner party with our friends @couchdate with catering by @eat.drink.comfort

✨Sunday July 13th from 12-2 pm at @924gilmanstreet we are holding a showcase live performance and display of our banjo build work! Tickets are on sale now and it is a @black.banjo.reclamation project fundraising effort for the community cultural work that we commemorating of the last 5 years and the next 5 here in the Bay Area.

Come out and enjoy the heart of Black folk music that lives in the banjo, our hands and the music 🎶🫶🏽🪕🎉🎻✨🕸️✊🏾

🕸️🕸️🕸️We have two events to invite you all to next month as part of our cultural immersion week so mark your calendars now🌴🌴🌴🌴

✨Friday July 11th we are co-hosting a vinyl dinner party with our friends @couchdate with catering by @eat.drink.comfort

✨Sunday July 13th from 12-2 pm at @924gilmanstreet we are holding a showcase live performance and display of our banjo build work! Tickets are on sale now and it is a @black.banjo.reclamation project fundraising effort for the community cultural work that we commemorating of the last 5 years and the next 5 here in the Bay Area.

Come out and enjoy the heart of Black folk music that lives in the banjo, our hands and the music 🎶🫶🏽🪕🎉🎻✨🕸️✊🏾

New York Meet Up!!!
🍎🍎🍎🍎🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆🪕🪕🪕🪕

Summer Dates, get with these banjo folks
Just show up, no experience needed, no banjo needed, just a group of Black people learning music and connecting in Brooklyn.

New York Meet Up!!!
🍎🍎🍎🍎🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆🪕🪕🪕🪕

Summer Dates, get with these banjo folks
Just show up, no experience needed, no banjo needed, just a group of Black people learning music and connecting in Brooklyn.

🪕🎶 It was our first rodeo at the Grass Valley Father’s Day Bluegrass Festival and it was a special occasion this 50th anniversary occasion.

A very special thanks to all of the Black Banjo, Guitar and Fiddle players who joined us as part of our affinity group @dejoireh @nomadthedj @anitasfavpics @deidrahallmusic @danniblackmaan @missford1975 @black_fiddle_vanguard and to our white ally friends who supported this affinity group as well @rainbowglitterpaisley @community.exomusicologist @8nerakkia8

We also want to thank everyone at the @californiabluegrass for this invitation and Sponsoring our group as well as the support from the @bluegrassfoundation Arnold Schultz Fund

The space is filled with so many amazing musicians, teachers, luthiers and community members and it’s a treasure to make so many connections in the world of bluegrass and the world of our modern folk music traditions.

Old time is a big part of the music represented in the space and there are many ways the bridges are being connected and linked through the stories, repertoire and musicians who straddle the many genres that are rooted in Black string traditions. Ultimately, the missing link between the worlds is Black people and the innovation and creativity we bring as roots players. So much more to say on this topic, we will be sure to write more as we pause and take our time to reflect on this success.

Thank you to everyone who has held it down, even amidst sickness and other challenges. Here’s to our continued exploration of the banjo and Black folk music, we hope to be back next year!

🪕🎶 It was our first rodeo at the Grass Valley Father’s Day Bluegrass Festival and it was a special occasion this 50th anniversary occasion.

A very special thanks to all of the Black Banjo, Guitar and Fiddle players who joined us as part of our affinity group @dejoireh @nomadthedj @anitasfavpics @deidrahallmusic @danniblackmaan @missford1975 @black_fiddle_vanguard and to our white ally friends who supported this affinity group as well @rainbowglitterpaisley @community.exomusicologist @8nerakkia8

We also want to thank everyone at the @californiabluegrass for this invitation and Sponsoring our group as well as the support from the @bluegrassfoundation Arnold Schultz Fund

The space is filled with so many amazing musicians, teachers, luthiers and community members and it’s a treasure to make so many connections in the world of bluegrass and the world of our modern folk music traditions.

Old time is a big part of the music represented in the space and there are many ways the bridges are being connected and linked through the stories, repertoire and musicians who straddle the many genres that are rooted in Black string traditions. Ultimately, the missing link between the worlds is Black people and the innovation and creativity we bring as roots players. So much more to say on this topic, we will be sure to write more as we pause and take our time to reflect on this success.

