The National Association of Black Storytellers (NABS) is proud to announce the Black Appalachian Storytellers Fellowship to honor, celebrate, and support Black storytellers representing the Appalachian counties (as designated by the Appalachian Regional Commission) of Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia, Tennessee, Kentucky, and North Carolina. This is a partnership between the National Association of Black Storytellers, Mid Atlantic Arts, and South Arts. The Black Appalachian Storytellers Fellowship is administered by the National Association of Black Storytellers.

The NABS Black Appalachian Storytellers Fellowship is funded in part by Mid Atlantic Arts’ Central Appalachia Living Traditions Program and South Arts' In These Mountains, Central Appalachian Folk Arts & Culture initiative.

NABS Black Appalachian Storytellers Fellowships will provide six (6) $5,000 awards to support experienced practitioners and culture bearers with opportunities to examine, research, develop, perform, and/or document the Black Appalachian oral storytelling tradition. One fellowship will be awarded to represent each of the six eligible states.

Mid Atlantic Arts and South Arts Fellows will receive an additional $2000 to apply toward travel and lodging to the “In the Tradition…” 44th Annual National Black Storytelling Festival and Conference, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, 801 Greenwich Ave. Warwick, RI 02886.

Fellows will also receive a membership to the National Association of Black Storytellers for the period of September 1, 2026 to December 31, 2027, Membership is non-transferable.

PROGRAM GOALS

The 2026-2027 Black Appalachian Storytellers Fellowships follow the mission of the National Association of Black Storytellers to promote and perpetuate the art of Black storytelling—an art form which embodies the history, heritage, and culture of African Americans. Black storytellers educate and entertain through the oral tradition, which depicts and documents the African American experience. A nationally organized body with individual, affiliate, and organizational memberships, NABS preserves and passes on the folklore, legends, myths, fables, and mores of Africans and their descendants and ancestors—"In the Tradition..."

Goals of the initiative are to preserve and advance the understanding of Black Appalachian oral storytelling that embodies the history, heritage, and culture of African Americans and build bridges through intergenerational opportunities.

In the administration of this Fellowship, NABS will continue and extend the impact of Mid Atlantic Arts' and South Arts’ commitments to folk and traditional arts in their regions. Storytellers will explore the transmission, understanding, and appreciation of the oral traditions currently practiced in Central Appalachia by African Americans.

RECIPIENTS MUST:

• Be a resident, native, or culture keeper of at least one of the counties designated within Mid Atlantic Arts' Central Appalachian Living Traditions (CALT) program and South Arts' In These Mountains, Central Appalachian Folk Arts and Culture Initiative.
• Have the commitment and proven ability to sustain the traditions of Blackstorytelling.
• Identify as an oral tradition culture bearer and reflect the story-sharing traditions of family and/or community.
• Represent one of the counties designated by the Appalachian Regional Commission in Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, or North Carolina.
• Be engaged in ongoing work that collects, creates, and preserves Black life and lore in Appalachia.
• May present an educational program/presentation of their choosing in their home community and/or a Black Appalachian Storytellers Fellowship state. Programs/presentations may be presented to a school, library, scout group, club, after-school program, community center, theater, senior groups, etc. The program should be presented in-person and completed by May 30, 2027. The program will be documented and archived.
• Be able to attend the 44th “In the Tradition…” National Black Storytelling Festival and Conference in Warwick, RI at the Crowne Plaza Hotel.
• Be able to attend the Award Ceremony on Friday, November 6, 2027 at the “In the Tradition…” National Black Storytelling Festival and Conference.
• Be able to attend the 45th “In the Tradition…” National Black Storytelling Festival and Conference in Asheville, NC in November, 2027. Travel stipend provided by Mid Atlantic Arts and South Arts.
• Must prepare to present at the 45th “In the Tradition…” National Black Storytelling Festival and Conference in Asheville, NC, 2027. Fellows may choose to lead a workshop or participate in a concert performance. Presentation can include folklore, legends, songs, and/or poetry representative of Appalachian Black cultural traditions.
• Be available to be interviewed by NABS staff during the award period, before May 30, 2027.
• Be at least 21 years of age.
• Provide a final report on the implementation of the Black Appalachian Storytellers Fellowship Award in written or video format to the National Association of Black Storytellers by June 15, 2027. This report will be archived as a record of the awards application and impact.

ELIGIBLE COUNTIES

Applicants must be a current resident or native of and have deep ties to the traditions, customs, or ancestry of Black Appalachia represented within the following counties:

Kentucky: Adair, Bath, Bell, Boyd, Breath, Carter, Casey, Clark, Clay, Clinton, Cumberland, Edmonson, Elliott, Estill, Fleming, Floyd, Garrard, Green, Greenup, Harlan, Hart, Jackson, Johnson, Knott, Knox, Laurel, Lawrence, Lee, Leslie, Letter, Lewis, Lincoln, McCreary, Madison, Magoffin, Martin, Menifee, Metcalfe, Monroe, Montgomery, Morgan, Nicholas, Owsley, Perry, Pike, Powell, Pulaski, Robertson, Rockcastle, Rowan, Russell, Wayne, Whitley, and Wolfe

