Apr 11, 2019
Natalie 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