Thank you to everyone who has held it down, even amidst sickness and other challenges. Here’s to our continued exploration of the banjo and Black folk music, we hope to be back next year!

🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽🎶🎶🎶 It’s official 🪕🪕🪕🪕
@black.banjo.reclamation has a camp at the @californiabluegrass Father’s Day Festival and Camp!
We are enjoying learning and being with one another and after 50 years of this festival, we are glad to be some Black folks out here taking up and making space for us to continue our banjo explorations with the larger folk music community here in California. We can’t wait for the rest of our cohort to join us this weekend! Thank you to everyone at the CBA who has supported this affinity space. Come to our Artist Showcase this Saturday at 12 noon to 1:15 at the Pioneer Stage!
Our affinity space was made possible in part by contributions by the CBA and the Arnold Schultz Grant awarded by the @bluegrassfoundation we will let you all know how it goes and thank you all for rooting for us and supporting us as we continue expanding and existing in musical spaces that contribute to our success.

🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽🎶🎶🎶 It’s official 🪕🪕🪕🪕
@black.banjo.reclamation has a camp at the @californiabluegrass Father’s Day Festival and Camp!
We are enjoying learning and being with one another and after 50 years of this festival, we are glad to be some Black folks out here taking up and making space for us to continue our banjo explorations with the larger folk music community here in California. We can’t wait for the rest of our cohort to join us this weekend! Thank you to everyone at the CBA who has supported this affinity space. Come to our Artist Showcase this Saturday at 12 noon to 1:15 at the Pioneer Stage!
Our affinity space was made possible in part by contributions by the CBA and the Arnold Schultz Grant awarded by the @bluegrassfoundation we will let you all know how it goes and thank you all for rooting for us and supporting us as we continue expanding and existing in musical spaces that contribute to our success.

Go see “Don’t Get Trouble in your Mind,” the story of the formative years of the @carolinachocolatedrops if you have the chance. It really gives background and all the musicians were so vulnerable to share such an intimate story with audiences. It’s a great film!

@domflemons @rhiannongiddens @countrygentlemancooks we admire you all so much, thank you for being our predecessors and for continuing to stand on the shoulders of giants in playing traditional music and also in going your own way. And also, thank you for showing us how to get the band back together— even for a short time, to honor the passion that brings folks together around music and community. It’s inspiring and we thank you 🙏🏽🪕✊🏾🎻

Thanks to the @californiabluegrass association for the invite out and for @dminorminor for being the knowledge holder he is about musical culture especially right here in the Bay Area. Glad to share this special experience at the @roxie_theater 🎶💜🎉

Go see “Don’t Get Trouble in your Mind,” the story of the formative years of the @carolinachocolatedrops if you have the chance. It really gives background and all the musicians were so vulnerable to share such an intimate story with audiences. It’s a great film!

@domflemons @rhiannongiddens @countrygentlemancooks we admire you all so much, thank you for being our predecessors and for continuing to stand on the shoulders of giants in playing traditional music and also in going your own way. And also, thank you for showing us how to get the band back together— even for a short time, to honor the passion that brings folks together around music and community. It’s inspiring and we thank you 🙏🏽🪕✊🏾🎻

Thanks to the @californiabluegrass association for the invite out and for @dminorminor for being the knowledge holder he is about musical culture especially right here in the Bay Area. Glad to share this special experience at the @roxie_theater 🎶💜🎉

@hannah_mayree and @black_fiddle_vanguard played on the on- air folk festival yesterday hosted by JoAnn Mar in San Francisco and it was a great broadcast! The episode will be up soon and we will keep you posted so you can hear the recording. Thanks @kalwpublicmedia @kalwmusic @black.banjo.reclamation appreciated your support and we love public radio and what you provide our communities 📡📻🫶🏽💜🙏🏽🎶🪕🎻

@hannah_mayree and @black_fiddle_vanguard played on the on- air folk festival yesterday hosted by JoAnn Mar in San Francisco and it was a great broadcast! The episode will be up soon and we will keep you posted so you can hear the recording. Thanks @kalwpublicmedia @kalwmusic @black.banjo.reclamation appreciated your support and we love public radio and what you provide our communities 📡📻🫶🏽💜🙏🏽🎶🪕🎻

Next Week Friday June 6th @hannah_mayree teaches private and small group banjo lessons at @thefreightberkeley and hosts a Black string band ensemble, which is a space for Black folks to come play music that reflects our cultural heritage!

