Songs like the Banana Boat Song and Sloop John B may have Afro roots, but if you think that most people equate them with African-American or Afro-Carib traditions you are wrong.   Through the "folk process", these songs have lost their roots and moved from folk to pop music.

Azizi made some very interesting points in her first post that I agree with. I would take it a step further. The image of "folk music" as the Peter, Paul & Mary type of music is prevelant among anyone who knows nothing about the music.

Why do young people stay away? Perhaps they were dragged to a folk festival and have images of aging hippies in faded tie-dyed shirts shaking beer bellies and stringy long hair to off key banjo pickers. The music that the mainstream considers "folk" is aging white singer-songwriters.

I book a local folk music club, the Hurdy-Gurdy, in Paramus, NJ.   We've presented some of the artists who were mentioned previously in this thread as well as other "black" artist who are popular in the folk scene - artists as Sparky & Rhonda Rucker, Kim & Reggie Harris, Vance Gilbert, etc. Having an African American performer does not mean that an African American audience will attend the show. Nor will it mean that young people, elderly, Asian, Polish, Russian, Gay, Left Wing, Right Wing or chicken wing audiences will show up. People will show up because the music is good and they like it.

The saying goes you can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink. You can't plan a cultural revolution or a change in taste. All you can do is offer good music, keep an open door and welcome everyone who shows up.