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.
Led by co-convenors Karima Daoudi and Dom Flemons, the council members include Paula Boggs, Mercedes Caxaj, Elexa Dawson, Reggie Harris, Justin Hiltner, Umair Jaffar, Janice Jo Lee, Lilli Lewis, Jacquelyn Marushka, and Charlie Mosbrook.
Supporting this council and present in meetings in a non-voting capacity are FAI Board members Alka Sharma, Susie Giang, Gerald Torres, Caroline Randall Williams, and Board President Amy Reitnouer Jacobs. Select board and staff (including the Executive Director) also participate in a non-voting capacity to provide context and administrative support.
FAI is committed to accountable engagement of community members and provides honorariums for all equity-related work when asking BIPOC* and marginalized peoples to represent their unique perspectives.
You can learn more about each of the council members here.
Share your thoughts with the Cultural Equity Council during Affinity Groups!
Affinity groups are community-oriented sessions designed to encourage and foster connections between folks within the FAI community who share a common identity or experience.
Our upcoming sessions will be observed by members of the Cultural Equity Council in order to get community feedback.
We’re offering sessions for the following groups:
- Young Folks (under 35)
- Hispanic/Latiné Folks
- Caregivers and Parents
- Indigenous Folks
- Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders
- Folks living with Cancer/Chronic Illness
- BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color)
- LGBTQ2IA+
- International
- Activists and Changemakers
- Folks with Disability
- Folks 55+
- Women
- Folks from the African Diaspora
Cultural Equity Council Town Hall
The council will be hosting an online Town Hall in March that’s open to anyone in the community. In advance, the council will make a call for community input and testimonials regarding equity issues in the music industry.
Mark your calendars! Registration details will be coming soon.