Be part of these happenings going on in the Bay Area monthly

🪕🫶🏽✨🎶🙌🏽🌸🎻✊🏾💎🐦‍⬛🌁

Next Week Friday June 6th @hannah_mayree teaches private and small group banjo lessons at @thefreightberkeley and hosts a Black string band ensemble, which is a space for Black folks to come play music that reflects our cultural heritage!

Be part of these happenings going on in the Bay Area monthly

🪕🫶🏽✨🎶🙌🏽🌸🎻✊🏾💎🐦‍⬛🌁

Photo for the algy

Is your name Solomon, Terri or Jordan? Did you sign up for Banjo Cultural Immersion Week? I need your email please send it me!

Clearly too busy fixing banjos and destroying white supremacy to remember to ASK FOR EVERYONES EMAIL CONTACT 👩🏽‍💻🫨🤫🫣🙄🫡

Just starting the busy season over here— music festivals, performances, banjo immersion, fundraising, literally just everything happening and grateful for all the growth but responses will be prolonged throughout the summer months and just wanna let folks know.

The website was down for a day or so but that has been addressed so it’s back up!

Regarding the banjo repair— still gunna work on the fretboard and replace the inlays but all rim hardware has been replaced as well as the synthetic head, thank you @brooksmasten with your material support, we are excited to get some banjos working again with these new parts from your shop!
@hannah_mayree, founder and bbrp ed
Shirt by @divideanddissolve

🪕🪕🪕🎶🎶🎶🌸🌸🌸👩🏽‍💻👩🏽‍💻👩🏽‍💻

Photo for the algy

Is your name Solomon, Terri or Jordan? Did you sign up for Banjo Cultural Immersion Week? I need your email please send it me!

Clearly too busy fixing banjos and destroying white supremacy to remember to ASK FOR EVERYONES EMAIL CONTACT 👩🏽‍💻🫨🤫🫣🙄🫡

Just starting the busy season over here— music festivals, performances, banjo immersion, fundraising, literally just everything happening and grateful for all the growth but responses will be prolonged throughout the summer months and just wanna let folks know.

The website was down for a day or so but that has been addressed so it’s back up!

Regarding the banjo repair— still gunna work on the fretboard and replace the inlays but all rim hardware has been replaced as well as the synthetic head, thank you @brooksmasten with your material support, we are excited to get some banjos working again with these new parts from your shop!
@hannah_mayree, founder and bbrp ed
Shirt by @divideanddissolve

🪕🪕🪕🎶🎶🎶🌸🌸🌸👩🏽‍💻👩🏽‍💻👩🏽‍💻

BTS of some of what goes into our banjo builds!

We do this work as a community. Fast alone, far together. It has taken years to acquire the skills, access knowledge and relationships to do this. Still more to go but we are really excited to get into the shop and make progress. Our team consisted of @coastukulele a local Sonoma county luthier, @hannah_mayree and BBRPs Bay Area organizational support @danniblackmaan.

Thankful to everyone witnessing this journey. It’s been a busy week so thanks everyone for your patience on email communications and for your support as we gear up for much expansion and community growth as the year continues 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽🪕🪕🪕🎶🎶🎶🪵🪵

BTS of some of what goes into our banjo builds!

We do this work as a community. Fast alone, far together. It has taken years to acquire the skills, access knowledge and relationships to do this. Still more to go but we are really excited to get into the shop and make progress. Our team consisted of @coastukulele a local Sonoma county luthier, @hannah_mayree and BBRPs Bay Area organizational support @danniblackmaan.

Thankful to everyone witnessing this journey. It’s been a busy week so thanks everyone for your patience on email communications and for your support as we gear up for much expansion and community growth as the year continues 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽🪕🪕🪕🎶🎶🎶🪵🪵

Attention Dallas 🚨🚨🚨🪕🪕🪕🤠🤠🤠
We are teaming up with our friend @jes_jess of @swanstrings to host a hybrid in-person/online banjo study group in conjunction with our online practice group! This online study has been happening since the beginning of the year and with many sessions still left to go, we are excited that Jess will be holding space in person for others to join this group with her in-person support. A music teacher of many instruments and many years as well as a performer on both the harp and the guitar, we are excited to be working with Swan Strings to assist in folks banjo journeys in the Dallas area. You just let us know if you have any questions— address and details are on the flyer, bring you banjo if you can!

