AFECT was formed in June 2020 by Karen Olivo and Eden Espinosa on the heels of continued violence and injustice against Black, Indigenous People of Color. Conversations were started in response to the racism that is prevalent in the American theater and it came to light that prominent Broadway names had repeatedly contributed to political candidates and movements that directly contradict the ideals of many artists in the industry. Armed with this knowledge, Olivo and Espinosa vowed to withhold their artistic services from “any theatre, company, or persons who would knowingly fund organizations that perpetuate inequality”.