Folklife Unfiltered: Stories of Work, Healing, and Song Across America

Every year, the American Folklife Center quietly fuels a wave of cultural discovery, supporting projects that dig deep into the everyday rituals and hidden histories of American life. In 2023, six projects earned fellowships and awards, each shining a light on overlooked voices and traditions. Among them: Black women in the Foreign Service share the unspoken codes of diplomacy; Western Pennsylvania’s locomotive workers recount decades of industrial upheaval; Puerto Rican healers reveal networks of care that stretch beyond hospital walls; and women sea captains chart their course through stormy seas and stereotypes. Meanwhile, researchers trace the echoes of protest songs from Alcatraz to the archives, preserve the hammered dulcimer’s Appalachian resonance, and follow the journey of Irish tunes in New Orleans. Each project adds a new thread to the American tapestry, proving that folklore is less about nostalgia and more about the living pulse of culture in motion. #AmericanFolklife #CulturalHeritage #OralHistory #Culture