Grace Carlin
This interview is with Grace Carlin, a San Antonio-based environmentalist. Grace discusses finding her passion for nature through exposure to national parks and educational opportunities. She talks about her work coordinating the Urban Land & Water program with the Green Spaces Alliance of South Texas, describing the impacts and challenges of community gardens. Grace also shares her interest in youth engagement, particularly the value of young people’s contributions and their right to a future with a stable global climate.
Negena Haidary
This interview is with Negena Haidary, an Afghan-American Shia Muslim woman. Negena speaks about her relationships and experiences with her family, particularly as a first-generation American. She speaks about the impacts of 9/11 on her family, the difficulty of finding community as a member of a minority group, and the ongoing act of balancing immigrant parents’ expectations with the necessity of participating in American culture. Negena also discusses the challenges of navigating mental health and finding one’s own life path, sharing the wisdom she has gathered through her own journey of healing and growth.
Sandy "Sakinah" Gutierrez
This interview is with Sandy “Sakinah” Gutierrez, a Colombian-American revert to Islam and co-founder of the non-profit IslamInSpanish. Sakinah tells the story of being a spiritual seeker alongside her husband, and how the two ultimately found fulfillment in Islam. She talks about how several members of their family decided to accept Islam due to the example and education she and her husband offered. Sakinah also discusses the founding and growth of IslamInSpanish, whose mission is to make information about Islam available to Spanish-speaking Latinos.
Mehlam Bhuriwala
This interview is with Mehlam Bhuriwala, an activist with experience in a variety of organizing settings and a former employee of IDCL. Mehlam tells his story of growing up in Texas as a Pakistani-American and part of the Dawoodi Bohra Muslim community, and how he navigated his senses of belonging and identity. He shares formative experiences of grappling with grief and mental health at a young age. He discusses involvement, such as high school debate club and college participation in United Students Against Sweatshops, that shaped his worldview and commitment to social justice. Mehlam also talks about his involvement in the Palestinian Solidarity Committee and his current work with Family Eldercare. Content Warning: The following interview contains sensitive material. Please note that the interview includes description of suicidal ideation and psychiatric hospitalization. These subjects will be discussed at 23:01-24:29 (in the transcript p. 6). Content warnings are used to flag sensitive material, so readers and listeners can prepare to engage or disengage as they choose. To learn more please visit <a href="https://religionstx.omeka.net/our-approach">Our Approach</a> section.
Omar El-Halwagi
This interview is with Omar El-Halwagi, an employment discrimination lawyer in Houston, TX. Omar talks about growing up as a Muslim in the American south and discrimination he faced at a young age. He tells his story of being represented by the American Civil Liberties Union in order to secure the time and place to pray during high school. Omar also describes co-founding the organization Grassroot Islam, a virtual space for a diverse and inclusive Muslim community created to combat pandemic isolation. He discusses coming into his relationship with God on his own terms and learning from the spiritual journeys of others.
Jaime "Mujahid" Fletcher
This interview is with Jaime “Mujahid” Fletcher, founder of IslamInSpanish. Jaime shares about his youth, during which he was involved in gang activity in Alief then developed his value of education in Colombia. After his conversion to Islam at twenty-three, Jaime began to translate Islamic literature and thought into Spanish so his Latino family and community could better understand Islam. Jaime goes on to describe the growth of IslamInSpanish from its inception as a family project to its current state as a vibrant community in the Centro Islamico in Alief. He also discusses the social justice projects IslamInSpanish is involved in and shares his advice for working toward social change.
Gregory Han
This interview is with Gregory Han, an educator and Presbyterian minister active in interreligious dialogue in Houston. Gregory shares his story of growing up biracial in a very White area and the experience of simultaneously fitting in anywhere and nowhere. He talks about his path in education toward discovering his passions for both academics and ministry. Gregory discusses his work with Interfaith Ministries for Greater Houston, such as leading visits to houses of worship and organizing dialogue between leaders and communities of different faiths. He also talks about the unique challenges of interfaith work in Texas as well as doing this work in the aftermath of 9/11.
Victoria Ferrell-Ortiz
This interview is with Victoria Ferrell-Ortiz, an education and urban planning organizer in Dallas. Victoria describes the disconnect she saw at a young age between the resources available to the Mexican-American side of her family and to the White side. She talks about other organizers she has worked with and been inspired by in Dallas, including her co-founders of the Rayo Planning nonprofit. Victoria shares her experiences of religion throughout her life, and how her relationship to Christianity has changed over the years. She also details her work, such as with educational and urban planning nonprofits and with oral history.
Tina Byram
This interview is with Tina Byram, an advocate active in local politics in the extra-territorial jurisdiction of Hornsby Bend. Tina talks about her work advocating for underserved members of her community who do not have the time or resources to get involved in local politics. She describes the differences between political activity at the local level versus the national level, including overlooked issues such as shifting districts and water privatization. She also tells about her journey through local activism, which has involved non-profit work, collaboration with representatives, and voter registration.
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.