---
title: Inciter Art | Fractured Atlas | Lauren Ruffin
description: Lauren Olivia Ruffin is Fractured Atlas’s Chief External Relations Officer, responsible for the organization’s marketing, communications, community engagement, and fundraising. Prior to joining the team at Fractured Atlas, Lauren served as Director of Development for DC-based organizations Martha’s Table and the National Center for Children and Families. She was also fortunate to serve in various roles at and various positions at the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, Children’s Defense Fund, New Leaders, and AAUW. Before entering the nonprofit sector, Lauren held the position of Assistant Director of Government Affairs for Gray Global Advisors, a bipartisan government relations firm. She graduated from Mount Holyoke College with a degree in Political Science and obtained a J.D. from the Howard University School of Law. In her spare time, she serves on the Board of Directors of Black Girls Code, and can be found mountain biking or gesturing wildly at the teevee in support of Duke University’s men’s basketball team.
---
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### Lauren Ruffin
Lauren Olivia Ruffin is Fractured Atlas’s Chief External Relations Officer, responsible for the organization’s marketing, communications, community engagement, and fundraising. Prior to joining the team at Fractured Atlas, Lauren served as Director of Development for DC-based organizations Martha’s Table and the National Center for Children and Families. She was also fortunate to serve in various roles at and various positions at the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, Children’s Defense Fund, New Leaders, and AAUW. Before entering the nonprofit sector, Lauren held the position of Assistant Director of Government Affairs for Gray Global Advisors, a bipartisan government relations firm. She graduated from Mount Holyoke College with a degree in Political Science and obtained a J.D. from the Howard University School of Law. In her spare time, she serves on the Board of Directors of Black Girls Code, and can be found mountain biking or gesturing wildly at the teevee in support of Duke University’s men’s basketball team.
[](https://blog.fracturedatlas.org/arts-culture-poverty)
[Big Ideas](https://blog.fracturedatlas.org/topic/big-ideas) | [COVID-19](https://blog.fracturedatlas.org/topic/covid-19)
## [On Arts, Culture, and the (Now) Unavoidable Spectre of Poverty](https://blog.fracturedatlas.org/arts-culture-poverty)
By [Lauren Ruffin](https://blog.fracturedatlas.org/author/lauren-ruffin)
March 31st, 2020
There’s not much to smile about these days. As I’m writing this, the United States just surpassed China as the nation with the most confirmed COVID-19 cases in the world, and it’s all but certain that by the time we “flatten the curve” we’ll see more loss of life than any other country as well. While the news is dotted every so often with a heartwarming story or ridiculous video of how we’re all coping with our new normal, it’s hard to feel that any good can come of this particular moment. I think there’s an opportunity for the arts community to address a massive issue that it can’t quite figure out how to talk about: poverty.
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[](https://blog.fracturedatlas.org/have-you-thought-about-running-for-office-introducing-artist-campaign-school-11a4ab0059a1)
[Big Ideas](https://blog.fracturedatlas.org/topic/big-ideas) | [Advocacy](https://blog.fracturedatlas.org/topic/advocacy) | [Arts](https://blog.fracturedatlas.org/topic/arts) | [Campaign](https://blog.fracturedatlas.org/topic/campaign)
## [Have You Thought About Running for Office? Introducing: Artist Campaign School!](https://blog.fracturedatlas.org/have-you-thought-about-running-for-office-introducing-artist-campaign-school-11a4ab0059a1)
By [Lauren Ruffin](https://blog.fracturedatlas.org/author/lauren-ruffin)
August 4th, 2017
Image credit: @backfromthefuture2 via Twenty20 If “weekend protesting” has replaced your normal “weekend brunching,” if you now have your Member of Congress’ phone number programmed into your phone, if you have Facebooked, Tweeted, Instagrammed, or Pinned any sort of political commentary in the past several months… THIS POST IS FOR YOU.
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[](https://blog.fracturedatlas.org/our-next-step-in-anti-racism-and-anti-oppression-5e6d5589cbf0)
[Big Ideas](https://blog.fracturedatlas.org/topic/big-ideas) | [Advocacy](https://blog.fracturedatlas.org/topic/advocacy) | [Arts](https://blog.fracturedatlas.org/topic/arts) | [Anti-Racism/Anti-Oppression](https://blog.fracturedatlas.org/topic/anti-racism-anti-oppression)
## [Our Next Step in Anti-Racism and Anti-Oppression](https://blog.fracturedatlas.org/our-next-step-in-anti-racism-and-anti-oppression-5e6d5589cbf0)
By [Lauren Ruffin](https://blog.fracturedatlas.org/author/lauren-ruffin)
February 24th, 2017
Image credit: Nicolas Raymond The world has changed a lot since November, and we just wanted to take some time to remind you of who we are and where we think we’re going.
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[](https://blog.fracturedatlas.org/sanity-check-how-can-nonprofits-thrive-in-a-post-fact-environment-c8fd9fb991dc)
[Big Ideas](https://blog.fracturedatlas.org/topic/big-ideas) | [Advocacy](https://blog.fracturedatlas.org/topic/advocacy) | [Arts](https://blog.fracturedatlas.org/topic/arts) | [Resistance](https://blog.fracturedatlas.org/topic/resistance)
## [Sanity Check: How Can Nonprofits Thrive in a Post-Fact Environment?](https://blog.fracturedatlas.org/sanity-check-how-can-nonprofits-thrive-in-a-post-fact-environment-c8fd9fb991dc)
By [Lauren Ruffin](https://blog.fracturedatlas.org/author/lauren-ruffin)
February 13th, 2017
Credit: Tim O’Brien, Source Last month, I met a lovely white woman from Texas at a friend’s Women’s March afterparty. Our conversation didn’t begin with politics — she’s the director of a Montessori school and avid biker, I’m an education policy hobbyist and avid biker — so things were going well. And then, out of the blue, she makes a casual comment about wishing she didn’t have to make the trip to Washington to protest.
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[](https://blog.fracturedatlas.org/on-philanthropy-fascism-and-the-2016-election-a0a45413675b)
[Big Ideas](https://blog.fracturedatlas.org/topic/big-ideas) | [Advocacy](https://blog.fracturedatlas.org/topic/advocacy) | [Arts](https://blog.fracturedatlas.org/topic/arts)
## [On Philanthropy, Fascism, and the 2016 Election](https://blog.fracturedatlas.org/on-philanthropy-fascism-and-the-2016-election-a0a45413675b)
By [Lauren Ruffin](https://blog.fracturedatlas.org/author/lauren-ruffin)
November 14th, 2016
All toxic relationships thrive on potential. All of them. Humans are optimistically addicted to seeking comfort and rational answers at all times. As a result, we will stay far longer than we should, and behave much more passively than makes sense, working toxic jobs that offer meager promotion opportunities, breaking bread with toxic, self-absorbed friends who offer neither a helping hand nor a shoulder to cry on, and sleeping with toxic people incapable of caring for anyone but themselves. We would much rather engage in the fantastical potential of what these relationships could be than deal with the reality of what we already know they are.
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