In 2007, Rhiannon Giddens performed at the Folk Alliance International conference with the aspiring black string band Carolina Chocolate Drops. On January 25, 2020, following one Grammy Award, six Grammy nominations and her MacArthur Foundation “genius” grant, Giddens is delivering the keynote speech at the FAI conference in New Orleans.

A singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from Greensboro, North Carolina, Gid...