This week’s Campus Celebrity is as passionate about writing as she is about creating social change. She’s tutored local children in literacy and creative writing, her favorite place to be on campus is the Kelly Writers House and she wishes to write her own novel someday. She’s made her mark as the director of the Race Dialogue Project, but her aspirations and plans show that this hardworking and warm person is bound for even greater things in the future.
Major: International Relations with a minor in Creative Writing
Favorite movies: When Harry Met Sally, The Shawshank Redemption, Love Actually
Favorite city: Istanbul
Favorite Philly restaurant: La Fontana
Activities: Race Dialogue Project, Kelly Writers House, Community School Student Partnerships (CSSP), Penn Arab Student Society
What would your perfect day at Penn be like?
It’d be beautiful out. I’d go to an interesting class and have some good discussions, then hang out with some friends and have some good food. At the end of the day, we’d get on a plane and go somewhere awesome. And we’d dance, too!
What’s the history of the Race Dialogue Project (RDP)?
RDP started in 2004, and it was originally called Moving Minds. The early goal was actually to create a space and give the opportunity for white Penn students to talk and discuss issues about race. Then, it evolved to include more multicultural groups. It was dormant for a few years, but was revived three years ago in 2010. Now we’re here today!
What’s the current mission of the RDP?
RDP is a student group dedicated to exploring how people are affected by race, spreading that awareness, and promoting interracial dialogue. Most of the time, these are conversations that people are having anyway. We want to create a safe space for discussion where people can learn something from each other and see things from different perspectives. We’re not trying to tell people what to believe and what not to believe, but we want to promote awareness of racial issues and get people to be in a space where they can think and discuss about them, and then they can make their own decisions. There is a lot of stigma around the word ‘race’, but this issue affects everyone. It’s better to be aware of it so that we can move forward.
What attracted you to join the group?
I saw a poster last year and was immediately interested in joining. I think I have a strong sense of social justice and the issue of race has always interested me. Growing up in Virginia and being Muslim, feeling like a minority…My dad grew up in the apartheid regime in South Africa and my mom is from Yemen. Being the product of an intercultural relationship automatically made me passionate about cross-cultural dialogue. I also went to the Centre for Africana Studies Summer Institute before my freshman year and that really made me more aware of the issue of race and how it affects society.
Are there any particular events that have stood out for you?
We’ve hosted intercultural parties like ‘The Mix’ with other groups and recently hosted a speed dating event called ‘Love is Colour Blind’ to promote and encourage discussions about interracial relationships. But my favorite event has been One Mic. It was a powerful open-mic night in November which focused on race, culture and identity. We wanted to give people the opportunity to tell their story. People talked about being multiracial, about their experiences with discrimination…It was also a powerful experience for me to get up there and share my story. Usually I would be the one to facilitate, not participate. But the support that I got that night was incredible.
Aside from all that, are there any other tangible successes for the RDP?
Since we’re so new, the big focus last semester was getting our name out there. This semester we’re trying to collaborate with a wider variety of groups to reach a broader demographic. And now we’re in the process of finding a new board for next year! It’s so exciting–now, when I mention the Race Dialogue Project, people know what it is!
Any exciting plans for the summer?
I feel very blessed and lucky that I get to continue my passions over the summer. I’m going on an interfaith service-learning trip to Rwanda with Hillel. And I’m also very excited and grateful to be given the Thouron Prize, which gives me the opportunity to be at Cambridge University for eight weeks, where I can hopefully do research. I’m also studying abroad in Cairo in the fall to solidify my Arabic speaking skills. I can’t wait!
[Author’s Note: The Thouron Prize was founded on the idea of cultural exchange between the US and the UK. Participants are given a stipend to go to a prestigious university in the UK for eight weeks to study and do research.]