2026 FWAAMFest is presented in collaboration with the Smithsonian Folklife Festival.

This project received support from the Smithsonian’s “Our Shared Future: 250,” a Smithsonian-wide initiative supported by private philanthropy and created to commemorate the nation’s 250th anniversary and advance the Smithsonian vision for the next 250 years.

Tufara Waller Muhammad's presents her interactive session "Soundtrack of Resistance: Music and Social Movements in the U.S. South."
Photo by Justin Ikpo. — Tufara Waller Muhammad's presents her interactive session "Soundtrack of Resistance: Music and Social Movements in the U.S. South." Photo by Justin Ikpo.

FWAAMFest's African American Dance Caller Pathways pilot cohort and instructors in conversation during a festival panel. From left right: Phil Jamison, Becky Hill, Briar, Audra Scott, Carol July, Dr. Clover Johnson. Photo by Jessica Waffles.

Jake Blount (right) featuring Ethan Hawkins. Photo by Jessica Waffles.

Killer Bug and his band. Photo by Jessica Waffles.

Briar (right) featuring Joe Seamons. Photo by Justin Ikpo.

(From left to right) Amanda Ewing, Anne Harris, and Darcy Ford-James in their session "making violins, making history: Black women in Lutherie and Fiddle"

What is Roots Music?

Roots music is a broad term that for us includes styles including folk, bluegrass, old time, early blues, and Americana. The sound of this music is considered by many to be quintessentially American, yet the extensive Black contributions - from the creation of the banjo and fiddle traditions to the roots of social dances performed alongside the music - are not widely acknowledged. FWAAMFest aims to change that, unsettling the often-forgotten and suppressed contributions made by Black folks.

Venue Partner

Help ensure the future of the Fort African American Roots Music Festival: Make a donation or become a FWAAMFest sponsor!

FWAAMFest is a program of