Black Appalachian Young & Rising:
Black Appalachian Young & Rising (BAYR) is a regional network dedicated to connecting, amplifying, & empowering young Black youth living in Central and Southern Appalachia.
BAYR’s mission is to empower Black youth in Appalachia.
What we do:
→ Connect youth to each other through regional gatherings and various programming.
→ Expose youth to the history and relevance of Appalachia, and how Black people influence the region — past, present, and future.
→ Develop leadership across the region by connecting youth with the resources and skills needed to make their visions for their community come true.
→ Amplify young leaders in the region who are already creating change.
We resist isolation by inviting Black youth to explore Black Appalachian identity in ways that ring true to our histories and lived experiences. We aim to create meaningful, authentic, and joyful spaces for Black youth to celebrate and reclaim the many shades and melodies of our existence. And we are committed to expanding opportunities for young people by cultivating holistic circles of support at the local level throughout Appalachia.
Our dream for our lifetime and generations to come is that Black youth in Appalachia will thrive!
It is important to note that BAYR in its current form exists as more than a program of STAY – BAYR is a Black autonomous space within STAY’s ecosystem. It has and continues to be shaped by and for Black youth living in Appalachia who are committed to building Black, youth-led movement infrastructure that will ultimately serve to transform and liberate themselves and their communities. Incubated within the STAY Project, BAYR is a real-world example of a commitment by a multi-racial regional network to practice reparations via the embrace and resourcing of Black autonomy and self-determination, a model that more movement organizations and formations could potentially learn from.
Our Context
Black Appalachian Young & Rising (BAYR) is a manifestation of a more than decade-long history of Black youth attempting to carve out a space for themselves within STAY. Since STAY's inception, member leaders have said that it is a goal to support and follow youth leadership, particularly from Black and LGBTQIA youth in Appalachia. From planning for a Youth of Color gathering in 2011, to a It’s Good to be Young in the Mountains Black youth caucus space in 2015, to Black youth leading racial justice committees at STAY and planning Black Youth Hangout gatherings in 2017 & 2018, to the first formal Black Appalachian Young & Rising gathering held in 2019 – there has always been a need at STAY for Black youth to self-organize into spaces to care for each other, discuss racial harm and trauma in the region, and unpack Appalachian identity and the ways that the Black experience connects (or disconnects).
Over the course of STAY’s life, we have and continue to provide life-changing spaces for white LGBTQIA youth, but had, in many ways, failed to embody our commitment to Black youth. Following BAYR’s first formal gathering, which was held in November 2019 at Pine Mountain Settlement School in Harlan County, KY, STAY re-rooted in its commitment to uplift and support young Black leaders by (1) making BAYR a permanent program within the organization and (2) hiring a full-time coordinator to develop and operationalize an action plan for BAYR. The inaugural gathering was a project designed for Black Appalachian Youth and by Black Appalachian youth, some of whom are members and leaders in STAY, and some of whom have no affiliation with STAY. This was not only an attempt to rectify historic wrongs, it also was intended as a way for STAY to formalize its commitment to Black Appalachian youth within STAY’s leadership, membership and beyond. While the COVID-19 pandemic slowed momentum that had been gained from the 2019 BAYR Gathering, Black youth continued the work to keep the spirit, vision and hope of BAYR alive and developed it’s mission, vision, values, and programming.
We out here, y’all!
If you are a young Black person ages 14-30 from Appalachia, become a BAYR member!
The BAYR Regional Gathering
Designed FUBU (For Us, By Us) BAYR Regional Gatherings convene black youth ages 18-30 in Central and Southern Appalachia who are excited about discussing challenges that they and their communities are experiencing and working with peers to create plans of action to address those challenges.
On September 18-21, 2025, nineteen Black youth living in Appalachia between the ages of 33 and 22 gathered in Kingston, TN for the first Black Appalachian Young & Rising (BAYR) Regional Gathering since 2019. This gathering was the culmination of the work led by the BAYR Fellowship. During the gathering participants built relationships, communed with the land, unpacked the Black experience in Appalachia (for better and worse), shared ideas to strengthen BAYR’s programmatic vision and much more. To learn more, check out the gathering synthesis here!
BAYR’s Program Areas:
Since 2019, multiple fellowships of Black youth have worked hard stewarding the development and programming of BAYR. In 2025, seven young Black organizers rooted in Appalachia set the foundation by clarifying and affirming BAYR’s mission, vision and values. Goals and a theory of change was also outlined for five priority programs that we are focusing on:
BAYR Regional Calls
BAYR Regional Gatherings
Liberation Tours
BAYR Buddies &
BAYR Dream Fund
Over the next four years, our focus is on deepening each program area, measuring impact clearly, and ensuring that BAYR expands the leadership capacity of Black youth across Appalachia.
So how can you contribute to Black Appalachian futures?
Donate!
