We’re excited to share an important update about the future of this project.

We are now raising $15,000 to host a 5-day community-centered banjo building intensive in collaboration with the Black Banjo Reclamation Project and community artists, musicians, story tellers, and culture bearers. This immersive workshop will support participants in learning to build traditional gourd banjos while exploring the deep Black cultural roots and legacy of the banjo, an instrument whose origins are often erased from mainstream narratives.

While we originally began fundraising to support a garage rebuild and community space renovation, our focus has shifted toward a project that feels deeply aligned with our mission of collaborating with healers, artists, and activists to cultivate intergenerational spaces of belonging that center and celebrate Black and Queer joy, culture, and resilience.

Our vision extends beyond the intensive itself. We want to ensure the surrounding events and programming are accessible to the broader community through free and low-cost public offerings including song circles, storytelling, shared meals, demonstrations, and intergenerational gatherings rooted in Black music traditions and collective learning.

Funds raised will help cover:
• Materials and tools for banjo building
• Artist and facilitator compensation
• Community meals and public programming
• Accessibility support and reduced-cost participation
• Event coordination and space preparation
• Documentation, story-telling, culture archival, and educational materials

This project is about reclaiming lineage, preserving cultural memory, creating spaces of belonging, and ensuring that Black musical traditions remain living, shared practices within our communities.

Every contribution helps bring this vision to life. Thank you for believing in this work and helping us make it accessible and community-fueled!

With love,

Sarah Naomi

Black Music Legacy Project