Sticky Note Conversations

This week on Sticky Note Conversations, host Erika Washington sits down with Athar Haseebullah, Executive Director of the ACLU of Nevada, for a deeply personal and wide-ranging conversation. Athar shares his journey as the son of Pakistani immigrants growing up Muslim in Las Vegas, the loss of his father as a teenager, and how his faith and community shaped his commitment to justice work — leading him to Howard University for both undergrad and law school.

The conversation turns to Athar's work leading Nevada's largest civil rights organization, breaking down what the ACLU actually does, how it's funded, and why it takes on the government exclusively through litigation, policy advocacy, and community education.

Erika and Athar dig into some of the biggest legal battles of the year, including the Supreme Court's rulings on birthright citizenship, temporary protected status for Haitian and Syrian immigrants, and trans athletes' rights — and what these decisions mean for equal protection going forward. They also explore bigger questions: what democracy really means in America today, the generational shift happening in politics, and Athar's own vision of the American dream.

In this episode:

  • Athar's upbringing as a first-generation Pakistani American Muslim in Las Vegas
  • Choosing Howard University over Harvard and Yale
  • What the ACLU does and how it's funded
  • Major Supreme Court decisions on immigration and civil rights
  • The Supreme Court ruling on trans athletes and equal protection
  • Is America a democracy — and can it become a stronger one?
  • Athar's vision of the American dream
Follow Athar Haseebullah on TikTok and Instagram @AtharEsq, and learn more about the ACLU of Nevada at ACLU-NV.

Sticky Note Conversations airs Saturdays at 9:00 AM on KUNV 91.5, and is available everywhere you stream podcasts.


  • (00:00) - Introduction
  • (00:44) - Meet Athar Haseebullah
  • (10:15) - Growing Up in Las Vegas
  • (13:48) - High School and Choosing Howard
  • (27:02) - Law School and Staying at Howard
  • (31:04) - Race, Immigrants, and the Black Community
  • (40:45) - What is the ACLU
  • (49:23) - How the Supreme Court Works
  • (58:58) - Trans Rights Case
  • (01:08:14) - Is America a Democracy
  • (01:11:40) - The American Dream
  • (01:14:57) - Closing and Where to Follow

Creators and Guests

Guest
Athar Haseebullah
Producer
Erika Washington
Composer
Wil Black

What is Sticky Note Conversations?

To keep my thoughts in order and my to-do lists remotely manageable I create arrays of sticky notes on my desk and wall. New idea? Stick note! Someone I want to meet with? Sticky Note! Need to remember to pay a parking ticket? Write it on a sticky note. Over the course of the last year, I have wanted to create a podcast that allowed me to dive deep into conversations with interesting people.. I wanted to have real conversations that were more than sound bites or regurgitated talking points about fluffy topics. My hope is that each episode feels like old friends catching up. Revealing great information but also humanity, struggle, victory, joy, grief, and possibly, a flicker of transcendence.

I hope you will enjoy these as much as I do creating them.
Join me here every Saturday as I pull a new sticky note off my desk.