Attention Dallas 🚨🚨🚨🪕🪕🪕🤠🤠🤠
We are teaming up with our friend @jes_jess of @swanstrings to host a hybrid in-person/online banjo study group in conjunction with our online practice group! This online study has been happening since the beginning of the year and with many sessions still left to go, we are excited that Jess will be holding space in person for others to join this group with her in-person support. A music teacher of many instruments and many years as well as a performer on both the harp and the guitar, we are excited to be working with Swan Strings to assist in folks banjo journeys in the Dallas area. You just let us know if you have any questions— address and details are on the flyer, bring you banjo if you can!

The moment we’ve been waiting for 🪕🪕🪕

We are hosting our 9th banjo build this summer in Berkeley California celebrating 5 years of gourd banjo building that began in 2020!

The registration is linked in our bio

12 spots are available and we have some reserved spots for local youth builders, local Bay Area cultural stewards and a few spots for whoever wants to join!

This cultural immersion week will feature some of our amazing banjo build instructor team from around the country and will be made accessible through sliding scale and scholarship payment model.

This project is made possible by a grant from the @caltradarts that we are using to produce this week long experience.

We are also asking our community to support if you feel called to contribute to the scholarship and sliding scale fund if you feel called to be a sponsor! We are looking for sponsors to contribute anywhere between $250 and $1000 to contribute to this project and the ongoing work that makes these experiences possible for Black folk artists. Contributions can be made on our website! 🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽🎶🎶🎶🎶🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽

This moment is coming soon and we can hardly wait to share it with you all! If you can’t make it to the build don’t worry, we have a bunch of other community programs in the works for that week including a showcase of our banjos with musical performances on Sunday July 13th for our community! Additional programming will be announced next month.

Please pass this on to Bay Area youth who may be interested in pursuing the art of lutherie, making wooden string instruments or specifically in repairing modern banjos as well! We are continuing our work of advocating for Black folk arts stewardship by creating an apprentice program with our partners @lark.in.the.morning who we have worked with for the last year. So please help us identify youth who are interested in these trade skills who want to work with us for a time to come!

We will confirm registrants around May 15th so thank you for your patience! We can’t wait to build with you!

- the BBRP build team

The moment we’ve been waiting for 🪕🪕🪕

We are hosting our 9th banjo build this summer in Berkeley California celebrating 5 years of gourd banjo building that began in 2020!

The registration is linked in our bio

12 spots are available and we have some reserved spots for local youth builders, local Bay Area cultural stewards and a few spots for whoever wants to join!

This cultural immersion week will feature some of our amazing banjo build instructor team from around the country and will be made accessible through sliding scale and scholarship payment model.

This project is made possible by a grant from the @caltradarts that we are using to produce this week long experience.

We are also asking our community to support if you feel called to contribute to the scholarship and sliding scale fund if you feel called to be a sponsor! We are looking for sponsors to contribute anywhere between $250 and $1000 to contribute to this project and the ongoing work that makes these experiences possible for Black folk artists. Contributions can be made on our website! 🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽🎶🎶🎶🎶🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽

This moment is coming soon and we can hardly wait to share it with you all! If you can’t make it to the build don’t worry, we have a bunch of other community programs in the works for that week including a showcase of our banjos with musical performances on Sunday July 13th for our community! Additional programming will be announced next month.

Please pass this on to Bay Area youth who may be interested in pursuing the art of lutherie, making wooden string instruments or specifically in repairing modern banjos as well! We are continuing our work of advocating for Black folk arts stewardship by creating an apprentice program with our partners @lark.in.the.morning who we have worked with for the last year. So please help us identify youth who are interested in these trade skills who want to work with us for a time to come!

We will confirm registrants around May 15th so thank you for your patience! We can’t wait to build with you!

