Meet @BlairImani the activist fighting for intersectionality and rights for those on the femme spectrum

This interview was published originally on The Tempest. Blair’s activism and presence on social media and in real life has been an inspiration to many women of color everywhere. I connected with social justice activist Blair Imani after we both tweeted using the hashtag #CanYouHearUsNow, which was created by the Council on American-Islamic Relations, after Donald … Continue reading Meet @BlairImani the activist fighting for intersectionality and rights for those on the femme spectrum

Social Justice Activism in the Digital Space

Featured ~ Rusul Alrubail ~ 1 Comment

Twitter recently has added a new feature, where you can mute any account that doesn't have verified profile information, like a photo, phone number or email address. This feature is particularly helpful for activists on Twitter. If you've ever tweeted about social justice issues, GamerGate, Trump, or any other political issues, you'd likely have come … Continue reading Social Justice Activism in the Digital Space

Community Initiative: Solidarity Ribbon Campaign

Featured ~ Rusul Alrubail ~ 1 Comment

One morning, after I dropped off the kids at work, I noticed a few white ribbons were tied around my neighbours' trees and a couple of other neighbouring houses. On the ribbon it had three words "All Faiths Welcome". This was a couple of days after the Quebec shooting. It was also a couple of … Continue reading Community Initiative: Solidarity Ribbon Campaign

Organizing Against Islamophobia & the US Travel Ban

Featured ~ Rusul Alrubail ~ 3 Comments

I attended an event organized by my community, Parkdale's Legal Services at the local library. The event focused on addressing Islamophobia in Canada, the province, and the community, as well as the impact of the travel ban on refugees and immigrants. The event could have used more Muslim voices on the panel. There was only … Continue reading Organizing Against Islamophobia & the US Travel Ban

Resources to Teach about The #MuslimBan

Featured ~ Rusul Alrubail ~ 5 Comments

Many educators are often afraid of discussing "controversial" issues in the classroom. The word "controversial" here puts a shroud on many relevant topics, such as politics, daily events, history, social justice issues, equality, and many others. What are you so afraid of? Having a healthy debate in the classroom? shouldn't students be exposed to different … Continue reading Resources to Teach about The #MuslimBan

#NoMuslimBan: A letter to my Muslim Brothers and Sisters

Featured ~ Rusul Alrubail ~ 1 Comment

Alsalam alaikum, How have you been? I know you've been suffering for a long time now. But this past weekend, we took a hard blow. We all did. Not one of us, all of us. It doesn't matter if you are an Arab Muslim, an African Muslim, or a convert Muslim. Hearing that we are … Continue reading #NoMuslimBan: A letter to my Muslim Brothers and Sisters

What is Impactful Work?

Featured ~ Rusul Alrubail ~ Leave a comment

When I am asked "Why did you want to get into teaching?" my answer was often about making a difference, or creating an impact in education. That, and the fact that I also enjoyed working with young people who are still trying to figure out their goals in life. Joining Ci.Strategy+Design, as an Educator-in-Residence, taught … Continue reading What is Impactful Work?

Social Media & Digital Citizenship

Featured ~ Rusul Alrubail ~ Leave a comment

A recent article on The New York Times discussed the "Unspoken Rules Kids Create for Instagram". The article focused on how kids (middle school, and some high school) had unwritten rules on ways they engage on social media. For example, what types of images to post, how often, etc. The one thing that stood out … Continue reading Social Media & Digital Citizenship

Equity in Collaborative Spaces

Featured ~ Rusul Alrubail ~ 1 Comment

We discuss collaboration in different spaces a great deal in and outside of education. We talk about the benefits of collaboration, the importance of it, and how it can look like. But do we ever discuss the downside of collaboration? Do we ever spend enough time to focus on how collaborative spaces can be equitable … Continue reading Equity in Collaborative Spaces

3 Diverse Children’s Books My Kids are Reading

Featured ~ Rusul Alrubail ~ 1 Comment

For me, as a mom, it's so important that my kids read diverse books in school and at home. Diverse books allows children to see that there is not one variation of what it means to be human. We're all different, and representing that really well in books helps children to develop an understanding, empathy, … Continue reading 3 Diverse Children’s Books My Kids are Reading