Cultural Equity Council

About the Cultural Equity Council

At the heart of FAI’s stated community and organizational values is an intentional and ongoing effort to ensure a diverse, equitable, inclusive, and accessible folk music industry, free of racism, harassment, and discrimination. To address, encourage, and implement change in the folk community, FAI committed to a now eight-year process of self-examination, training, and outreach to make necessary changes and nurture a more representative membership.

Announced in 2020 in conjunction with the release of FAI’s draft cultural equity statement, and following a year of internal training with BIPOC**-owned Team Dynamics, we are thrilled to introduce FAI’s Cultural Equity Council. The Council is a formal arms-length listening body independent of the FAI Board and staff with the goal to make equity recommendations to inform FAI’s new strategic plan, moving from initiatives to policy. FAI is committed to accountable engagement of community members and provides honorariums for all equity-related work when asking BIPOC** and marginalized people to represent their unique perspectives. Select board and staff (including the Executive Director) participate in a non-voting capacity to provide context and administrative support.

 

Council Activities

  • Observe online Affinity Group sessions (March 1-4, 2022) designed for community input
  • Survey community regarding equity issues, experiences, and perspectives
  • Conduct an online Town Hall (March 29, 2022, 5 pm CT) for community reflections and feedback
  • Synthesize all input and reflections into an Equity Recommendations Report to the FAI Board

**Black, Indigenous, People of Color

To read each council member’s biography, please click on their photo.

Co-conveners of the Council

Karima Daoudi

Karima Daoudi

she/her

Senior Program Officer (Education Program), East-West Center

Dom Flemons

Dom Flemons

he/him

Artist

Council Members

Paula Boggs

Paula Boggs

Mercedes Caxaj

Mercedes Caxaj

she/her

Head of Programs,

Small World Music

Elexa Dawson

Elexa Dawson

she/they

Artist

Susie Giang*

Susie Giang*

she/they

Agent, Ground Control Touring

Reggie Harris

Reggie Harris

Justin Hiltner

Justin Hiltner

Umair Jaffar

Umair Jaffar

he/him

Executive Director, Small World Music

 

Janice Jo Lee

Janice Jo Lee

Lilli Lewis

Lilli Lewis

she/her

Artist

Jacquelyn Marushka

Jacquelyn Marushka

she/her

Founder/President,

Marushka Media

 

Charlie Mosbrook

Charlie Mosbrook

he/him

Musician

Caroline Randall Williams*

Caroline Randall Williams*

she/her

Artist / Author / Scholar,  Vanderbilt University

Amy Reitnouer Jacobs*

Amy Reitnouer Jacobs*

she/her

Executive Director, The Bluegrass Situation

Alka Sharma*

Alka Sharma*

she/her/elle

Senior Program Advisor,

Canadian Arts Presentation Fund

Gerald Torres*

Gerald Torres*

he/him

Professor of Law,

 Yale University

* This individual serves on FAI’s Board of Directors