Black Appalachian Young & Rising:
Black Appalachian Young & Rising (BAYR) is the Black Youth caucus of the STAY Project. BAYR is for Black Appalachian Youth and by Black Appalachian Youth.
Our lives involve a history and current reality of brilliance and struggle. The complexities are many, but connection guides our celebration of blackness and also our strategy for change. Our beautiful existence intersects with state violence and erasures amongst systems of racism and economic injustice.
Black, Appalachian, Young & Rising
So what does it mean to live here, be young, and be Black? Our gathering and consequent network will analyze this question and push this analysis into collective action. We will be creating a dignified and autonomous space for Black youth to:
1) define Black Appalachian joy and identity for ourselves
What encompasses our joy and who we are?
2) begin a restorative process for Black leadership in regional youth networks such as Stay Together Appalachian Youth (STAY)
What does it take for us to thrive?
and
3) celebrate the many shades and melodies of our existence
We out here, y’all!
Our gathering will be occurring in November and will be coordinated by Black youth who are living in Central Appalachia and ready to build for what we want for our present and futures.
So how can you contribute to Black Appalachian futures?
Donate! We need funding for 7 advisory committee members’ labor to meet and shape this gathering and future actions, 3 coordinators to hold down logistics and communications, and travel support for 20 Appalachian youth to be together and build!
What is STAY's role in the Black Appalachian Young and Rising Gathering?
This gathering is the work of Black Appalachian Youth for Black Appalachian Youth and not a program of the STAY Project. So why is it on STAY's website and what is the STAY Project's role in this gathering?
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. 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.
Fiscally supporting the inaugural Black Appalachian Young and Rising gathering in November 2019 was not only an attempt to rectify a wrong, but to actually live out STAY's commitment to the leadership of Black Appalachian youth within STAY leadership/membership, and beyond. 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. We fully believe that we cannot win if we do not support and flank Black youth leadership in Appalachia.
In January of 2020, STAY leaned further into our commitment to uplifting and supporting young Black leaders by making Black Appalachian Young & Rising a permanent program with the STAY Project, and hiring a new staff member to coordinate and build up this program. BAYR is not just a program of the STAY Project, because centering and building Black Youth Leadership must be a part of all of STAY’s work.