Four Kentuckians complete Community Scholars training in Mt. Vernon
FRANKFORT, Ky. (Jan. 15, 2024) — Since returning to his family farm in Berea in 2021 following a 22-year career in the United States Navy, Aaron Banther has been collecting stories about Farristown, a Black community in Madison County.
Banther’s recent completion of the Community Scholars program, however, will help enhance his efforts to tell that town’s story. He was one of four people who completed the program. Other graduates were bugz fraugg and Mark Spencer, also from Madison County, and Kyra Higgins of Knott County.
The Community Scholars program trains members of a community in documentation, interpretation and dissemination of their unique local cultural resources and traditional art forms. Training consists of several sessions and occurs each year in a different community across the state to ensure that the training is accessible to all Kentuckians. Certification as a Community Scholar opens many opportunities for future research projects. The training is coordinated by the Kentucky Folklife Program of the Western Kentucky University Department of Folk Studies and Anthropology, in partnership with the Kentucky Arts Council.
For nearly three years, Banther had been researching and collecting oral histories from current and former residents of Farristown thanks to a technical assistance grant from the Kentucky Oral History Commission, but Community Scholars training helped him hone his already keen interviewing skills.
“Once I went through Community Scholars training, I learned that there was so much I didn’t know,” Banther said. “It’s helped me pay attention to little things during interviews and be more organized. It was a real blessing for me.”
Historically, Community Scholars training has been administered by the Kentucky Arts Council, but for this year’s sessions, the program was administered by the Kentucky Folklife Program in conjunction with the arts council. Appalachia-Science in the Public Interest in Mt. Vernon hosted the pilot in-person/virtual sessions, which were facilitated by Community Scholars graduate and anthropologist Tammy Clemons.
Banther is well-situated for conducting research on Farristown. He is living on land his family has owned since the early 1900s. His ancestors were former enslaved people who were able to later purchase that land.
“I’m proud to have ownership of that land my ancestors once owned,” Banther said.
Community Scholars training has helped him learn even more about his family.
“I found out who my great-grandfather was. He was an enslaved person who fought in the Civil War,” he said. “Another great-grandfather owned up to 150 acres of land in Madison County. He bought his own freedom and was able to free his own children.”
Community Scholars training was a good way to give back to the place he lives, Banther said, and he recommends it for anyone who is community-minded.
“I don’t think Community Scholars is built for everyone, but it’s certainly built for those who want to give back to the community and bring untold stories to the public,” Banther said. “Traditions and culture are who we are as Americans. We are a diverse people, and a lot of stories, whether they are black or white, are a good way to educate people.”
If you are interested in pursuing Community Scholars training or would like more information on the program, contact Brent Bjorkman, brent.bjorkman@wku.edu.
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