# Black Banjo Renaissance: Organizing Around African American Roots Music

On July 21, 2026, the American Folklife Center hosted “Black Banjo Renaissance: Reflections on the Future,” a symposium co-organized with Joe Z. Johnson. The event brought together musicians, scholars, and banjo makers involved in the Black Banjo Renaissance, a movement to reclaim and sustain the legacies of African American banjo players. This panel discussion focuses on the experiences of Black women who are creating communities and organizations dedicated to African American roots music. Discussants include Dr. Angela Wellman, Brandi Waller-Pace, Darcy Ford, and Samaria Marley. Shanice Richards moderated the session and Joe Z. Johnson joined the discussants for a musical performance.

Video credit: At 13:26, this webcast features a video of Tama Brisbane, Poet Laureate Emerita of Stockton, California, reading a poem. The video was created by Snap Jackson.

- Kind: Talk
- Year: 2026
- Runtime: 1 h 30 min
- By: Wellman, Dr. Angela
- Genres: Music
- Archive: [Library of Congress](https://www.loc.gov/item/video-12490/)
- Licence or status: Rights statement at the Library of Congress (as the archive states it)
- Credit: Library of Congress
- Who can watch: Tweens profiles and older (the archive gives no rating; placed by Invisible Network from its collection and subjects)

[Watch now](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/watch/archive/loc/video-12490?play=1)