North Carolina: Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Cherokee, Clay, Cleveland, Davie, Forsyth, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, McDowell, Macon, Madison, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Stokes, Surry, Swain, Transylvania, Watauga, Wilkes, Yadkin, and Yancey

Ohio: Adams, Ashtabula, Athens, Belmont, Brown, Carroll, Clermont, Columbiana, Coshocton, Gallia, Guernsey, Harrison, Highland, Hocking, Holmes, Jackson, Jefferson, Lawrence, Mahoning, Meigs, Monroe, Morgan, Muskingum, Noble, Perry, Pike, Ross, Scioto, Trumbull, Tuscarawas, Vinton, and Washington

Tennessee: Anderson, Bledsoe, Blount, Bradley, Campbell, Cannon, Carter, Claiborne, Clay, Cocke, Coffee, Cumberland, De Kalb, Fentress, Franklin, Grainger, Greene, Grundy, Hamblen, Hamilton, Hancock, Hawkins, Jackson, Jefferson, Johnson, Knox, Lawrence, Lewis, Loudon, McMinn, Macon, Marion, Meigs, Monroe, Morgan, Overton, Pickett, Polk, Putnam, Rhea, Roane, Scott, Sequatchie, Sevier, Smith, Sullivan, Unicoi, Union, Van Buren, Warren, Washington, and White

Virginia: Alleghany, Bath, Bland, Botetourt, Buchanan, Carroll, Craig, Dickenson, Floyd, Giles, Grayson, Henry, Highland, Lee, Montgomery, Patrick, Pulaski, Rockbridge, Russell, Scott, Smyth, Tazewell, Washington, Wise, and Wythe. The following independent cities in Virginia are also within the Appalachian Region: Bristol, Buena Vista, Covington, Galax, Lexington, Martinsville, Norton, and Radford

West Virginia: All counties: Barbour, Berkeley, Boone, Braxton, Brooke, Cabell, Calhoun, Clay, Doddridge, Fayette, Gilmer, Grant, Greenbrier, Hampshire, Hancock, Hardy, Harrison, Jackson, Jefferson, Kanawha, Lewis, Lincoln, Logan, Marion, Marshall, Mason, McDowell, Mercer, Mineral, Mingo, Monongalia, Monroe, Morgan, Nicholas, Ohio, Pendleton, Pleasants, Pocahontas, Preston, Putnam, Raleigh, Randolph, Ritchie, Roane, Summers, Taylor, Tucker, Tyler, Upshur, Wayne, Webster, Wetzel, Wirt, Wood, and Wyoming

APPLICATION PROCESS
Unless section says "OPTIONAL," all answers are required.

Deadline for Application: August 3, 2026, 11:59 pm. EST

Applications can be completed and submitted either by the applicant (traditional storyteller) or on their behalf by a nominator (family or community member). The components of the application are as follows:

1) Application Form
2) Work Samples
3) Support Materials (letters of support, news articles, fliers)
5) Proof of residency, birth or familial connection in eligible county
6) Professional Photo
7) Bio

Submission and Application Deadline:

Completed applications, including work samples and support material, must be submitted electronically by August 3, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. EST.

REVIEW PROCESS

Panelist Review: A panel of experts in the field, consisting of folklorists and traditional Black Appalachian Storytellers will conduct the review, evaluating each application by the following criteria:

• Evidence of practicing, telling and sustaining Black Appalachian life through the oral storytelling tradition: 30%
• History of the applicant’s informal training or practice associated with their Appalachian cultural community: 30%
• Impact of the applicant’s Appalachian work on their family/community and oral storytelling tradition: 30%
• Explanation of future practice: 10%

AWARD NOTIFICATION

Applicants will receive notification of their award status by September 3, 2026. Six artist fellowships will be awarded, one in each of the six eligible states. The 2026 awards of $5,000 per recipient are to be used between September 2026 and June 2027.

Black Appalachian Storytellers Fellowship recipients should note award money of $5,000 constitutes taxable income and must be filed as such.

TIMELINE

• Application Open: June 15, 2026
• Application Deadline: August 3, 2026
• Panel Review: August 24, 2026
• Official Fellow Notifications: September 3, 2026 by Co-Founder Linda Goss
• Public Announcement: September 10, 2026
• Membership to National Association of Black Storytellers: September 2026 to December 31, 2027
• Attend Black Appalachian Storytellers Award Ceremony at 44th Annual National "In the Tradition..." Black Storytelling Festival and Conference in Rhode Island, November 3-8, 2026
• Fellows Final Report Due: June 15, 2027
• Present at the National Association of Black Storytellers Festival and Conference in Asheville, NC in November, 2027

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF BLACK STORYTELLERS’ MISSION STATEMENT

The National Association of Black Storytellers, Inc. (NABS) promotes and perpetuates the art of Black storytelling--an art form which embodies the history, heritage, and culture of African Americans. Black storytellers educate and entertain through the Oral Tradition, which depicts and documents the African-American experience. A nationally organized body with individual, affiliate, and organizational memberships, NABS preserves and passes on the folklore, legends, myths, fables and mores of Africans and their descendants and ancestors - "In the Tradition...".