Today we’d like to introduce you to Bailey Walton.
Hi Bailey, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start, maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers.
The banjo found me in 2019. I hadn’t really been interested in any “banjo music” (which I associated with country and indie music at the time) but had been drawn to the instrument nonetheless. When I graduated with my master’s degree my partner bought me a banjo as a gift to celebrate. I played it daily, finding it incredibly meditative and calming, especially through the pandemic.
I quickly learned about the complex history of the banjo beyond the associations of minstrelsy and music I wasn’t particularly interested in. The banjo was developed by enslaved Africans based on memories of instruments from their homelands. Beyond just a musical instrument, it was also a spiritual tool. I was immediately inspired by this knowledge and knew that I wanted to build my own and teach other Black folks about the history and how to build them. I began to learn skills related to 3D building, in general, using the resources I had access to locally and eventually connected with an organization out of California that supported me in learning the woodworking skills.
Currently, I am working with local community organizers/organizations to teach the skill of banjo building and about the banjo in general. We are working towards developing a supportive grassroots community around the banjo, roots music, and arts for Black artists in Kansas City called the Kansas City Griots.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The main challenge has been differences in expectations, leadership, and collaborative styles between the organization I represent and our former collaborators.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
My work mostly consists of community building. In this iteration, the banjo builds are a tool for building community while sharing an important set of skills with other Black people whose birthright it is but who have been disconnected from the instrument through racist and historical circumstances.
I am proud of the organization I started in the wake of the pandemic and what my fellow community members have developed. Over 5000 local community members and organizations have joined to request/offer support of all kinds without judgment. Kansas City Mutual Aid and its local collaborators has made this series of banjo builds possible through the administrative work, fundraising, and physical labor we have put in.
My day job is applying federal regulations for conducting ethical research. I enjoy working in a university setting and working with students to help them realize their research ideas. I’m proud to do work that improves safety for research participants, especially given the history of unethical research practices.
How do you define success?
I define success through resiliency, flexibility, and the ultimate outcome. I’m a pragmatist and have learned that sometimes I need to be flexible about the means I take to achieve the ends I desire.
Contact Info:
- Website: Linktr.ee/kcmutualaid
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/kcmutualaid
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/kcmutualaid
- Other: www.instagram.com/kcgriots
Image Credits
Bailey Walton
