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Yolonda Lavender Executive Director, Black Arts and Cultural Center Kalamazoo native Yolonda Lavender is pulling
double duty these days. The neo-soul singer and songwriter with two albums to her credit — 2009’s Soul Artistry and 2013’s The Genre of Me — became the executive director of the Black Arts and Cultural Center in January. It might seem difficult to run a nonprofit arts organization and pursue a solo singing career at the same time, but Lavender finds both aspects of her work exhilarating. “I’m basically driving the vehicle, and I’m loving it,” she says. What do you do at the BACC? I manage the day-to-day operations, organize events and activities and manage our staff and volunteers. My schedule has been crazy as of late. We’re just coming off of the Black Arts Festival, and I was heavily involved in that.
Brian Powers
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