Voice of Witness was thrilled to welcome new board members to our team earlier this year.
To build connections and get to know our newest collaborators, VOW staff conducted oral history interviews with each person. Thank you to the board members for sharing your experiences and perspectives so generously with us. Get to know Fariha, Kelseanne, Tasliym, and Uzma below! Interested in joining the VOW Board of Directors? Don’t hesitate to contact us here. We’d love to hear from you.
Fariha Tayyab
Fariha Tayyab is a multidisciplinary storyteller and facilitator who explores identity, radical reimagination, and liberation through trainings, writing, and photography. She is also a lifelong educator and equity facilitator who works closely with K-12 schools and youth experiencing trauma through incarceration, foster care, and migration. Fariha leads storytelling and artivism workshops as well and has done so with University of Iowa’s International Writing Program, Netroots Nation, Writers in the Schools, Girl Scouts National, Alley Theatre, and others. As a lover of culture and language, Fariha believes we must dismantle the stories and systems we were taught to obey; immerse ourselves in the stories of others; and curate our own stories and models that move us toward freedom.
Kelseanne Breder
Kelseanne Breder is a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner with a clinical and research focus in mental health disparities. She received her PhD from Columbia University, and her work uses qualitative research methods to promote untold stories and voices of historically marginalized groups. Kelsea has served the homeless and formerly homeless population of NYC as a nurse practitioner at Center for Urban Community Services. She is also a Clinical Assistant Professor at NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing where she is building a teaching protocol that uses oral history methods to improve mental health care for homeless and formerly homeless older adults. Kelsea is a trainee in psychoanalysis and is interested in using the arts to explore the psyche, foster empathy, and encourage mental wellness. Her personal artistic pursuits are in music, theater, and creative writing.
Tasliym Morales
Tasliym is the Chief of People & Culture at Urban Homesteading Assistance Board (UHAB) and has more than 15 years of experience shaping organizational culture with a focus on fostering unity. She has a BA in Urban Planning from Metropolitan College of NY, an MS in Organizational & Strategic Leadership from Neumann University, and ongoing doctoral studies in Business Administration with a focus in HR Leadership at Thomas Edison State University. Tasliym currently serves as an elected member on the Chester-Upland School Board, various committees promoting youth legal system reform, and as a VP Director at Large for the National Association of African Americans in HR for DEI and Talent Acquisition. She enjoys exploring music, reenacting movies, and embracing lifelong learning.
Uzma Rahman
Uzma has an MA in International Relations, along with a JD from the California Western School of Law. She has studied all over the world and brings extensive experience as a grant writer, journalist, editor, and advocacy consultant. She is an unapologetic lifelong activist. Since graduating, Uzma’s work has centered on using her legal experience—which spans the private, non-profit, and government sectors—to affect positive change within her communities through the lens of social justice, civil rights, access, and equity. Her advocacy efforts are now focused on economic equity and access to resources for all Californians. When she is not working at her desk, she can be found on nature walks (or runs) with her kids, cooking with her husband, traveling with her family, or practicing and teaching yoga in her community.