A vocalist and composer, Ruth Naomi Floyd has been at the forefront of creating a discography of vocal jazz settings that express theology, history, and justice. Ruth has received fellowships, grants, awards, and commissions for her creative work, and she lectures and performs worldwide.
A committed music educator, Ruth is the first African American woman to serve as the Founding Director of a University Jazz Studies Program in the United States. Concordia College New York awarded Ruth an Honorary Doctorate for her unique and valuable contribution to the arts, her commitment to music education, and her justice work. In addition, Ruth is an award-winning photographer, and for over twenty-five years, she has been devoted and active in advocacy work surrounding incarceration, homelessness, and HIV/AIDS.