Unsung Heroes

I sit down with four local journalists and fellows of WDET Feet in 2 Worlds: Serena Daniels (@tostadamagazine, tostadamagazine.com), Brittney Hutson ( fedandbougie.com, @fedandbougie) Dorothy Hernandez (@sarapdetroit, @dorothyh) and Nargis Rahman (nargisrahman.com, @nargisthewriter). These four women of color break bread in an effort to break barriers and build connections. We talk about the field of...

Today we talked to Dr. Mona Hanna Attisha, pediatrician, activist, educator and now writer about her life and pivotal role in exposing the public health crisis of elevated lead levels in Flint’s water. She talks about melding her passion for helping kids with education, public policy and advocacy. We delve into the difficulties of speaking...

We sit down with Melanie Elturk, founder and CEO of the leading US hijab brand, Haute Hijab. An industry expert and thought leader in modest fashion, she is a true entreprenuer who melds her passion of social justice and fashion in supporting and empowering Muslim women of all ages. Tune in for an eye-opening and...

Join us in an inspirational conversation with Geetha Murali, CEO of Room to Read, a global organization focusing on literacy and gender equality. We talk about what has inspired Geetha, her passion for this work, the impact of Room to Read and her heroes! Learn more at www.roomtoread.org.

We have a full studio with Bill Meyer, a founder of OneHamtramck and Farha Hanif, Farhan Huq, and Bushrah Rahman, who are all instrumental in working on the first ever large scale mural depicting the experience of Bangladeshi’s in America. We talk about Bangladesh as an often misunderstood and marginalized community and how this project...

We talk to Shaista Kazmi, founder of Apna Ghar (“Our Home”), a home health care agency aimed towards meeting the needs of ethnic minorities in South East Michigan. We discuss the challenges that the aging and sick face across the country and community and the specific ways Shaista helps so many families across this region.

We talk to Razi Jafri, Detroit based documentary photographer, contributor, filmmaker, educator and entrepreneur about changing life trajectories in following your life’s passion. Razi has contributed to National Geographic and is currently working on a documentary about municipal elections in Hamtrack. He was recently awarded a Doris Duke Charitable Foundation grant to produce an art...

We talk to Chicago based interfaith activist and educator Hind Makki about her experiences growing up as a Muslim American, her work in building bridges of understanding, making mosques and communities more inclusive, and initiating crucial conversations toward positive interfaith and interracial relationships. You can follow her on twitter @hindmakki, and find her blog on...

Calvin and I talk to Senior Lecturer Saeed Khan about his experiences teaching college students, a life of academia as a Muslim and the line between belief and knowledge.  We talk about the transformative nature of critical thinking and education in the world today.

Unsung Heroes – Episode 35

We talk to Fayrouz Saad about her passion and involvement in the political sphere. As the child of immigrants, she has seen first hand how the American Dream can be attained and this drives her quest to make sure the dream is possible for all. Listen to find out more about her story and her...

We talk to attorney and activist Palak Sheth, co-founder of San Francisco based PMS — Post March Salon- as a means to providing a space for education, empowerment and healing for women of diverse backgrounds.

We talk to Rana Abdelhamid, community activist, martial artist and founder of WISE – Women’s Initiative for Self Empowerment – about her journey and mission. WISE is a movement for women, by women, that focuses on empowering them physically and emotionally, with a presence in several major cities in the US and now even internationally....

Saba sits down with Suehaila Amen of Dearborn, Michigan, reality tv star, community activist, educator and ambassador about her experiences and what’s in store.

Amanda talks about using her passion for cooking as a means to connect and serve others. We are joined in the studio with a few surprise guests and we talk about the power of breaking bread to form connections.

Unsung Heroes, Ep 29 – Women in STEM and more

We talk to Mark Crain and Hazel Gomez about their journeys in community organizing. We talk about their current roles in empowering marginalized neighborhoods through Dream of Detroit, a local nonprofit agency dedicated to strategic housing and land development. Visit www.dreamofdetroit.org for more information.

Nicole Bedi is back in our studio as she kicks off her second campaign for state rep of Michigan. We talk about the importance of local politics and why getting involved is so crucial in this sociopolitical environment.

We talk to Kamran Pasha, screenwriter, director, novelist and co producer of shows such as Sleeper Cell and Bionic Woman. We discuss the importance of social entrepreneurship and how the presence of Muslim Americans in media and film helps combat stereotypes as well as affect change and policy. Kamran touches on some of the challenges...

Calvin and I sit down with community activist Agnes Fischer, native of Dearborn and founder and creator of The Solidarity 365 Project as a way of saying thank you to the Muslim friends and neighbors who helped raise her and her way of combating Islamophobia. Agnes hopes her work helps to break down barriers. She...

In this episode, Calvin and Saba talk to Namira Islam, lawyer, co-founder and co-director of the Muslim Anti Racism Collaborative (Muslim ARC), a faith based racial justice education organization. We talk about themes of social injustice and inequality in our communities and society. You can follow Namira on twitter @namirari and learn more about the...

Dr. Nadia Hashimi is an Afghan – American internationally best selling author, pediatrician, mother of four and public speaker. Through her books which have been translated into 12 languages, we learn about the women of Afghanistan and as ourselves. We talk about how she got started, the stories she shares and whats in store. She...

Calvin and I are humbled and honored to share the voice of Dr. Uzma Yunus, mother, wife, and psychiatrist and metastatic breast cancer warrior. While fighting for her life, Dr. Yunus writes candidly about her experience, her grief and her fears in her blog that has been featured in The Huffington Post and other publications...

Abdul El Sayed stops by to talk to Calvin and I about his run for Governor of Michigan. Abdul shares his story – from his multicultural upbringing, becoming a Rhode scholar and All American athlete to being appointed as the Health Director for the city of Detroit and deciding to make a bid for the...

