The past year or so has brought many changes to the RFC’s Advisory Board, a group comprised of artists, activists, academics and various other experts who endorse the Fund’s mission, offer guidance, and participate in many of our public events. We lost Richie Havens and Pete and Toshi Seeger, all of whom were involved with our work for decades. But we’re excited to have added several dynamic new members. (See a full list of current and former Advisory Board members at www.rfc.org/staffandboards.)

Chuck D and Gaye Theresa Johnson are a husband-and-wife duo (and parents) who share a commitment to many of the struggles that are important to the RFC community, including freedom for political prisoners, an end to racial profiling and police brutality, and greater economic and social justice. Chuck is an artist, activist and founder of legendary rap group Public Enemy. Gaye is an associate professor of Black Studies at UCSB and author of the recent book, Spaces of Conflict, Sounds of Solidarity: Music, Race, and Spatial Entitlement in Los Angeles. At the time they joined the Advisory Board, Gaye wrote us a note describing her, “great admiration, respect and faith in the work we can do together.”

Multi-faceted artist Eve Ensler, and folk duo Mike and Ruthy Merenda (who are also the parents of two small children), joined our Advisory Board after their wonderful performances in our CARRY IT FORWARD event in 2013. The final recent addition is author Ellen Meeropol (mother of RFC Executive Director, Jenn Meeropol, and wife of Robert, the RFC’s founder), who along with penning novels, wrote the script for CARRY IT FORWARD.

While we mourn the passing of our earliest Advisory Board members, we are honored to have these talented and principled artists step in to their places.