Join us for a moving evening of storytelling and performances to shed light on the refugee experience and explore the role of art in building a welcoming society.
This event will be live streamed and accessible free of charge. We encourage you to host watch parties online or with friends in your home.
Event starts in less than 2 hours - see live here:
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Paola Mendoza is a film director, activist, author and artist working at the leading-edge of human rights. A co-founder of The Women’s March, she served as its Artistic Director and co-authored the New York Times best seller Together We Rise: Behind the Scenes at the Protest Heard around the World. Paola’s most recent book Sanctuary was released to critical acclaim. Mendoza is also an acclaimed film director whose films have tackled the complex issues of poverty and immigration on women and children in the United States. Her film credits include the award-winning Entre Nos, Free Like the Birds, and Autumn’s Eyes.
Omar Offendum is a Syrian-American rapper / spoken word artist living in Los Angeles. Known for his unique blend of Hip-Hop & Arabic poetry, he’s been featured on prominent world news outlets, lectured at a number of prestigious academic institutions, collaborated with major museums & cultural organizations, and helped raise millions of dollars for various humanitarian relief groups. Offendum was recently named a Kennedy Center Citizen Artist Fellow, as well as a member of both the Pillars Fund cohort for Muslim Narrative Change & the 2020-2021 RaceForward Butterfly Lab cohort for Immigrant Narrative Strategy.
Mohanad Elshieky is a New York based comedian who made his national TV debut on Conan, has been featured on Comedy Central, and has toured with Pop Up Magazine. In 2018, he appeared in an episode of Epix’s “Unprotected Sets” and was listed as one of Thrillist’s 50 Best Undiscovered Comics. Mohanad, who is currently a digital producer on Full Frontal with Samantha Bee, has a special skill for making you laugh at the seemingly unlaughable. He’s been featured on podcasts such as Lovett or Leave It, Pod Save the People and Harmontown. The Libyan-born comedian combines a deceptively laid-back demeanor with his whip-smart perspective on politics and culture.
Vanessa Tahay is a young poet who graduated from Cleveland high school. She was named captain of the 2017 classic slam team and took first place for finals. Vanessa has been featured on the front page of The Los Angeles Times, has been part of Vogue Magazine, The Huffington Post, NPR and many more. She has also performed and spoke in over 100 schools nationwide, and had the honor to perform at the 2017 women’s rally. Vanessa has had the privilege to work alongside Mitú, Brown Issues, and Undocumedia to spread awareness for undocumented families, women’s rights, and empowering the youth to find their own voices.