CONNECT Arab America 2021: Day 5--Connecting with Our Culture

posted on: Feb 3, 2021

The Connect Arab America: Empowerment Summit is a week-long virtual conference that will run from Feb. 1-5 with a different panel each day.

By: Claire Boyle/Arab America Contributing Writer

On Day 5 of the Connect Arab America Empowerment Summit, we will get to meet some of the entertainers who are making a splash in their communities. Join us as we talk with and listen to some amazing musicians, laugh along with a comedian, engage in Arabic literature and culture, and of course, indulge in the wonderful world of Arab food! On Day 5, plan on hearing how these artists are using their platform to advocate for Arab Americans and stay for the entertainment! Connect Arab America will take place Feb. 1-5, 2021, from 7-8 pm EST. Celebrate Arab American unity, heritage, and identity with discussions from exciting speakers in public service, cultural institutions, business innovators, influencers, and artists. (Register Here)

Meet the Panelists:

Blanche Shaheen | Moderator

Blanche Shaheen is a TV host/journalist who, with her love for Arab food and Palestinian culture, has created a niche YouTube channel called “BlancheTV to replicate the traditional recipes of her parents and break down stereotypes of the Middle East. She is the author and producer of the WordPress blog and YouTube cooking show, “Feast in the Middle East.” In the past, Shaheen has worked as a host for “a PBS documentary series, an on-air correspondent for ABC, producer for CNN,” among many other endeavors. After learning more about her parents’ Palestinian heritage and traditional recipes, Shaheen started to make instructional cooking videos to assist her viewers in making these beautiful foods. Additionally, she is a contributing writer for Arab America, and Shaheen continues to teach her own children about their Palestinian heritage.

May Rihani

May A. Rihani is the Director of the George and Lisa Zakhem Kahlil Gibran Chair for Values and Peace at the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences at the University of Maryland. She has led and implemented educational, economic productivity, and health in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. Ms. Rihani was elected as the Co-Chair of the United Nations Girls’ Education Initiative, (UNGEI), from 2008 to 2010. She is also a writer and poet and has published books in both English and Arabic. Rihani is the niece of the “father of Arab American literature, Ameen Rihani.” Finally, her career has been focused on the sector of international development.

Abir

As a proud Moroccan-American performer and singer, Abir brings her joyful, dance-pop with a soulful voice. She is from Fes, Morocco and moved to the United States at age five. She draws her musical inspiration from the likes of Oum Kulthum, Etta James, and Celine Dion, among others. Abir’s current EP, Heat, was released in summer 2020, and it features the hit single, “Inferno”. Abir refers to her newer music as “Arab-Pop,” an all-encompassing term that includes, “learning how to integrate the different percussive-qualities and melodies into a new version of pop by utilizing instruments such as the oud and tabla.” In doing so, Abir has created an entirely new sound that crosses traditional Arab and contemporary pop music.

Ahmed Ahmed

Ahmed Ahmed is an Egyptian-American actor and comedian. He grew up in Riverside, California, and moved to Hollywood at age 19 to pursue a career in stand-up comedy. He has been working in the industry ever since. His career highlights include appearing in shows such as JAG, Roseanne, and a regular role in the TBS sitcom, Sullivan & Son. Moreover, he has gone on many worldwide comedy tours. Ahmed Ahmed has a unique brand of comedy that is a mix of “anecdotal storytelling with an occasional addition of a relatable silly observation.” Finally, he has used his platform to advocate for “tolerance and interfaith understanding.”

Emad Batayeh

Emad Bateyah is one of the leading Arabic vocalists in the United States and Canada. Batayeh was born to a Jordanian family in Detroit. He showed a remarkable talent for Arabic music as well as the Arabic keyboard. He has performed at weddings, special events, nightclubs, and festivals in the Arab American community. His recent video for “Ingrah Min Tani” has been a major hit in Arab America and on social media sites throughout the world.

Connect with Our Culture This February (2021)

REGISTER HERE

Learn more about the Connect Arab America Empowerment Summit here.

Check out Arab America’s blog here!