EPISODE CXXIII | "A CALL FOR CHANGE" w/ RACHEL KNOX

Growing up in Cherokee Heights as an only child, Rachel Knox has always had a love for the arts. It was no surprise she thrived in theatre arts while attending Houston High School and later majored in Fine Arts with a concentration in Costume Design and Technology at the University of Memphis. Upon graduation, Rachel accepted a role with Arena Stage in DC where she mastered the craft of the creative effects of audience strategy. A year later, she moved back to Memphis as the Manager of Teacher Professional Development and Community Partnerships at the Orpheum Theatre. Rachel currently serves as the Program Officer for the Thriving Arts and Culture and Engaged Leadership and Civic Pride portfolios at Hyde Family Foundation where she manages approximately $2.2M/year in grants to area non-profits. In addition, Rachel is the Board President of the CLTV (Collective) a non-profit Black cultural organization. On this episode, Rachel expresses her passion for using culture creatives as a springboard to invest in black communities. She also addresses the inequities our artists face as it relates to paying artists their worth. Now that we are in a global pandemic, it is definitely time to respect the labor that goes into the work creatives do. Lastly, Rachel coveys her thoughts on the recent lynching of George Floyd at the hands of law enforcement.