Join us for a timely and important conversation regarding the role and responsibility that artists play in civic issues including encouraging participation in the Census and voting. Inspired by the Beyond CAMH project A Counting by Ekene Ijeoma, learn more about what artists and organizations are doing in Houston to promote civic engagement and the role that artists play in this work.
Panelists include Nabila Mansoor of Emgage; Rea Sampilo, Co-President UniPro Texas (Pilipino American Unity for Progress, Inc.) and part of the OCA-GH Arts & Storytelling Committee, Dr. Aisha Siddiqui of CHAT (Culture of Health Advancing Together), and Crystal Yancy of Writer’s Block.
This live discussion will be streamed to CAMH’s Facebook and YouTube channel.
About Nabila Mansoor
Nabila Mansoor has spent the last several years working to improve political awareness in underrepresented communities. She is currently leading ECI’s (Empowering Communities Initiative) 2020 Census initiative to ensure a full count of Houston, Texas’s Asian American and Pacific Islander population and facilitates and co-chairs City of Houston and Harris County’s Complete Count Committee and Community Subcommittee. She also serves as the Executive Director at Emgage, a civic engagement organization committed to politically engaging Houston’s Muslim, Arab, and South Asian communities. Mansoor is a member of Mayor Turner’s Advisory Council on New Americans and sits on the Fort Bend County LID 17 Board. Mansoor has spent much of her professional and personal life activating citizenship across differing groups of people. She has a background in community organizing, leadership development, and strategic planning. She holds a law degree from University of Houston Law Center.
About Aisha Siddiqui
Dr. Aisha Siddiqui is the founder and Executive Director of Culture of Health-Advancing Together (CHAT). When she was at the University of Texas’s School of Public Health, Dr. Siddiqui wanted to incorporate her background with her public health interests. While working on her doctoral degree, she sought out South Asian women to better understand their challenges in staying healthy. Dr. Siddiqui founded CHAT with a mission to foster the health and well-being of immigrant and refugee communities through education, arts, advocacy, and access to care. Her vision is to build a healthy community that is self-sufficient and meets the everyday challenges of living in a diverse society.
About Rea Sampilo
Rea Christina Sampilo is a Filipina-American, an emerging interdisciplinary artist, and community organizer residing in Houston, Texas. She holds a B.S. in Sociology and M.A. in Performance Studies with a focus on dance studies, Filipino-American culture, and diasporic performances from Texas A&M University, College Station. Rea is currently the Co-President of Pilipino American Unity for Progress, Texas Chapter, and the former Director of Lumikhâ 2020 Art Showcase: We Have Begun. She works in close collaboration with of Filipinx Artists of Houston (FxAH), Filipino American National Historical Society (FAHNS), and OCA-GH to program events for the Filipinx-American and AAPI community in Houston.
About Crystal Yancy
Crystal Yancy is a creative located in Houston, Texas. She has earned her bachelor’s degree in Sociology from the University of Houston-Clear Lake. She has found her purpose through serving the community, writing, and creating. She vows to use her gifts to inspire Black youth and young adults through her stories of faith, purpose, and life experiences.