Fatima Bunafoor is the Director of Talent and Equity for the Pittsburgh Arts Cohort. Bunafoor is an equity and management professional who has dedicated her life to human rights, racial justice, assessments, training, education, and creating systems of accountability. Bunafoor was born in Bahrain and came to the US as an exchange student in 2010 at Juniata College. Bunafoor’s trajectory changed when the Arab Spring reached Bahrain. She focused educating and bringing awareness to the human rights defenders’ conditions on the ground. Her work in Bahrain and in the US led her to seeking asylum in the US. As Black woman who is biracial, middle eastern, and an immigrant, equity always played a role in her work. Bunafoor’s work started with child rights campaigns when she was 15 that grew to look at the global role in supporting human rights defenders in Bahrain, and understanding the impact of international law, to her work in government and non-profits to advancing equity, diversity, inclusion, and access in Pittsburgh. Bunafoor’s experience growing up in a mixed-race family, immigration story to the US, and work for the last 10 years have informed her strong belief that addressing inequity is integral to our collective growth.
