Kathy Richard, a Vermilion Parish native and Abbeville resident, has accepted a full-time position as director for Acadiana Cultural Health Access (ACHA). The organization is part of a program which she cofounded with the New Orleans Musicians Clinic in 1998 to assist musicians and other cultural workers with medical, dental and mental health issues. Richard expanded the program to assist clients in accessing resources from national funders such as MusiCares, Actors Fund and Jazz Foundation of America. “As Director of ACHA, I can now get back to my main focus of helping cultural workers”. Richard stated.
The National Conference on Tobacco or Health (NCTOH) invited Richard to be a presenter and panel organizer for their conference on June 29, 2022, at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in New Orleans. The NCTOH is the premier gathering in the United States tobacco-control movement.
Richard’s presentation was entitled “We Make A Good Gumbo: A Louisiana Cultural Experience.” Her talk was subtitled “Refining the Message and Messenger: Using Musicians and Entertainers as Tobacco Advocates” and provided an-in depth look at her creation of Musicians For Smoke Free Louisiana, the first fully organized musicians smoke free movement in the country. Richard spoke about her experiences in creating the statewide campaign, the recruitment of over 560 entertainers and hospitality workers into that movement and the incorporation of these musicians into numerous successful smoke-free campaigns.
Joining Richard were legendary New Orleans musician Paul Sanchez (songwriter, musician, and Cowboy Mouth band member) and Baton Rouge musician Henry Turner Jr. (producer, songwriter, Henry Turner Jr. & Flavor band leader). Both Sanchez and Turner related their experiences and personal stories working with Richard on the SmokeFreeNOLA and SmokeFreeEBR (East Baton Rouge) campaigns respectively.
“I noticed that musicians did not have, but desperately needed, smoke-free workplaces to be healthy,” Richard said. “I was drawn to organizing something special by musicians David Egan and Chubby Carrier. Of course, we lost David several years ago. His face is the one I see when I continue to work diligently. I will not stop until everyone in Louisiana has a healthy work environment.”
The statewide success of MSFL in the smoke-free ordinance passages of New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Shreveport, Hammond, New Iberia and Abbeville resulted from her dedication to the mission as she built local and national coalitions.
One of the most effective partners has been Cynthia Hallet, CEO of Americans For Nonsmokers Rights. At the conference, Richard provided the history and evolution of Musicians For Smoke Free Louisiana and tips on how national attendees can start their own smoke-free entertainers’ movements. Together, they envision forging the Smoke Free Music Cites, a network of smoke free cities across the US.
To learn more about Acadiana Cultural Health Access, including donation and volunteer information, visit here.
