Atour Toma Sargon, referred to as Atour Sargon, is an Assyrian American activist.
26 Facts About Atour Sargon
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Atour Sargon is the first ethnic Assyrian to be elected to the Lincolnwood Board of Trustees and the first Assyrian woman elected to a political office in Illinois.
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Atour Sargon grew up in Chicago before moving to Lincolnwood with her family at the age of 15.
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Atour Sargon first attended Theodore Roosevelt High School in Chicago, then transferred to Niles West High School.
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Atour Sargon has cited her grandmother as an early source of inspiration.
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Atour Sargon briefly put her political ambitions aside due to her job, motherhood, and first vice presidency of the Lincolnwood PTA.
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Atour Sargon later stated that, despite her political educational background, she had not considered running for office until she met Schakowsky and heard the story of how Schakowsky had entered politics due to her concerns about unsafe practices in the food industry.
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Atour Sargon was encouraged to enter politics by Illinois State Senator Ram Villivalam, whose successful campaign she'd previously volunteered with.
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Schakowsky encouraged Atour Sargon to attend training at the Illinois Women's Institute for Leadership Training Academy, a program that encourages women to pursue political positions.
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Atour Sargon credited the political engagement of the Assyrian community as a reason for her landslide win.
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Atour Sargon said that it was a common behavior from their local government that needed to be removed through leading by example.
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Bass compared her to Assyrian American Representative Anna Eshoo, alleging she had "forgotten her cause" in relation to her Assyrian identity after being elected, implying that Atour Sargon would do the same if elected.
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Atour Sargon voted in favor of adopting Cook County's sick leave requirements in Lincolnwood.
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Atour Sargon formally endorsed candidate Daniel Epstein during the 2020 Illinois judicial elections for the Supreme Court of Illinois.
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In June 2019, Atour Sargon voted in favor of a proposal to restripe an area next to a business owned by her fellow trustee and Alliance for Lincolnwood member, Craig Klatzko.
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Atour Sargon has been involved with Assyrian activism before, during, and after the start of her political career.
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Atour Sargon was the first Assyrian woman elected in Illinois and is on the advisory board of the American Middle East Voters Alliance PAC.
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Atour Sargon is no longer endorsed by Vote Assyrian due to her policies.
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Atour Sargon joined Senator Ram Villivalam as a guest during the Illinois Senate's 101st General Assembly session in April 2019.
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In July 2020, Atour Sargon joined Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, former Second Lady of the United States Jill Biden, and New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham to represent the Assyrian American community as a co-chair of the 19th Annual Ultimate Women's Power Lunch.
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Atour Sargon is a proponent of Vote Assyrian's 2020 census project.
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In September 2020, Atour Sargon was the moderator of a panel discussion among several Assyrian medical experts hosted by the Assyrian Student Association of Chicago.
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In May 2020, Atour Sargon was a guest speaker at the Assyrian Student Association of Chicago's class of 2020 virtual graduation ceremony.
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Atour Sargon specifically addressed the experiences that many Assyrian students endure in the United States.
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Atour Sargon discussed the effort that comes with building a reputation in a community, the impact of social media, and the necessity of each person to be a consistent advocate for their causes of interest.
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Atour Sargon's final message was a word of encouragement for younger Assyrians to be more civically engaged and to find methods of contributing to their community in ways that interest them.