Richard Thurmond | A Story of Discovery - Ep. 100
On Life and Meaning
Richard Thurmond is a community and economic development executive for a place-making organization. In this episode we explore basketball, editing and publishing a city magazine, staying and leaving, and the values of curiosity and humility.
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Claude Alexander, Jr.| The Park Church - Ep. 99
On Life and Meaning
Claude Alexander, Jr. is bishop and senior pastor of a Baptist church. In this episode we explore the mission of the church, racism, misogyny and homophobia, segregation on Sunday mornings, the death of a brother, a crisis of faith, living with mystery, and the love of God.
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Jess George | Hope and Optimism - Ep. 98
On Life and Meaning
Jess George is a government and community affairs manager for a fiber optic company. In this episode we explore the digital divide, confronting bullies, being an ally to immigrants, and dropping keys to beautiful rowdy prisoners.
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Sonya Pfeiffer | A Life in Full - Ep. 97
On Life and Meaning
Sonya Pfeiffer is an art gallery owner and criminal defense attorney. In this episode we explore story-telling, standing up to the power of the state, unconventional paths, the Owl theory, the practice of Ahimsa, and the one chance we have in this life.
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Beatriz Friedmann | Conscious Evolution - Ep. 96
On Life and Meaning
Beatriz Friedmann is a school counselor and information technology consultant. In this episode we explore emigrating from Brazil to North America, a corporate career, a summer of loss and pain, finding new purpose, and becoming present one step at a time.
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Ken Lambla | Interdisciplinary Design - Ep. 95
On Life and Meaning
Ken Lambla is founding dean of a college of arts + architecture. In this episode we explore returning from Patagonia, merging fields of study, interdisciplinary design, stewardship, community, and how arts inform a life
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Clarence Armbrister | A Nurturing Place - Ep. 94
On Life and Meaning
Clarence ‘Clay’ Armbrister is president of a historically black college and university. In this episode we explore strategic goals, the benefits and challenges of HBCUs, a family story of defiance, the power of education, public service, and the value of relationships.
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Liz Clasen-Kelly | The Sacredness of Human Life - Ep. 93
On Life and Meaning
Liz Clasen-Kelly leads an agency serving men experiencing homelessness. In this episode we explore helping people needing shelter, working to end homelessness, abundant love, and encountering Christ in the in-between.
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Natalie Frazier Allen | Art Empowered - Ep. 92
On Life and Meaning
Natalie Frazier Allen leads an organization that connects youth to the arts. In this episode we explore adverse childhood experiences, the power of the arts to heal trauma, telling the truth, Spelman College, and reflections on career, family and faith.
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Tom Warshauer | Neighborhood Development - Ep. 91
On Life and Meaning
Tom Warshauer leads a municipal community engagement team. In this episode we explore neighborhood development, Wilmington and New Orleans, home restoration, planting ideas, and enjoying diverse and authentic lives.
info_outlineNatalie Frazier Allen is founder and executive director of The Arts Empowerment Project, a non-profit organization which provides funding to connect court-involved and at-risk children to high-quality existing arts programs. Natalie formerly served as Family Division Policy Counsel and as Chief of the Domestic Violence Unit in the Attorney General’s Office for the District of Columbia. She serves on the board of directors of The Mint Museum and has previously served on the boards of the Harvey B. Gantt Center for African American Arts + Culture and the Women’s Impact Fund. Natalie earned a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Spelman College, and a J.D. from The George Washington University National Law Center.
This episode is perfect for anyone interested in connecting at-risk children to the arts and finding one’s way back to childhood passions.
IN THIS EPISODE
- Natalie describes the mission and work of The Arts Empowerment Project.
- She discusses the population of at-risk children that The Arts Empowerment Project serves.
- She explains Adverse Childhood Experiences and the toxic stress it often causes in adulthood.
- She details the programs that The Arts Empowerment Project delivers.
- Natalie considers the effectiveness of her programs and the importance of social capital.
- She addresses how the arts helps people who have experienced trauma.
- She shares a story of a student who flourished after being exposed to the arts.
- She answers why the work of The Arts Empowerment Project matters.
- Natalie notes what she would prioritize if she had additional resources for The Arts Empowerment Project.
- She reflects on growing up in a working-class neighborhood in Queens, New York, the work of her siblings, what was most important in her family, and being a rule-follower.
- She shares what she loved about attending Spelman College and what being in the AKA sorority means to her.
- Natalie explains why experiencing studying and practicing law in Washington D.C. was a dream come true.
- She remembers a file that crossed her desk as a lawyer that had a particular impact on her.
- She answers why she left the law, what became most important to her, and how the idea of The Arts Empowerment Project came about.
- Natalie reflects on the importance of family and faith in her life.
plus Mark’s Personal Word Essay: The Disquieting Muses of the Space-Time Continuum
To learn more, visit On Life and Meaning