The African American Craft Alliance

Formerly known as the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage's African American Craft Initiative, the newly renamed African African American Craft Alliance, brings craft artisans, makers and organizations together to

• encourage the vitality of African American craft, 
• support efforts to document and present African American work
• strengthen networks, and 
• increase access to opportunities and resources.

The Folk Education of Association of America has partnered with the newly renamed AACA to continue this excellent mission and to foster its launch as an independent African American led organization.  Dr. Diana Baird N’Diaye, PhD, Creative Director for the African American Craft Alliance will work alongside AACA members to find a permanent home for the alliance and to further its mission.

The African American Craft Alliance started with a series of foundational online convenings in 2020 and blossomed into several activities and projects based on suggestions from the community of African American makers, curators, educators, and craft entrepreneurs. One such blossoming became the Bridging and Bonding project.  Below you will find the publications created as a part of the birth of the AACI/AACA through the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage and soon additional events and publications that spotlight the ongoing work will also be shared.

For additional information regarding the African American Craft Alliance please contact drdiana@africanamericancraftalliance.org and sign up for the AACA Makers Bulletin.

Publications of the AACA formerly AACI