Human Rights Stories That Deserve to Be Heard.

In early June 2026, the Taliban governor of Herat, a province in western Afghanistan, issued a decree declaring that the manto, a garment worn by generations of women in Herat that covers the body from head to toe, is no longer acceptable and that women must not show their eyes. Women were ordered to wear clothing deemed acceptable by the Taliban, although no clear standards were provided.

Within the first week of gathering with the women, something visibly shifted. Women who had been isolated began connecting with one another. Stories that had been held in silence were spoken aloud. Laughter returned. Tears flowed freely. Mothers became more attentive and nurturing with their children. The children, in turn, responded. It was not magic, it was community-based, trauma-informed healing.

After fifteen years in business as a factory owner and operator, the terrorization of ICE upon the Twin Cities is the biggest challenge I have faced yet. Beyond the excitement of leading a flourishing business, I take pride in the team I have built. Many of them have been working for me for over a decade, and our working relationships have become genuine friendships.