We Are Family Foundation (WAFF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded by musician Nile Rodgers and his life partner, Nancy Hunt.
Presented during the opening session of the event, the announcement stated that Rodgers would be recognized for his "efforts to make the world a more peaceful, equal and inclusive place through his music, his commitment to fighting systemic racism, inequality and injustice, and by championing innovative youth voices."
[1] WAFF and UNESCO signed a memorandum of understanding to formalize a partnership to foster youth empowerment and combat discrimination globally in September 2024.
Written by Rodgers and Bernard Edwards in 1978, the 2001 recording featured Patti LaBelle, Queen Latifah, Diana Ross, Sister Sledge and Luther Vandross, among others.
[7][8] In December 2001, Rodgers recruited his friend, Sesame Street producer and songwriter Christopher Cerf, to help develop the project.
[8] With Hunt, Rodgers and Cerf created We Are Family: A Musical Message for All, a music video that featured more than 100 characters from children's television, including Arthur, Barney, Big Bird, Clifford the Big Red Dog, Dora the Explorer, Elmo, The Muppets, Pooh, and SpongeBob SquarePants.The three-minute video required cooperation from multiple stakeholders and took more than four months to complete.
"[11] In addition to tolerance and cultural diversity, We Are Family Foundation's early focus included education; a school-building campaign was initiated shortly after the organization was founded.
[10] In 2005, WAFF partnered with the Anti-Defamation League and its educational arm, A Word of Difference Institute, to create a tolerance and diversity curriculum built around We Are Family: A Musical Message for All.
FedEx donated their services and the DVD, intended to teach tolerance, was delivered to every private and public elementary school in the United States for free.
"[18] Censored in Mississippi and banned in Broward County, Florida,[19] the We Are Family: A Musical Message for All DVD was sent to schools on March 11, 2005, as initially planned.
[24][25] Honorees have included Maya Angelou, Bono, Jimmy Carter, Deepak Chopra, Roger Daltrey, LL Cool J, Jean Paul Gaultier, Sir Elton John, Quincy Jones, Nelson Mandela, Dikembe Mutombo, Dolly Parton, Paul Simon, Sting and Trudie Styler, Desmond and Leah Tutu and Steven Van Zandt.
[10][26][27][28][29] In 2008, WAFF introduced Three Dot Dash, a yearlong leadership and mentoring program designed to recognize and support the efforts of global teen leaders—young people who are leading projects that address issues related to basic human needs: food, water, health, shelter, safety, education and the environment.
[33] They included Jacob Barnett, an autistic teenager who became the world's youngest published astrophysics researcher ("Forgetting What You Know");[34] Marian Bechtel, who helped people in war-torn countries detect and avoid landmines ("Banjos, Landmines, and Saying Yes");[35] Jake Davis, an ethical hacker ("How We Hack the Planet");[36] Wu Tang Clan's GZA ("The Genius of Science");[37] three-time cancer survivor, Kajmere Houchins ("Opportunity, Just What the Doctor Ordered");[35] musician and producer Steve Lacy ("Bare Maximum"); Ann Makosinski, who invented a torch powered by the heat from her hand to help kids that didn’t have electricity at home study ("Why I Don't Have a Smart Phone");[38] Iraqi musician and activist Zuhal Sultan ("Why We Should Speak in Music");[36] and Marah Zahalka, the youngest member of the Middle East's first all-woman race car driving team ("Follow Your Drive").