ComicTalks: Women's Representation in Comics In-Person
In honor of Women's History Month, join Houston Public Library as we discuss women superheroes, women comic creators, and the importance of representation in comic books with Melissa Diaz and Sasha Marshall Smith, creators of the local comic book series Fair Housing Defenders.
This event is free and open to the public. Registration is required if you plan on attending in-person at Houston Public Library’s Central location. This event will also be livestreamed on the Houston Public Library's Facebook page.
- Date:
- Saturday, March 9, 2024
- Time:
- 11:00am - 12:00pm
- Time Zone:
- Central Time - US & Canada (change)
- Location:
- Meeting Room
- Location:
- Smith Neighborhood Library
- Age Group:
- Adults Teens (13-18 yrs) Tweens (10-12 yrs)
- Categories:
- Arts & Culture Holidays & Observances Spotlight Events
Melissa Diaz is the Co-Creator/Program Director of the Fair Housing Defenders program. Melissa develops strategies and establishes functional objectives aligned with the programmatic goals. She cultivates relationships with community organizations, schools, and vendors to ensure sufficient access to services and resources. Melissa graduated with honors from the University of Houston with a Master of Business Administration degree. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Texas Southern University. Her expertise includes finance, legal, management, administration, communications, content development, affordable housing, economic development and disaster recovery.
Sasha Marshall Smith, a Houston native, is the Co-Creator and Program Director for the Fair Housing Defenders program. She is a national public speaker and has educated over two million people about affordable home development, housing discrimination, and fair housing rights. Under the Fair Housing Defenders program, Mrs. Marshall Smith creates content for the Fair Housing Defenders comic book series and provides fair housing educational presentations and workshops for both kids and adults.
Sasha graduated with honors from Langston University with a Bachelor of Arts in Broadcast Journalism with an emphasis in Public Relations. She also earned a Master’s degree in Regional and City Planning from the University of Oklahoma.
Civil service has been the center of her career. She has worked for six government agencies at the local, state and federal level, including the City of Houston in the Housing and Community Development and Planning and Development departments. Her expertise also includes community development, economic revitalization, public outreach, public awareness campaigns, public speaking, content development, grant writing, communications, and project management.
Mrs. Marshall Smith is now employed with the Houston Housing Authority as a Revitalization Planning Program Manager overseeing the Third Ward – Cuney Homes Choice Initiative program.