- the BBRP build team

NEW DATES for New York Banjo Meet Up
🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🔔🔔🔔🔔

Join the New York Branch of @black.banjo.reclamation this weekend and later this month May for some Black Banjo community practice at @thefreeblackwomenslibrary in Brooklyn
🪕🪕🪕🪕🪕🪕🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽
🗽🗽🗽🗽🗽🗽🏙️🏙️🏙️🏙️🏙️🏙️

NEW DATES for New York Banjo Meet Up
🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🔔🔔🔔🔔

Join the New York Branch of @black.banjo.reclamation this weekend and later this month May for some Black Banjo community practice at @thefreeblackwomenslibrary in Brooklyn
🪕🪕🪕🪕🪕🪕🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽
🗽🗽🗽🗽🗽🗽🏙️🏙️🏙️🏙️🏙️🏙️

There were so many highlights from this weekend and here are just a few.

The music was inspiring, the people were insightful and the vibe was prime. Durham is a great town and North Carolina treated us real well.

I’m grateful to the folks I got to meet and see in person who I’ve only connected with online, I only wish we had more time together. I feel committed to making this happen, because quality time really helps us build the community we seek and need.

@rhiannongiddens and the whole @biscuitsandbanjosfest team you really pulled this off and I can’t wait to be part of it in the future and keep contributing to Black people owning and stewarding our traditions in order to uplift our lives now and forever 🪕🪕🪕🥰🥰🥰🫶🏽🫶🏽🫶🏽💜💜💜🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽🐂🐂🐂✨✨✨🎶🎶🎶🎶

There were so many highlights from this weekend and here are just a few.

The music was inspiring, the people were insightful and the vibe was prime. Durham is a great town and North Carolina treated us real well.

I’m grateful to the folks I got to meet and see in person who I’ve only connected with online, I only wish we had more time together. I feel committed to making this happen, because quality time really helps us build the community we seek and need.

@rhiannongiddens and the whole @biscuitsandbanjosfest team you really pulled this off and I can’t wait to be part of it in the future and keep contributing to Black people owning and stewarding our traditions in order to uplift our lives now and forever 🪕🪕🪕🥰🥰🥰🫶🏽🫶🏽🫶🏽💜💜💜🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽🐂🐂🐂✨✨✨🎶🎶🎶🎶

We are having a mini-fundraiser this week for our New York Chapter of @black.banjo.reclamation project through our NE fiscal sponsor @fractured.atlas starting TODAY!

Every project who receives individual one-time donations of any amount between today and this Friday, April 18 at 11:59PM ET is automatically entered into the pool to receive a $1,000 donation from Fractured Atlas. The more donations we get, the more eligible entries you will receive. 20 projects, randomly selected from the eligible pool and announced after the 18th.

We have been hosting month meet ups at @thefreeblackwomenslibrary in Brooklyn the last few months and are excited to bring more programming and opportunities to such a vibrant cultural hub for banjo activities!

If you have wanted to donate to BBRP lately, we invite you to do it this week 🪕🪕🪕🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽✨✨✨

For more info check out our April newsletter which goes out at 11 am pst today! Our donation link for fractured atlas is in our b!0

We are having a mini-fundraiser this week for our New York Chapter of @black.banjo.reclamation project through our NE fiscal sponsor @fractured.atlas starting TODAY!

Every project who receives individual one-time donations of any amount between today and this Friday, April 18 at 11:59PM ET is automatically entered into the pool to receive a $1,000 donation from Fractured Atlas. The more donations we get, the more eligible entries you will receive. 20 projects, randomly selected from the eligible pool and announced after the 18th.

We have been hosting month meet ups at @thefreeblackwomenslibrary in Brooklyn the last few months and are excited to bring more programming and opportunities to such a vibrant cultural hub for banjo activities!

If you have wanted to donate to BBRP lately, we invite you to do it this week 🪕🪕🪕🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽✨✨✨

For more info check out our April newsletter which goes out at 11 am pst today! Our donation link for fractured atlas is in our b!0

@black.banjo.reclamation is hosting a Black Affinity Space at the @baltimoreoldtime festival next weekend April 18th and 19th! We are excited about this relationship building with Baltimore Old Time and the music community there in order to support larger amounts of Black participation at this event!

Purchase a 15% off discounted ticket with code BBRP or just reach out, we are doing everything we can to create space through very limited comp tickets we received.

