Samira Abed
This interview is with Samira Abed, a Palestinian-American businesswoman living in Florida. Samira describes her youth in Brazil, her time in Palestine, and her immigration to the US after her marriage. She talks about raising her family in Texas and becoming a businesswoman. Samira shares about a car accident that left one of her sons permanently disabled and talks about how this affected her family. She also discusses her family’s experiences of Islamophobia after 9/11 and her relationship with Islam today.
Ramon Mejia
This interview is with Ramon Mejia, a veteran of the Marine Corps and anti-war organizer in Waxahachie, TX. Ramon describes his childhood in Oak Cliff, Dallas, leading up to his decision to join the Marines. He shares about his experience in the military, his deployment in Kuwait and Iraq, and being discharged for his health. He talks about his curiosity about Islam after deployment and his decision to convert. Ramon goes on to describe his work as an educator and organizer. He talks about how his intersecting identities influence the work he does, particularly in the post-9/11 United States.
Amanda Veasy
This interview is with Amanda Veasy, co-founder of One Love Longview, a nonprofit resource center for unsheltered, uninsured, and underserved populations. Amanda talks about the rapid rise of her organization as a response to community needs for accessible mental and physical health care. She describes the changes in her religious experiences over time, including being spurred to leave the church over her unwillingness to condemn the LGBTQ community. Amanda also talks about her methods of helping effectively by putting the individual’s desires and consent first.
Carrie Holley-Hurt
This interview is with Carrie Holley-Hurt, a seminarian studying at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary. Carrie tells the story of her history of activism and involvement, including her current work tracking and speaking out against anti-LGBTQ+ legislation in Texas. She talks about how parenting a queer child has informed her fight for equal rights and gender affirming care for trans people. Heather also shares her experiences of both admiration for her child and fears for their safety.
Heather Malkawi
This interview is with Heather Malkawi, a seminarian studying at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary. Heather shares the story of her experiences living with and treating her epilepsy, including discerning the choice to pursue seminary and fighting for the legalization of medical marijuana. She talks about how the Texas Freeze kept her from receiving shipments of her medication, putting her at risk of seizures. She also speaks about her experiences volunteering to distribute water and home necessities with her church during the freeze.
Amanda Martinez Beck
This interview is with Amanda Martinez Beck, a fat liberation activist living in Marshall, TX. Amanda talks about the work that online activism involves, such as social media engagement, podcasting, and writing for various platforms. She discusses the problems of language in her activism, like the negative connotations many people have with concepts like fatness and disability. Amanda also explains how her conversion to Catholicism and exposure to incarnational theology helped her learn to celebrate her body and the bodies of others.
Emily Nash
This interview is with Emily Nash, a case manager and aspiring social worker in Austin. Emily reflects on her upbringing, including growing up lower class and the influences that caused her to pursue social work as a career. She discusses her current job as a case manager for elderly and disabled clients in Austin. Emily talks about how the Texas Freeze impacted the health and safety of her clients, as well as its impact on her own mental health and the state at large.
Qusay Hussein
This interview is with Qusay Hussein, an Iraqi former refugee who fled his native country to Jordan after losing his vision after a bomb blast detonation in Baghdad. After working with Doctors Without Borders in Jordan, Hussein moved to Austin, Texas in 2012. Hussein credits groups like Interfaith Action of Central Texas for supporting him through his transition. He now studies at the University of Texas at Austin and hopes to uplift those in need of help as a psychologist and motivational speaker.