The Black Banjo Fiddle Fellowship

The Black Banjo Fiddle Fellowship (BBFF) is a unique program that helps bring banjo and fiddle music back to Black musicians. Run by the Oakland Public Conservatory of Music, Joe has been learning from banjo expert Jake Blount and three other fellows to learn, teach, and carry on Black string band traditions. The BBFF came into existence to contrast the ’diversity, equity, and inclusion’ movement because these ideals alone are insufficient tools to promote restorative justice to Black people. Many DEI spaces often operate from a framework of racial colorblindness. By trying to transcend the discussion of race, these initiatives overlook real prejudices and implicit racial barriers that hinder productive change. The BBFF’s race-centered approach creates space where tradition bearers to think about how Black bodies engage with roots music and intervene in the repertoire. It overlap these ideas by creating music educational praxis. Read more about this important project from Joe’s article in the California Bluegrass Association’s Bluegrass Breakdown.

Visit the Black Banjo Fiddle Fellowship’s website or follow them on Instagram to get involved.