There are dozens of folk societies around the country and the world and even after the events of the last few years pushing boundaries to yield results of “anti-racism and representation,” @black.banjo.reclamation has always advocated for us to be in spaces that provide us access to to music that reflects our culture historically. Being a lone Black person in a white space is not fun— so we’re not doing it! We wanna explore old time music with the support of Black community backing us and we are doing that through bringing folks who will hold that space together. Hell, there need to be Black people other than the performers present when events of interest happen in Black cities. We are just doing our part to make sure that’s happening. Thank you @baltimoreoldtime for collaborating with us and we hope folks have a great time learning together and creating bonds in the DMV area! Black Affinity Space is happening Saturday evening in the Garment Room from 5-7 pm

Photo by @beau.bleau featured @wetland_maroon @hannah_mayree taken in Oakland in late 2018

@black.banjo.reclamation is hosting a Black Affinity Space at the @baltimoreoldtime festival next weekend April 18th and 19th! We are excited about this relationship building with Baltimore Old Time and the music community there in order to support larger amounts of Black participation at this event!

Purchase a 15% off discounted ticket with code BBRP or just reach out, we are doing everything we can to create space through very limited comp tickets we received.

There are dozens of folk societies around the country and the world and even after the events of the last few years pushing boundaries to yield results of “anti-racism and representation,” @black.banjo.reclamation has always advocated for us to be in spaces that provide us access to to music that reflects our culture historically. Being a lone Black person in a white space is not fun— so we’re not doing it! We wanna explore old time music with the support of Black community backing us and we are doing that through bringing folks who will hold that space together. Hell, there need to be Black people other than the performers present when events of interest happen in Black cities. We are just doing our part to make sure that’s happening. Thank you @baltimoreoldtime for collaborating with us and we hope folks have a great time learning together and creating bonds in the DMV area! Black Affinity Space is happening Saturday evening in the Garment Room from 5-7 pm

Photo by @beau.bleau featured @wetland_maroon @hannah_mayree taken in Oakland in late 2018

Hey Folks! April is a very busy month for @black.banjo.reclamation project. We won’t be able to host our monthly Bay Area Meet at the @freightandsalvage but we will be back as usual Friday May 16th for more in person lessons and our Black String Band Ensemble!

We have lots more exciting news happening in April so sign up for our news letter if you haven’t already and look out for our monthly meet ups in New York as well as new affinity spaces popping up around the country. We also can’t wait for @biscuitsandbanjosfest at the end of the month! We will see you soon! 🪕🪕🪕🎶🎶🎶✨✨✨🥰🥰🥰🛫🛫

Hey Folks! April is a very busy month for @black.banjo.reclamation project. We won’t be able to host our monthly Bay Area Meet at the @freightandsalvage but we will be back as usual Friday May 16th for more in person lessons and our Black String Band Ensemble!

We have lots more exciting news happening in April so sign up for our news letter if you haven’t already and look out for our monthly meet ups in New York as well as new affinity spaces popping up around the country. We also can’t wait for @biscuitsandbanjosfest at the end of the month! We will see you soon! 🪕🪕🪕🎶🎶🎶✨✨✨🥰🥰🥰🛫🛫

AZ 🌵🌵🌵🌵🌵🪕🪕🪕🪕🪕✨✨✨

It’s the home of @sulegreg and @black.banjo.reclamation will be holding a small in person gathering next Sunday when @hannah_mayree is visiting!

We wanna connect with Black folks around the world and this is one place we know y’all are definitely not the majority but we see you!

We are grateful to continue bringing folks together to continue our ever-growing exploration and understanding of the banjo. Funk and lots of fun included, for good measure. We will see you there friends ✨🙏🏽🎶🌵🪕💜☀️🫶🏽

AZ 🌵🌵🌵🌵🌵🪕🪕🪕🪕🪕✨✨✨

It’s the home of @sulegreg and @black.banjo.reclamation will be holding a small in person gathering next Sunday when @hannah_mayree is visiting!

We wanna connect with Black folks around the world and this is one place we know y’all are definitely not the majority but we see you!

We are grateful to continue bringing folks together to continue our ever-growing exploration and understanding of the banjo. Funk and lots of fun included, for good measure. We will see you there friends ✨🙏🏽🎶🌵🪕💜☀️🫶🏽

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

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