SPEAKER BIOS
Amal Kassir
Speaker, Poet, Activist
Amal Kassir is a Muslim woman, born and raised in Denver, CO to a German-Iowan mother and Syrian father. She came from a dinner table of tabouleh and meat loaf, Arab father and American mother, best meals of both worlds.
Kassir is an international spoken word poet, having performed in 10 countries and over 45 cities. She has conducted workshops, given lectures, and recited her poetry in venues ranging from youth prisons to universities to refugee camps.
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Watching the news, it seems like ethnic divides are ever-deepening. But how can we solve these complicated problems when each side lives in fear of the other? The answer is simple, she argues--it starts with, “What’s your name?”
Her TEDx speech “Muslim on a Plane” has been viewed more than 2 million times.
She runs a project called More than Metaphors that focuses on the education initiative for displaced Syrian children, but uses the grass roots to bring communities together for all conversations.