inclusion and equity in entrepreneurship & innovation
I met Muslim Girls Making Change a few months ago on Twitter when I participated in #MuslimWomenDay. The team is doing amazing work to raise awareness about Muslim women and shatter stereotypes of us through their art and poetry. This is activism. They used their passion to help show the world how to be more … Continue reading Muslim Girls Making Change
Through years and years of silencing, I learned that people's hidden biases will attempt to silence the voices of women of colour. Society has conditioned them to believe that our voices do not fall under dominant hegemonic cultural expectations, and therefore aren't worthy of being heard. I chose this image of Black Muslim sister, Blair … Continue reading Do Not Silence Women of Colour
This post was originally published on Teaching Tolerance. “We live in a time of crisis,” warned Dr. Ruha Benjamin in the beginning of her opening keynote at the 2016 International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) conference. Benjamin, an assistant professor in the Department of African American Studies at Princeton University and author of People’s … Continue reading Five Ways to Advocate for Justice in Education
“In a sense the limitations of Orientalism are, as I said earlier, the limitations that follow upon disregarding, essentializing, denuding the humanity of another culture, people, or geographical region.” ~ Edward Said The first time I read Edward Said's "Orientalism" was when I was doing my Master's in Literature, back in 2008. I remember signing … Continue reading The Toughest Lessons Learned: Conversations on Race
This post was originally published on José Vilson's blog. “Your silence will not protect you” Audre Lorde calls for our silence to be transformed into language and action in her 1977 speech. But if our silence will not protect us, then why do we hold on to it for comfort? Why do revert to silence … Continue reading Show Solidarity with Words & Actions
As we get ready for a new start to the school year, we look back on some of the most important issues to cover, and learn more about how to support educators and students to reflect on some of the best practices for supporting their own growth of understanding the world around them. Equitable … Continue reading Supporting First Nations, Métis, & Inuit Education: How do we maintain momentum that is driving us toward change?
This blog was originally published on The Guardian. While Eid al-Fitr was last week, these activities can work well with another upcoming Eid al-adha to help cultivate a feeling of belonging and safety for Muslim students and students of colour in the classroom. As fasting in the holy month of Ramadan draws to a close, … Continue reading Three lesson ideas for teaching your class about Eid al-Fitr
I did a TEDx on May 14 at Kitchener, Waterloo. My talk discussed the need for each of us to find and share our voice. Through my own experiences moving through the Middle East and eventually settling in Canada, I attempt to show the power of finding and sharing your voice even when others may … Continue reading Systems of Adversity: For the Love of Teaching – TEDx
This post was originally published for Teacher2Teacher. Have you ever walked into a room full of people and you were the only one that looked visibly different? If you haven’t, chances are you’re lucky, maybe even privileged to not have ever been in this position, but I encourage you to read on and walk in … Continue reading Why We Should Care About Equity & Social Justice as Educators
February is #BlackHistoryMonth and many of us feel conflicted in teaching lessons specifically designed for #BlackHistoryMonth since we should be teaching about Black History throughout the entire school year. I wanted to share some great resources for teachers who are looking to implement lessons on Black History throughout the year, and what better time to … Continue reading Resources for #BlackHistoryMonth & Beyond
Inclusive Entrepreneurship 