Muslim and Christian Women Addressing Mass Incarceration

132 North Euclid Avenue,Pasadena CA 91101

05 November, 2022

Description

They are formerly incarcerated. They teach in the jails. They are prison chaplains. They serve returning citizens. They are defense and post-conviction attorneys. They advocate for alternatives to incarceration. They are Muslim and Christian women addressing the issue of Mass Incarceration. Come hear stories of what it's like to be a woman of faith facing this fact: although the US makes up only 5% of the world's population; it is host to 25% of the world's incarcerated population. The issue of Mass Incarceration is much talked and written about, but the stories of women are often overlooked and underreported. The same is true for an interfaith lens on this issue. This event hopes to spark change. It addresses: What's the experience of incarcerated women? As a woman, what's it like to walk into courtrooms and write briefs on behalf of indigent clients? How does faith affect being a teacher in jails, a chaplain in prisons, or an advocate for returning citizens? This, and more, on November 5th. Come join us! Everyone is welcome! Details: When: Saturday November 5th, 2022 Time: 8.30am - noon Where: All Saints Episcopal Church, Pasadena, California. Details sent upon RSVP. Attendance over Zoom: We strongly encourage honoring our presenters with your in-person attendance. Only for those for whom the drive is too far and/or who live out of state or the country, do we provide the option to join and hear stories over Zoom. Details sent upon RSVP. Who: This event is organized by Fuller Theological Seminary, hosted at All Saints Episcopal Church, and funded by Interfaith America. Questions: Please send any questions you have to [email protected] Speaker Bios: Lily is a Muslim woman with a harrowing story of her experience with the US criminal legal system as well as countless incidents of being prevented from and harrassed while practicing her Islamic faith behind bars. Her stories will primarily focus on the jail system. Rev. Dr. Linda Lee Smith Barkman earned a PhD from Fuller Theological Seminary, School of Intercultural Studies, with a focus on Intercultural Communication, and is ordained by the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). She is an educator, advocate, and the author of What EVERY Church Should Know About Prison Ministry. Dr. Barkman’s heart ministry is providing voice to the marginalized, most especially to those currently and formerly incarcerated. Dr. Barkman was herself incarcerated in a California prison for thirty years, where she served as lay chaplain for the psychiatric unit for 28 years. Jasmine Ward was previously an academic instructor within the Los Angeles County Jail system. She received her Master’s of Science in school psychology from California State University, Northridge, and she also attended the University of Southern California where she attained her Masters of Social Work with an emphasis in community organization and planning. She previously has done work with Communities in Schools of the San Fernando Valley (CIS) where their main focus is re-entry and working with the local gangs and at-risk youth to provide a safer community. Her work with CIS has also allowed her to participate in coalition building and community mobilization for the all-around reform and improvement of the local, state, and national criminal justice system. Chaplain Dr. Wynona Majied-Muhammad serves as a chaplain at the California Institution for women. She worked as secretary on the Board of the Muslim American Chaplain’s Association and the Muslim American Endorsement Agency, and currently, the Associated Chaplains in California State Service. She earned her MA and Ph.D. in Religion and Social Ethics from the University of Southern California, with her A.A. and B.A. degrees in Journalism from Pasadena City College and California State University, Northridge, respectively. She taught Journalism, Communications, World Religions, and Islam as an adjunct instructor at the community college and university levels in California and Nevada. 
Dr. Wynona has been passionate about service, attaining knowledge, and sharing Islamic religion, Islamic thought, and Islamic values since she was a young college student. Her spiritual journey began with the Nation of Islam, and involved conversion to a mainstream Islamic practice through the community of Imam Warith Deen Muhammad. Diowanni Tate has 15 years of experience in leadership and program development with an emphasis on the justice community and mental health. Her experience and background in educational psychology and counseling have given her the opportunity to serve a variety of unseen and marginalized communities, from 2,300+ unaccompanied children held in U.S. detention centers to teaching and mentoring people in jails and prisons. Diowanni’s Southern charm and hospitality coupled with great comedic timing help her connect with all people. She can make people laugh and cry while challenging them to view others, regardless of the circumstances or situation, as brothers and sisters. Her vision is to equip communities and churches to provide intentional and holistic care to marginalized communities, promoting healing and addressing trauma. Shaista Azad has worked for many years as a public defense attorney as well as at legal aid. She additionally is active in Muslim Speakers Network, which promotes religious literacy and mutual respect through on-site presentations and interfaith dialogues to schools, colleges, universities, churches, and other community organizations. Nara Sugino is an associate attorney at Balogh & Co., APC, committed to providing the highest level of representation for her firm's court-appointed indigent clients before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Nara's mission is faith-driven: to oppose mass incarceration by exposing and challenging abusive interpretations of the law--one case at a time. Nara graduated Harvard College and the University of Michigan Law School, where she was a member of the Law Review, and graduated magna cum laude and Order of the Coif. Following law school, she joined Kirkland & Ellis in Chicago before clerking for the Honorable Judge Diane P. Wood of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. Nara also worked with the Michigan Innocence Clinic. Her practice now focuses exclusively on federal criminal appeals. Nara is a member of the Illinois bar, and admitted to practice before the Seventh and Ninth Circuit Courts of Appeals. Dr. Najeeba Syeed is the inaugural El-Hibri endowed chair and executive director of Interfaith at Augsburg University. She has been a professor, expert practitioner and public speaker for the last two decades in the fields of conflict resolution, interfaith studies, mediation, restorative Justice, education, deliberative democracy, social, gender and racial equity. In 2021 she served as Chief of Staff for an elected official, and prior to that appointment was an Associate Professor of Interreligious Education for a decade at Claremont School of Theology. She is widely published in the area of interreligious studies, peace studies and theologies of religious pluralism. Dr. Michal Meulenberg is involved in addressing the issue of mass incarceration through advocacy, interactive educational experiences, local grassroots activism, and restorative justice initiatives. It is her passion to mobilize the church to be reconciliation workers in the way of Jesus in their own lives, locally, and around the world. She works as a professor teaching conflict transformation, interfaith dialogue, peace & justice advocacy and grassroots organizing. She has an MA in English and Journalism, a Master of Divinity, an MA in Intercultural Studies, and a PhD in Intercultural Studies.