I HOPE THIS HELPS: Building Community and Coalition in Uncertain Times

An evening of poetry, purpose, and possibility: because community is the most powerful form of creativity, and hope is something we make together.

Inspired by poet Samiya Bashir’s new book I Hope This Helps, this evening gathers students, faculty, administrators, alumni, and leaders from across the city to explore how imagination, care, and collective design can help us endure and rebuild in uncertain times.

Through poetry, dialogue, and reflection, we’ll share creative tools for resilience, connection, and change. Together we’ll map small, practical ways to move forward: joining or building community, reaching across campuses, or simply choosing to stay engaged. 

Schedule 

6:00 PM Doors open 

6:30 PM Poetry reading and panel conversation 

7:15 PM Audience Q&A 

7:45 PM Reception and Community Fair: Meet participating organizations, become an AAUW member, connect with peers, and pick up a signed copy of I Hope This Helps.

Panel

Samiya Bashir

Samiya Bashir is a poet, writer, librettist, performer, and multi-media poetry maker whose work, both solo and collaborative, has been widely published, performed, installed, printed, screened, experienced, and Oxford comma’d from Berlin to Düsseldorf, Amsterdam to Accra, Florence to Rome and across the United States. Bashir is the author of three poetry collections, including Field Theories, winner of the 2018 Oregon Book Award’s Stafford/Hall Award for Poetry. Her fourth collection, I Hope this Helps, was released to wide acclaim from Nightboat Books in 2025.

Raegan Sealy

Raegan Sealy is a British-born, Brooklyn-based artist, advocate, and founder whose work blends poetry, music, and social impact. A Fulbright and New School alum, Raegan is the Founder & CEO of UCurricula, a creative coaching company that helps people tell their stories and get into the rooms they deserve to be in. Her performances and projects explore truth, power, creativity, and connection. She currently serves as President of the AAUW NYC Metro Branch, where she is working to democratize access to educational opportunities in NYC. 

Ibada Wadud

Ibada Wadud is an award-winning social entrepreneur, consultant, and educator. A transdisciplinary Afrofuturist and circular economist, she serves as Assistant Professor of Strategic Design & Management at Parsons School of Design. Ibada is the founder of LULAH, a systems-driven boutique firm recognized by the New York City Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice for its groundbreaking work with formerly incarcerated citizens. She currently leads strategy for culture and impact with the Ralph Lauren Design with Intent team and has previously worked with Adidas, Kate Spade, and the United Nations SheTrades Program.

Ssanyu Birigwa

Ssanyu Birigwa is a lecturer in the Narrative Medicine program at Columbia University, Indigenous Bone Healer Shaman, and Director of Development at AAUW NYC Metro. Ssanyu spent 13 years working internationally for NGOs and was the recipient of Columbia's 2016/2017 Narrative Medicine Fellowship. During the fellowship, she explored the impact of a Narrative Medicine curriculum on stress levels of pediatric residents at Brooklyn Hospital. She is also the co-founder of Narrative Bridge, whose mission is to strengthen communication and empower active listening in diverse communities through Narrative Medicine.