Indianapolis, IN

Arab Indianapolis – Film Screening and Discussion

Celebrate Arab American Heritage Month with our own Ruba Marshood, as we screen and discuss the documentary: Arab Indianapolis. This talk is suitable for all ages. Signed copies of the corresponding book will be available to purchase.

Indiana Humanities is supporting our film screening and discussion of Arab Indianapolis: A Hidden History, a film produced by Professor Edward E. Curtis IV, an Arab American and the William M. and Gail M. Plater Chair of the Liberal Arts at Indiana University, Indianapolis. The film explores what it means to be Arab in our state, and how Arab history is Hoosier history.

Arab Indianapolis is a community project that aims to document the long history and contributions of Arab Americans to Greater Indianapolis. Directed by Professor Edward E. Curtis IV, it began with a blog in 2020 and has grown to include this documentary, a book, lesson plans and a digital heritage trail. Learn more at https://arabindianapolis.com.

This event is Pay What You Can — Here’s what your Suggested Donation can do for the Indy Reads community:

FREE – This ticket is for attendees that would like to attend this event and are unable to purchase a ticket. Indy Reads values our community and facilitators. We are proud to provide programming to all. Thank you for being a part of our community!

$10 – This donation covers the cost of one attendee to this event. Indy Reads strives to bring the very best programming to Fountain Square and all Hoosiers. Thank you for helping us to keep our quality programs accessible for all!

$20 – This donation covers the cost of two attendees to this event. If you are attending as an individual, your ticket at this level makes it possible for another who cannot afford a ticket to attend. It is only through the generosity of our community that we are able to support programs that enrich the lives of all Hoosiers. Thank you for your support!

Other – “Pay What You Can” really does mean pay what you can. Indy Reads appreciates that every one of our community members is able to support our vision of 100% literacy for all in different ways. Whether you can pay $5 or $50, we are so excited to see you – and thank you for your support!

For more information, please email bookstore@indyreads.org.

Indy Reads is a 501c3 nonprofit. Our mission is to empower adults and their families through literacy, English language skills, and job readiness programming. For more information about Indy Reads and the students we serve, visit our website at indyreads.org.

Edward Curtis is a publicly-engaged scholar of Muslim American, African American, and Arab American history and life.

His fourteen books have been called “essential,” “exemplary,” “approachable,” “groundbreaking,” “must-read,” “wonderful,” and “a model of clarity.” Muslims in America: A Short History (Oxford, 2009) was named one of the best 100 books of 2009 by Publishers Weekly, and his two-volume Encyclopedia of Muslim-American History was deemed one of the “best reference works of 2010” by Library Journal. Curtis’ most recent works include Muslims of the Heartland: How Syrian Immigrants Made a Home in the American Midwest (New York University Press) and Arab Indianapolis (Belt Publishing). In addition to works written for general readers, Curtis has penned scholarly articles for the Journal of American History, American Quarterly, and the Journal of the American Academy of Religion.

Curtis engages both national and local audiences in his work. He has contributed interviews and articles to the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, National Public Radio, and the Associated Press, among other media outlets. He has also taught community college instructors and K-12 teachers how to integrate information about religion and Muslim American history and life across the curriculum. Curtis enjoys collaborating with multiple community partners, which include Nur Allah Islamic Center, Al Huda Foundation, and Masjid Al-Mu’mineen. He is currently directing the Arab Indianapolis community history project.

Dr. Curtis is William M. and Gail M. Plater Chair of the Liberal Arts and Professor of Religious Studies at the Indiana University School of Liberal Arts at Indiana University, Indianapolis. He is the recipient of fellowships and grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Carnegie Corporation of New York, the Fulbright Scholar Program, the Andrew Mellon Foundation, the American Academy of Religion, and the National Humanities Center.

Curtis holds a doctorate in religious studies from the University of South Africa, a master’s in history from Washington University, and a B.A. in religion from Kenyon College. He grew up in Southern Illinois.

Ruba Marshood, she/her

Chief Executive Officer

Ruba oversees strategic planning, management, and implementation of Indy Reads’ programs, brand, and growth to reach the 1 in 6 adults across Marion County whose English literacy and fluency is below the 5th grade level.

A social justice leader, Ruba previously served as Director of Partnerships and Community Engagement with the Literacy Council of Northern Virginia (LCNV), Virginia’s oldest and largest adult literacy organization. In her 10+ years with LCNV, Ruba fostered strategic relationships with other nonprofit, civic, government and corporate entities to expand the organization’s mission, fund development, and impact, including the launch of its trademark Destination WorkforceⓇ program.

Ruba has spent over 15 years working with global and local organizations, ranging from the United Nations to small organizations in different parts of the world, cultivating collaboration across community levels and sectors to organize and advocate for their interests.

An alumna of the Princeton AlumniCorps’ Emerging Leaders program, she received her BSc from University of Maryland and her MA from Duke University. Ruba is a first-generation American, fluent in Arabic, and a published photographer and photo-editor. She also enjoys exploring Indy with her kids, dancing, and good food with great company.