As the Youth Dance Weekend Committee, we acknowledge that racism and systemic bias exist. We acknowledge that many of the folk music and dance traditions we love have roots in Black traditions, and that the history of American folk music is complex and deeply entwined with racism against Black communities. We acknowledge that our Kinhaven venue sits on Wabanaki (Dawnland Confederacy) and N’dakina (Abenaki / Abénaquis) land.

We are committed to antiracist beliefs and practices, and we hold the expectation that our dance community will be committed to those beliefs and practices too. We strive to educate ourselves, learn from the past and honor that history in our approach to traditional music and dance. 

We want to provide an inclusive, safe and welcoming environment for everyone. White supremacy and white nationalism have no place at Youth Dance Weekend. Black lives matter. As a reminder, we have zero-tolerance for harassment of any kind against any marginalized group. 

As a once-per-year event that brings together people from dance communities nationwide and even globally, we aim to celebrate our different backgrounds and perspectives. We encourage you to engage in discussions about these topics, to call out racism and call each other in for conversation, and learn from one other. We hope that all attendees will be inspired to bring this mindset back to their home dance communities.

We are still working to compile a list of educational resources, which you see below. If you have any you would like to contribute, please send them our way!

Learn more:

• The 1619 Project Ep. 3: “The Birth of American Music” (2019) https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/06/podcasts/1619-black-american-music-appropriation.html

• “Breaking Down The Legacy Of Race In Traditional Music In America” by Sophia Alvarez Boyd on NPR (2020) https://www.npr.org/2020/07/25/895112760/breaking-down-the-legacy-of-race-in-traditional-music-in-america%C2%A0

• “Birdie in the Cage” podcast on square dancing by RadioLab (2019)  https://radiolab.org/podcast/birdie-cage

• “Rhiannon Giddens and what Folk Music Means” by John Jeremiah Sullivan, the New Yorker (2019) https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/05/20/rhiannon-giddens-and-what-folk-music-means

• “America’s Wholesome Square Dancing Tradition is a Tool of White Supremacy” By Robyn Pennacchia (2017) https://qz.com/1153516/americas-wholesome-square-dancing-tradition-is-a-tool-of-white-supremacy

• “The Banjo’s Roots, Reconsidered” by Greg Allen, NPR All Things Considered (2011) https://www.npr.org/2011/08/23/139880625/the-banjos-roots-reconsidered 

• “The (Mis)Representation of African American Music: The Role of the Fiddle” by Jacqueline Cogdell Djedje (2016) https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-the-society-for-american-music/article/misrepresentation-of-african-american-music-the-role-of-the-fiddle/63166A546740B55B8D3E845ACEB33C7C

• “Blues Dancing and its African American Roots”  Spurlock Museum of World Cultures, University of Illinois https://www.spurlock.illinois.edu/exhibits/online/blues/

• “Dinah, Put Down Your Horn: Blackface Minstrel Songs Don’t Belong in Music Class” by Katya Ermolaeva (2019)  https://gen.medium.com/dinah-put-down-your-horn-154b8d8db12a

• Rhiannon Giddens’ Keynote Address at IBMA Conference: Community and Connection (2017) https://www.nonesuch.com/journal/rhiannon-giddens-keynote-address-ibma-conference-community-connection-2017-10-03

• Photo essay: “The Banjo and African American Musical Culture,” Oxford African American Studies Center https://oxfordaasc.com/page/focus-on-the-banjo-and-african-american-musical-culture/the-banjo-and-african-american-musical-culture

• Some context on the problems with Cecil Sharp’s work: “Cecil Sharp” EFDSS https://www.efdss.org/learning/resources/beginners-guides/35-english-folk-collectors/2446-efdss-cecil-sharp

• Some context on the problematic history of Turkey in the Straw. “Recall That Ice Cream Truck Song? We Have Unpleasant News For You” by Theodore R. Johnson III (2014) https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2014/05/11/310708342/recall-that-ice-cream-truck-song-we-have-unpleasant-news-for-you

• “20 Favorite Tunes from Old-Time Black Musicians” curated by Dom Flemons, Earl White, and Joe Seamons for Mother Jones https://www.motherjones.com/media/2017/12/20-favorite-tunes-from-old-time-black-musicians/

• Free recordings of Métis fiddle tunes: https://albertametis.com/metis-fiddling-for-dancing/