MPAC’s Fight against Bigotry Continues
This year our commitment to you was to fight bigotry and hate at all fronts. We focused on two specific issues - defeating the Muslim ban and dismantling violent white supremacy.
In the past few months, we’ve worked closely with Congress to ensure that these issues remain a legislative priority and that oversight hearings on both issues are held. We testified as experts on the issue of white supremacy and its impact on Muslim communities. We want American Muslim voices to be heard and we won’t stop until we see actionable change.
Making a pipeline for American Muslims
"MPAC is noted for being an incubator for raw talent...every person we’ve come into contact with from MPAC has been phenomenal and they always put on a great face for Muslims." -Representative Andre Carson (D-IN7)
Our Congressional Leadership Development Program (CLDP) is a 3-month summer intensive fellowship that puts young American Muslims on the fast track to build a career in public service by placing them in internships on the Hill. Our aim is to cultivate the next Mayors, City Councilors, Members of Congress, CEOs and non-profit Executive Directors. This year’s fellows worked on legislative issues for advancing technology, water equality, the BDS movement, human rights in Kashmir and some even wrote bills that later were passed in Congress!
Creating inroads for MENASA voices
Our Hollywood Bureau nurtures the creative talent of American Muslims, creating opportunities to hone their craft and tell their own stories. Our screenwriter's labs identify talented writers and compelling stories with the goal of increasing the pool of Muslim talent and nuanced representations of Muslims on screen. Our next lab is in partnership with Wayfarer Entertainment and will be reviewing feature-length films from the MENASA (Middle-Eastern, North African, South Asian) community.
Amplifying Black Muslim narratives in entertainment
African Americans make up the largest swath of the American Muslim community yet their representation in entertainment is abysmal. In partnership with the Writers Guild Association Foundation (WGA-F) and MuslimARC, our Hollywood Bureau hosted a “Black Muslim Narratives in Entertainment” panel to highlight creators who are challenging and changing the status quo with their unique voices and stories.
Groundbreaking Presidential Candidates Forum
As part of our efforts to mobilize the American Muslim community in the 2020 elections, we brought presidential candidates Sen. Bernie Sanders and former HUD secretary, Julián Castro, for a Presidential Candidates Forum at last month’s ISNACON, in partnership with Emgage USA. From the mistreatment of migrants to the violation of human rights of Muslims worldwide, Castro and Sanders spoke about the need for us to stand together in the struggle for justice and human rights in America and around the world.
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