Unsung Heroes, Ep 20 Reclaiming Her Voice Reclaiming Her Voice *Content may be triggering Altovise Pelzer is Thee Voice Coach and helps women and victors of abuse and trauma to rise up through empowerment. We talk about the process of healing.

Unsung Heroes, Ep 19 Color of Faith II – Uncovering Detroit’s Past Professor Sally Howell from the University of Michigan Dearborn, author of the book Old Islam in Detroit. We talk about her book and the unknown history of our various ethnic and racial groups that make our community so vibrant and rich. This episode...

Unsung Heroes, Ep 18 – Color of Faith Pt I We delve into part one of a series of conversations on the intersection of faith and race. Todays conversation features psychologist Dr. Halim Naeem, program director and co-founder of Muslim Anti Racism Collaborative Margari Aziza Hill and visual artist Bobby Rogers. We talk about the...

Unsung Heroes, Ep 17 – Being Brave Enough We have the conversation with Dr. Sasha Shillcutt, cardiac anesthsiologist, wife, mother of four, national educator and now blogger, writer, and speaker. Dr. Shillcutt speaks to executives and professionals on work life integration, resilience, and raising above self doubt. We talk about imposter syndrome, embracing our whole...

Unsung Heroes, Ep 16 The power of expressive healing Unsung Heroes, Ep 16 The power of expressive healing An inspirational conversation with founder of MIST (Muslim Interscholastic Tournament) and art therapist Shazia Siddiqi and Zain Shimoon, Family Therapist and co founder of Narratives of Pain about the power of art and expression in healing. Websites...

Unsung Heroes, Ep 15 – Untold Stories of Refugees There are a lot of myths about the refugee crisis and refugees coming to the US. Today we talk to Dr. Ayesha Fatima, Reem Akkad and Loubna Al-Khayet about the physical, emotional and financial struggles of our newest members of society. The orgs and websites mentioned...

Unsung Heroes, Ep 14 – Finding a Home Across Oceans Dominique was born with a severe deformity and today I share her story, from the Ivory Coast to Chicago, with caregiver Nancy Shwabb and anesthesiologist Dr Aisha Qadri. Nancy talks about welcoming this sweet baby to her home and caring for her before, during and...

Unsung Heroes, Ep 13 – Life is a Rough Draft Part I The first in our series highlighting Muslim American authors, Saba talks to writer Hena Khan about diversifying the American literary landscape with her children’s books including Its Ramadan Curious George and her newest chapter book Amina’s Voice.

Unsung Heroes, Ep 12 – My Life as a Movie Sultan Sharrief, filmmaker and social entrepreneur, talks about his journey in making his debut film Bilal’s Stand, growing up as a young black Muslim male and his new youth reality show Street Cred, which will be airing on PBS this summer.

Unsung Heroes, Episode 11 – Re-Creating Family We talk to Ranya Shbeib and Chantal Wentworth Mullin about supporting families through the fostering and adoption process and the non profits they have helped establish: Mimi’s Kids and Muslim Foster Care Association.

Unsung Heroes, Ep10 – Defining Dr Mom Calvin and I talk to Dr. Hala Sabry, co founder of the group Physicians Mom Group, consisting of 60,000 doc moms. We talk about the challenges of being a physician, discrimination in the work force and how this online community supports each other in unique ways.

Unsung Heroes, Episode 9 – Love Across the Aisle Saba and Calvin talk to Alicia Chandler, lawyer and interfaith advocate and Zarina Aftab, social worker, about finding friendship and keeping love alive across religious and political lines

Unsung Heroes, Episode 8 – The World is Our Canvas Calvin and Saba hang out with Manal Kadry,  Teacher of the Year nominee from Henry Ford Academy: School for Creative Studies in Detroit about her passion for art and design and helping her students discover and live up to their creative potential.

Unsung Heroes, Episode 7 – Living the Journey Unsung Heroes, Episode 7 – Living the Journey This episode is dedicated to all students of higher learning. Calvin and I sit down and talk to Rebecca Karam, along with guest co- host and friend Zaynab Salman. We talk about the highs and lows of the pursuit...

Unsung Heroes, Episode 6 – Give me your tired, your poor, Reflections of an Immigration Attorney

Unsung Heroes, Episode 5 – Dedicated to a Grandmother I spend a few moments paying tribute to a personal unsung hero of mine, my paternal grandmother, “dadi”, who passed away last week.

Unsung Heroes, Episode 4 – Building Bridges Toward Inclusivity with Steve Spreitzer, President and CEO of the Michigan Roundtable for Diversity and Inclusion. In today’s episode, co-host Calvin Moore and I talk to Steve about growing up in a mostly White suburb of Detroit, and how his background and experiences helped shape him to eventually...

Unsung Heroes, Episode 3 – Lost and Found in American, An Immigrant Story Unsung Heroes, Episode 3 – Lost and Found in American, An Immigrant Story Saba spends time speaking with Dr. Farha Abbasi, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at Michigan State University. Dr. Abbasi started the Muslim Mental Conference which will...

Unsung Heroes, Episode 2 – Turning Tragedy into Purpose Guest co host, Calvin Moore, and I sit down with Nicole Bedi to talk about her journey. A dietician who was active in academic medicine, ripples of tragedy struck when her friend, a cardiac surgeon, was gunned down by a patient. Since then, she has been...

Unsung Heroes, Episode 1 – Living a Fulfilled Life In my inaugural episode, I sit down with guest co host Calvin Moore to interview Zarinah el Amin Naeem, a publisher, entrepreneur and cultural specialist with an amazing unconventional journey. I call her the Muslim Oprah because of her positively inspiring and eclectic work. We talk...