Joy Ford Austin
Joy Ford Austin | |
|---|---|
St. Rose's High School | |
| Alma mater | McMaster University Trinity Washington University |
| Occupation(s) | non-profit executive, philanthropist |
| Spouse | Bobby William Austin |
| Children | Princess Ariana Austin Makonnen |
| Parent(s) | John Meredith Ford Sarojini Janki |
Joy Ford Austin is a Guyanese-American non-profit executive, philanthropist, humanitarian, and arts patron. She was the director of the African American Museums Association, which she helped found in 1980, and worked with institutions to preserve African-American culture and history. From 2000 to 2020, Austin served as the executive director of Humanities DC, an affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Since stepping down as executive director of Humanities DC, she has served as the president of AustinFord Associates and as the chief executive officer of Joy Ford Austin Arts and Humanities Advocacy.
Early life and education
Austin was born in
Career
Austin worked as a program manager at the Center for Arts and Culture in Washington, D.C. from 1998 to 2000. From 2000 to 2020, she served as the executive director of Humanities DC, an affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities.[5][6][7] In 2005, she launched the D.C. Community Heritage Project, a partnership between Humanities DC and the city government's Historic Preservation Office focused on preserving D.C. historic buildings and documenting the histories of people who lived and worked there.[5] As executive director, she also produced the D.C. Digital Museum and managed Culture Capital.[5][8]
She was the founding director of the African American Museums Association from 1980 to 1987.
Austin is the founder and president of AustinFord Associates, a consulting firm that works with the Presidential Commission for the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the W. K. Kellogg Foundation, Smithsonian Institution, Telesis Corporation, and the Chicago Housing Trust. Since May 2020, she has served as the chief executive officer of Joy Ford Austin Arts and Humanities Advocacy.
Personal life
Austin became a naturalized American citizen when she was twenty-six years old.[9]
She is married to Bobby William Austin, a sociologist and writer. One of their daughters, Ariana Joy Lalita Austin, is married to Prince Joel Dawit Makonnen, a great-grandson of Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie.[11] She is the aunt of cultural worker and community organizer Priya Dadlani.[12]
References
- ^ "SWEET DRINK: Wieting & Richter Ltd.: Cold Storage and Ice Depot – By Dr. Vibert Cambridge". August 2, 2021.
- ^ "WR-7". August 2, 2021.
- ^ "FamilySearch.org". ancestors.familysearch.org.
- ^ a b c "Sarojini Ford Obituary - Fort Myers, FL". Dignity Memorial.
- ^ a b c "Preservation Is Goal of D.C.'s Joy Ford Austin". The National Endowment for the Humanities.
- ^ "COUNCILMEMBER DAVID GROSSO COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION ANNOUNCES A PUBLIC ROUNDTABLE On Arts and Humanities Initiatives in DC Public and Public Charter Schools" (PDF). Council of the District of Columbia.
- ^ "Humanities DC Awards Vision Grants to 13 Projects". The Washington Informer. May 22, 2019.
- ^ Humanities Council of Washington, D. C. (November 15, 2001). "DC Humanities: Shaw Summer Heritage Program and Howard University Roll Call Conference".
- ^ a b c "AAAM Spotlight – Joy Ford Austin – Association of African American Museums".
- ^ "Austin, Joy Ford | George Washington University". searcharchives.library.gwu.edu.
- ^ "Ethiopian royalty headed to Guyana". Guyana Chronicle.
- ^ "How Priya Dadlani is using her grief work to fight capitalism". Vogue India. October 28, 2022.