Month: February 2017

Episode 13: Where I’m From (ft. Kameelah Rashad and Bashirah Mack)

Where are you from? No, where are you *really* from? It’s a question that many Black Americans don’t always want to or know how to answer. As Black History Month winds down, Makkah and Ikhlas speak with Kameelah Rashad and Bashirah Mack about why they decided to learn more about who they are and where they come from, and the emotional journeys that ensued.

Guests:
Bashirah Mack, @msbmack, Social Media Coordinator for Sapelo Square.

Kameelah Rashad, @KameelahRashad, founder of the Muslim Wellness Foundation and the interfaith fellow for spirituality, wellness & social justice at the University of Pennsylvania.

Episode details:
(1:08) Ikhlas and Makkah talk about what Black History Month means to them, the sometimes painful task of uncovering family history and being inspired by those who do the work.
(13:47) Conversation with Bashirah Mack and Kameelah Rashad where they discuss everything from longing to know their history, to connecting the family tree and figuring out what to do with the information they collect.
(53:03) Bashirah reveals DNA Ancestry results and you’ll be surprised what she finds out.

Subscribe and follow Identity Politics on iTunes, Soundcloud, Acast and Stitcher so you’ll never miss an episode. And don’t forget to rate and review us: itun.es/us/oSeegb.c

Follow us on Twitter: @i_saleem, @MsMakkah and @identitypolpod.
Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/identitypolitics
Check out our website: http://www.altmuslimah.com/category/culture/identity-politics

Questions, comments, suggestions? Email identitypoliticspodcast@gmail.com

Intro and Outro Music:
RSPN by Blank and Kytt, CC-licensed: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Blank__Kytt/Heavy_Crazy_Serious/Blank__Kytt_-_Heavy_Crazy_Serious_-_08_RSPN

Transition music:
Emo Step Show by The Custodian of Records, CC-licensed:
http://freemusicarchive.org/music/The_Custodian_of_Records/She_Hate_Me/Emo_Step_Show

Episode 12: Poems and Pop Songs Might Not Save Us, But They Help

Do you ever feel like you exist in a world that doesn’t have space for someone like you? In Episode 12, Ikhlas interviews her good friend Yasmine Muhammad about her struggle to find her voice within Islam. We also speak with writers and poets Fatimah Asghar, Safia Elhillo and Hanif Willis-Abdurraqib about how and why they use their art to shine a light on experiences that young Muslims aren’t always encouraged to share.

Guests:
Yasmine Muhammad: Sailor in the U.S. Navy, communications specialist and mother of two.

Fatimah Asghar: Poet, educator and creator of the new webseries Brown Girls.

Safia Elhillo: Writer, poet and co-editor (with Fatimah Asghar) of HALAL IF YOU HEAR ME, a collection of writing by Muslim women, gender non conforming, queer and trans writers. Safia’s first full-length collection, The January Children, is coming soon.

Hanif Willis-Abdurraqib: Poet, essayist and MTV cultural critic. His book of poetry, The Crown Ain’t Worth Much, is available now.

Episode details:

(1:05) Ikhlas and Makkah talk about who you should be following on Twitter, why you should go see James Baldwin’s “I Am Not Your Negro” and the role Muslim artists play in affirming the identities of young Muslims.
(11:30) Ikhlas speaks to her longtime friend from Yasmine Muhammad about growing up as an aspiring artist and not seeing herself reflected within the Muslim community.
(25:00) A chat with artists Hanif, Fatimah and Safia on why they do the work they do.
(31:30) We’re a little obsessed with Zayn Malik and what it means to be Muslim.
(37:45) Where, unlike in your parents’ home, Fatimah talks about desire and her new web series Brown Girls. (Somehow, Zayn Malik also manages to come up again)

Subscribe and follow Identity Politics on iTunes, Soundcloud, Acast and Stitcher so you’ll never miss an episode. And don’t forget to rate and review us: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/identity-politics-podcast/id1175472910?mt=2

Follow us on Twitter: @i_saleem, @msMakkah and @identitypolpod.
Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/identitypolitics/
Check out our website: http://www.altmuslimah.com/category/culture/identity-politics/

Questions, comments, suggestions? Email identitypoliticspodcast@gmail.com

Intro and Outro Music:
RSPN by Blank and Kytt, CC-licensed: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Blank__Kytt/Heavy_Crazy_Serious/Blank__Kytt_-_Heavy_Crazy_Serious_-_08_RSPN

Transition music:
Broke For Free by Night Owl, CC-licensed:
http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Broke_For_Free/Directionless_EP/Broke_For_Free_-_Directionless_EP_-_01_Night_Owl

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