For Black History Month, we're taking a look at a group of leaders who are currently actively making Black history across the labor movement. Check back daily for a new profile and meet some of the people working to improve not only their community, but also to improve conditions for working people across the country. Today's profile is Lesa Terry of the American Federation of Musicians (AFM).
Straddling genres has given Lesa Terry a deeper appreciation of her own culture, as a woman of color. “When I was learning the violin, there was something of my heritage that I was leaving behind,” she said. “Focusing on what was missing made me a much stronger player, and it made me a better teacher.” Terry joined AFM when she was in her 20s. She served on AFM Local 47's board in the early 2000s. “It was an opportunity to have a voice in my own way, and to develop an ability to express myself with a strong conviction of what I believed in and how I could help.”