I first met @IsraSpeaks in late December of 2016. We were hiring a new campaigner and no fewer than 3 people told me we needed to snag her fast cc @MichelleStrucke @ScottTPaul @noahgo

2 days before Trump was inaugurated, she agreed to come work for us starting the next month.

Just over a week later, the first #MuslimBan was announced. We all knew he was planning something grotesque, but we were caught off guard by how haphazardly and suddenly it was thrown it together.

I knew from our few early interactions that @IsraSpeaks was a special talent. But before she had even started I was seeing her everywhere. She was in press photos at all of the rallies and actions against the ban. She popped up in a friend's picture on my instagram feed.

The mobilization against the ban was the first time I realized that the anger and energy we all felt at the Women's March was not a fleeting, one time thing. The spontaneous rallies at airports, the rallies at the White House. Things were different. Non-activists were involved.

But maintaining that momentum and directing the energy towards useful things required a lot of people like @IsraSpeaks. People who have passion, grit, intelligence but also the ability to connect on a human level, to open up about their personal story. https://fb.watch/38A-WCzqxK/ 

So many people have been part of the effort to end this vile, inhumane policy, but I'm not sure if any have worked harder or with more skill and commitment than Isra. We can thank our lucky stars that she agreed to do that work with @OxfamAmerica.
https://www.nytimes.com/live/2021/01/20/us/inauguration-protests-parties#for-syrian-americans-a-new-sense-of-hope