Ari Afsar Champions Freedom to Read, Earns MPA Degree
Singer-songwriter turned advocate marks weekend with a library rally, MPA graduation, bash
Pratibha holds a master's degree in English from Madras University. A bookworm from a young age, she devours books and digital humanities to nourish her writing projects. Pratibha began her writing career in 2018 and has experience writing formal, informal, and technical content.
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Ari Afsar capped off a busy weekend by blending activism, academic achievement, and celebration. Over three consecutive events, the Broadway performer and public policy advocate took part in a rally for the Freedom to Read Act, donned her cap and gown for a Master of Public Administration degree ceremony, and closed out the weekend with a lively ‘engraduation’ party.
Weekend At A Glance
Last weekend’s itinerary couldn’t have been more diverse. On Saturday, Afsar joined fellow advocates at a demonstration urging lawmakers to pass the Freedom to Read Act, a proposed federal bill aimed at protecting libraries from censorship. By Sunday morning, she was seated among her NYU Wagner classmates, officially graduating with an MPA. Later that evening, friends and family gathered for what Afsar cheekily called an “engraduation party,” complete with confetti, toasts, and plenty of laughter.
Rally For The Freedom To Read Act
Armed with homemade signs and clad in protest gear, Afsar stood alongside librarians, teachers, and fellow artists outside the state capitol. The Freedom to Read Act would ensure that local libraries have the right to purchase and circulate books without fear of political censorship, supporters say. In one photo shared on her Instagram, Afsar holds a cardboard placard reading “Libraries Are Safe Spaces,” her expression determined under an overcast sky. She later told followers, “I believe in the power of literature to change minds—and policy.”
Master Of Public Administration Graduation
Just hours after the rally, Afsar switched gears and joined her fellow graduates on stage at NYU’s commencement ceremony. Clad in royal blue regalia, she stepped forward to accept her diploma in Public Administration. Her Instagram caption noted the significance: “graduation to be a Master of Public Admin.” University officials congratulated her for outstanding leadership in community engagement projects, highlighting her work with the Tony-award Broadway Advocacy Coalition’s Artivism fellowship.
Afsar’s academic journey began at NYU Wagner after earlier studies in Ethnomusicology at UCLA. She’s credited her coursework in budgeting, policy analysis, and nonprofit management for equipping her to lead arts-driven advocacy campaigns. “This degree is about bringing cultural change to policy decisions,” she told peers in her valedictory address.
Celebratory Engraduation Party
What’s a graduation without a party? In another set of images, Afsar is surrounded by cheering friends in a loft space dotted with balloons and streamers. One shot shows her raising a glass of champagne as the crowd chants her name. A garland reading “Congrats MPA” hangs overhead, confirming the theme. Guests snapped photos with the graduate against a custom backdrop, complete with stacks of her favorite novels—a nod to both her new degree and weekend activism.
From Broadway To Public Policy
Ari Afsar is best known for originating the role of Eliza Hamilton in the Chicago company of Hamilton and for her work on Netflix’s top-10 film Wedding Season. Offstage, she’s a composer, singer-songwriter, and community organizer who opened for figures like Michelle Obama and Kamala Harris. Beyond performance, she’s dedicated to “art changing culture, and culture changing policy,” as she put it in an earlier Instagram announcement for her Artivism fellowship.
Her recent projects include the development of a new musical, I & YOU, premiering this fall at McCarter Theatre, and songwriting collaborations for Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile. With her newly earned MPA in hand, Afsar plans to bridge her artistic platform and policy expertise to push for equitable access to literature and theater programming in underserved communities.
By blending her public administration skills with her performance background, she’s positioned herself as a rare voice in both arts and policy circles. Over the coming months, Afsar will join panels on cultural policy reform and lead workshops for aspiring artist-advocates.
As the weekend wound down, Afsar reflected on Instagram: “last weekend: 1. rally for Freedom to Read Act 2. graduation to be a Master of Public Admin 3. engraduation party 🎉” That succinct recap captures the multifaceted journey of a star who refuses to trade her stage lights for a desk—and instead brings both worlds together.
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