Member Spotlight: Zainab Baloch

Zainab Baloch at the Convergence conference in Asheville, NC.

It was the Islamophobic killing of her friends and the subsequent controversy that activated Zainab Baloch’s sense of injustice and set her on the course of community activism and bridge-building. That formative experience is what prompted her multiple runs for Raleigh mayor and city council, and involvement in social justice organizing. And it continues to fuel her current work at Blueprint NC and commitment to the Faith Table.  

Leaning Into Organizing 

The 2015 murders of three Muslim students in Chapel Hill – Deah Shaddy Barakat (23), his wife Yusor Mohammad Abu-Salha (21), and her sister Razan Mohammad Abu-Salha (19) – were widely publicized. The crime was initially described by the media and investigated by the police as motivated by a dispute over a parking space. The victims’ friends and families, however, knew better. 

When the families formed the The Light House Project to advocate for the murders to be recognized as a hate crime, Zainab joined up to support the cause. It was one of her earliest and most personal forays into community organizing. And the advocacy paid off. In 2022, the Biden White House officially recognized the 2015 Chapel Hill shooting as a “hate-fueled Islamophobic attack.” 

The victory, however, is bittersweet. For Zainab, who grew up in the Raleigh Muslim community and continues to work to represent and advance its interests, the bittersweet feeling is a recurring theme. 

Leadership, organizing and political activism always comes with risks and frequently extracts costs. Following her last run for political office, Zainab found herself at odds with her community, feeling persecuted for her outspokenness and bold political positions. After a period of reflection, she sees the Faith Table as an opportunity to re-engage with her faith community – and connect with others – around shared values, and re-establish bridges she’s worked tirelessly to build. 

In November, Zainab had a chance to do just that in her capacity as an organizer of the Convergence, an annual conference co-hosted by Blueprint NC and the Southern Vision Alliance that brings together North Carolina’s progressive network. 

Fostering Community Through Accessibility & Safety

As the executive assistant to the organization’s director, Serena Sebring, Zainab occupies a key operational role at Blueprint NC. In planning for the Convergence, organizing transportation for the conference, to get as many network partners to Asheville and home safely as possible, fell to her. 

Zainab started by organizing bus pickup locations in cities throughout North Carolina using a list of congregational contacts provided to her by Rev. Lisa Garcia-Sampson, executive director of UU Justice NC and the lead convener of the Faith Table. Using these contacts, Zainab charted three bus routes through six cities, allowing participants from as far away as Fayetteville to make their way to Asheville – with snacks, entertainment and a lot of spirit. Using her charm, grace and sharp operational instincts, Zainab also added to her deep bench of relationships by helping to troubleshoot the myriad logistical issues that come with planning statewide travel.

Her efforts also demonstrated one of the numerous ways the Faith Table can be leveraged to organize North Carolina’s progressive communities of faith, by making use of vast congregational resources (buildings, parking lots, kitchens, etc) to support social justice efforts and causes. 

But getting folks to Asheville was just half of the job. Getting them home safely would require some additional on-the-spot organizing. 

As conference participants were enjoying the last evening together and preparing for departure the next day, word spread about hundreds of Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) agents arriving in the state. A palpable feeling of anxiety and fear for the safety of North Carolina’s immigrant communities spread among the attendees and organizers. 

Rallying to meet the moment, Zainab helped facilitate an impromptu, late-night gathering where information about the impending Operation Charlotte’s Web was shared. Voices and experiences of the most immediately impacted participants were uplifted and plans were made to help attendees from vulnerable communities get home – including a scout car accompanying the bus to Charlotte and Raleigh to ensure the road ahead was clear of CBP/ICE. 

Bittersweet Victories

Thanks to Blueprint staff’s operational planning and in-the-moment pivoting, every conference participant got home safely. Like the advocacy win for her murdered friends, however, ensuring safe travel for conference attendees feels like a bittersweet win for Zainab. As federal immigration agents reportedly plan to cause more fear and panic for millions of North Carolinians through additional unlawful incursions into our neighborhoods and communities, Zainab, the team at Blueprint NC and volunteer leaders at the Faith Table are here to help us organize more bittersweet victories.