Community organizer, educator, researcher.
About
I have been involved with economic justice, immigrant rights, and anti-war organizing since the mid-1990s. As a Muslim woman and the daughter of immigrants, I found my political voice in the post-9/11 political terrain, and continue to ground my work in international solidarity.
Design Action Collective has been my creative and political home for the last 17 years. In addition to my work as a designer, I am part of the coordinating team for the Alliance of South Asians Taking Action, I teach Design & Social Change in the University of San Francisco’s Department of Art + Architecture, I am a member of the Center for Political Education’s advisory board, and part of Race Forward’s affiliate training team.
Articles & Podcasts
Presentations
Trainings & Lectures
De-Centering the Latin Letter in Typography Education — The Letterform Archive
How Bay Area South Asian Americans Organized in the Years After 9/11 — Asian American Writers’ Workshop - The Margins
Sabiha Basrai and Farah Mahesri — Growing Up Muslim in America — Story Corps
Every Design Studio Should Be a Worker-Owned Studio — AIGA Eye on Design
Ms. Marvel: Kamala Khan & Desi Community Power — Graphic Policy Radio Podcast
The Plague of Worker Expendability with Sabiha Basrai and Ricardo Nuñez — The Plague Podcast
Diaspora and Jinns — Good Muslim Bad Muslim Podcast
Foundations of Workplace Democracy: Founder Compensation
April 25, 2022 Co-op Clinic - Technical Assistance
Designs on Democracy: The Roles and Responsibilities of Graphic Designers in the Trump Era
October 15, 2019 — Letterform Lecture at San Francisco Public Library
Trying Times: Understanding the Impacts of Neoliberalism under Trump.
January 14, 2017 People Get Ready — Center for Political Education
Racial Equity: I offer customized trainings to organizations deepening their internal work around issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion with an emphasis on structural racism. Participants practice using tools that can support long term transformation of their organization.
Decolonizing Graphic Design Education: I work with educators to develop new lesson plans and curriculum to center non-European resources, case studies, and techniques.
My CVEcosystemI have been working at the intersection of graphic design and social justice organizing for over 20 years. I am available for guest lectures, panels, workshops, and research collaborations. Download my full CV here.
None of us do this work alone. Check out the organizations I work with and continue to learn from: