Joe Zavaan Johnson (He/Him/Them) is a multi-instrumentalist, arts educator, and Black music researcher. His research looks at Black banjo recovery projects at the intersection of Black studies, human geography, folklore, and ethnomusicology. He frequently collaborates with grassroots organizations working towards coalition building, community healing, and cultural reparations. As an educator, he has taught workshops and presented lectures on Black banjo culture across the country. Johnson has earned a dual BM in Instrumental Music Performance and Ethnomusicology from Bowling Green State University, an MA in Ethnomusicology and Folklore, and is currently an Ethnomusicology PhD Candidate at Indiana University-Bloomington. He was an inaugural Black Banjo Fellowship recipient with the Oakland Public Conservatory of Music, where he now teaches banjo and music history classes. Recently, Johnson was a featured artist at the Biscuits and Banjos, the Berkeley Old Time Music Convention, the DeFord Bailey Legacy Festival, and the Fort Worth African American Roots Music Festival.

Read more about Joe’s dissertation research project funded by the Mellon/ACLS Dissertation Innovation Fellowship here.