culture bearer pathways
A culture bearer is a person who is deeply rooted in the layers of their heritage, to the degree that they are confident in transmitting the eligible parts of their culture to others. With this program, we seek to encourage self-guided and self-paced learning, with optional accountability touch points along the way. The Culture Bearer Pathway (CBP) is not bound to an already established, formal, gate-kept curriculum, which means that we hope you will follow the threads that excite you!
The CPB was created with the intention of honoring the creative scholar in each of us, understanding that education does not need to look one specific way to be legitimate.
The vision for this program is that it will eventually include pathways for many dimensions of one's heritage; our inaugural program teaches learners about the ways in which contributions of Black Americans (spirituals, work songs, string band music, etc.) are foundational to the development of America's cultural and economic identity.
Black American Music (1619 - 1940)
The pilot program for this resource ran via Patreon for the entirety of 2022, meeting once or twice a month (virtually) to engage with culture bearers and discuss what they were learning with the group.
Moving forward, participation in this program will have two options, and you can choose one or both!
1. Purchase a resource packet for DIY study! The packet will include a small suite of resources for 12 themes (in 2 volumes) that we hope will set you on a path of self-guided exploration.
2. Join a cohort of other learners! With this option, you'll receive an expanded resource packet for each theme and meet regularly (virtually) to engage with culture bearers and discuss what you are learning with the group.
This is a DIY curriculum, meaning we will provide a collection of resources for each theme (articles, podcasts, videos, books and playlists), but our hope is that you'll be inspired to dig deeper into the things that you find compelling thus creating a learning path that really resonates for you.
"The gatherings have been incredibly informative and helpful. It's so important to hear from others about how they are navigating the materials. Other points of view can only enhance my own engagement with learning and I appreciate and cherish the supportive nature of this community."
-2022 CBP Particpiant
"I love the resource packets! Super comprehensive, lots of directions to explore and different ways to engage. Really appreciate the mix of articles, audio & video."
-2022 CBP Participant
Yiddish Music & Heritage
Coming in 2023!
Native Music & Storytelling
The Rhapsody Project was awarded a grant to fund the development of a Native Music & Storytelling CBP program! Indigenous artists are working on this project now — watch this space for updates.
for ages 16 and up
meets virtually or DIY
sliding scale pricing TBD
rolling basis, starts early 2023