Kam Franklin, lead singer for genre-blending soul group The Suffers, might well be described as a musical powerhouse with her rich mezzo-soprano vocals, but in fact her passions only begin with music and extend far beyond it. While she believes she is at her most productive when she brings joy through her myriad musical projects, she also channels her passion through the causes close to her heart, such as HeadCount, which uses the power of music to encourage fans to participate in the democratic process, and The Recording Academy. As a woman of color, Franklin has dedicated her career to paving the way for her successors so that they, too, can not only navigate – but thrive – in what is still a predominantly racist and sexist music industry. Ultimately she stresses the importance of self-care and self-love for her community in the midst of the Black Lives Matter movement and the value of dreaming big when the world tries to minimize your voice.
TOPICS DISCUSSED
· The value of dreaming big
· How the Black Lives Matter movement has been influencing her activism
· How music is her strongest form of protest
· Voting during the era of Covid-19
· How she got involved with HeadCount to increase voter participation among music fans
· Leading with kindness
· How practicing self-love has helped her reach her full potential
· How she’s juggling three upcoming records
· Navigating racism and sexism within the music industry
· The importance of voting in the upcoming elections
RESOURCES