Statement from Andrea Powell, co-founder of FAIR Girls

Dear Survivors, Allies, and Community,

I am writing this statement as the co-founder of FAIR Girls. Until December 2017, I was also the Executive Director. I am deeply saddened to learn of the newly filed lawsuit by a survivor against FAIR Girls’ recently departed Executive Director, Erin Andrews and FAIR Girls’ Board of Directors.

While I can not directly speak to the facts of the lawsuit against FAIR Girls, it has never been an option for me to stay silent when I hear someone has been harmed.

In this spirit, I want to make two things clear. First, no one should ever experience racial discrimination, harassment, bullying, or harm of any kind in their workplace, especially survivors of human trafficking who have already experienced more abuse and exploitation than most people can imagine. Second, all forms of discrimination and harassment are abhorrent to me and do not belong in the FAIR Girls I co-founded, poured my heart into building, and remember.

When I founded FAIR Girls, it was a love story that began with a desire to see every young woman and girl we served be free, safe, and restored. We began in my tiny Boston apartment and eventually moved to a tiny basement in Washington, D.C.. I was predominantly a volunteer for my own organization for many years while we grew. While we were not an organization with a big budget and a fancy office; we had a love for each other and those we served. Many of my staff stayed for several years out of deep dedication to FAIR Girls, our mission, and the girls who inspired us daily.

In 2014, FAIR Girls opened our Vida Home, a tiny little apartment in Washington, D.C. that was the first safe home specially designed for survivors of human trafficking in the nation’s capital. It was named for a young woman who I had met in Serbia whose life of homelessness as an orphan led her and her sisters into a horrible cycle of abuse and exploitation. No girl deserves Vida’s fate and thus, with her inspiration and blessing, we named the Vida Home in her honor. With our small budget, we found volunteers and donated beds and other things to create this space where survivors could begin to heal. We all worked double shifts to keep the doors open for survivors. I have many beautiful and sometimes humorous memories of late nights cooking, reading, playing with makeup and listening to music. I also have countless memories of sitting on our donated sofas, listening to survivors share their journeys to find themselves after trafficking. I cherish those memories.

At our drop-in center, we had donated clothing, lots of snacks and a welcome door to survivors who reached out to us. For some time, we even had a therapy dog who made survivors and staff feel very loved. We also remained welcoming to our partners and colleagues who made referrals to us and spent countless hours working together to create programs to support survivors across the city. Our court and law enforcement partners were among those I most enjoyed collaborating with on programs at FAIR Girls. What I truly enjoyed most was that through the challenges, of which there were many, we supported one another. No leader is perfect; But, to the best of my ability, I addressed the concerns of my team and of survivors and tried to learn from them how to best lead with love and integrity.

FAIR Girls remains in my heart, as does the Vida Home. I remain committed to the values with which we were founded that include grace, supporting survivors, being trauma-informed and acting with compassion. In co-founding Karana Rising with a group of survivors, many of whom I met when they came to FAIR Girls, I strived to carry those values forward. Survivors not only need a space but can also create one, which is what we have done. We believe survivors at Karana Rising and we stand by them.

When I transitioned completely from FAIR Girls in April 2018, I was no longer involved in any of FAIR Girls operations. Thus, I can not speak to the merits of the allegations against Erin Andrews and FAIR Girls’ Executive Board of Directors, nor am I a representative of FAIR Girls. However, it pains me greatly that the organization I co-created out of love and a desire to be a safe space for survivors’ healing is now being accused of the very discrimination, harm, and unfair treatment we took a stand against in building FAIR Girls. This is not the FAIR Girls I knew; more importantly, this is not the world I wished to create for survivors in creating FAIR Girls. To every survivor who reads this statement, I truly wish you healing and support, and to know that I am still standing here with you. I still see you and honor you. You are the reason FAIR Girls came into being and Karana Rising now exists. You are my soul’s deepest inspiration and I remain committed to listening to you, learning from you, and evolving with you. Please do not hesitate to be in touch.

Andrea Powell

617.785.9243, andrea@karanarising.org

Co-Founder and Executive Director, Karana Rising + Co-Founder, FAIR Girls