the african american folklorist for the month of july: benjamin hunter

Benjamin Hunter: Blues, Folk & The Future of Black Cultural Work

Featured Interview – The African American Folklorist

What happens when a classically trained violinist reclaims Black folk traditions, embraces the deep Blues, and makes community the stage? In our latest video feature, The African American Folklorist sits down with Benjamin Hunter—musician, composer, educator, and Artistic Director of Northwest Folklife—for a powerful conversation on cultural memory, creative resistance, and the role of the modern-day folklorist.

Ben Hunter isn’t just playing music—he’s cultivating spaces where Black memory, folk wisdom, and cultural power live and thrive. Whether through his award-winning duo with Joe Seamons, his original compositions for interdisciplinary performance, or his leadership in cultural organizing, Hunter embodies a unique fusion of artist and advocate.

Born of classical training but grounded in the oral, musical, and communal traditions of the African diaspora, Ben’s work moves across disciplines and generations. He is the co-founder of Community Arts Create, Black & Tan Hall, and the Hillman City Collaboratory—spaces that challenge gentrification and cultural erasure by centering art, equity, and local voice. His 2016 first-place win at the International Blues Challenge with Joe Seamons affirmed his place within a living Blues tradition that is as rooted in rural Southern resistance as it is in contemporary struggle and celebration.

In this episode, we discuss:

• His journey merging classical technique with folk and blues sensibilities

• The definition of “folk” from a Black perspective

• Why he sees music as a vehicle for cultural policy and activism

• His philosophy on tradition-bearing in today’s landscape

• Creating Black Bois and other interdisciplinary collaborations

• The future of cultural space-making and community power

“The music he plays not only spans an array of genres but a huge swath of history.”
— City Arts Magazine

Ben also reflects on the importance of listening, stewardship, and reclaiming the role of the artist as both storyteller and cultural worker. For those working at the intersections of heritage, creativity, and social change, his insights offer a vital model of praxis.

📽️ Watch the full interview now