This statement was written collaboratively by the queer and trans members of the ADEP team on behalf of ADEP as a whole. We use the terms “queer and trans” rather than the LGBTQ+ acronym because these terms best fit our personal identities and politics. June is Pride Month — a time when across the U.S. and the world, queer and…
This blog post is the first in a series where members of the ADEP Organizing Team will explore what it means to organize collectively as Afghans. Through these blog posts, we hope to spark a conversation as to what it means to not just fight for each other, but with and for others. We are not simply victims of imperialism…
Written by Ridhwan Sediqe With my college graduation so close that I can almost touch it, I started 2019 with renewed hope and faith in the possibilities ahead. Common narratives on social media by the end of 2018 revealed deep frustration and rage at the developments of the last year. From Brett Kavanaugh, to the Wall, to widespread voter suppression,…
The blue wave is here and it came in on a tide of progressives, women of color, and history-making victories. Last night, the Democrats took control of a deeply gerrymandered House of Representatives after nearly a decade out of power, flipped 333 seats, swept into multiple governor mansions, and laid down the foundation for a 2020 ground game. Women of…
How did MENA Arts Advisory Council (MAAC) get off the ground? MENA Arts Advisory Council (MAAC) was founded after I came off of this series called “Alphas.” I started the audition process after being away from it for about three years and then I started noticing a change in tone in Hollywood. Diversity became very hip [but..] I wasn’t an…
Written by Arash Azizzada. Do you want the good news or the bad news first? Okay, good news first: if you are a felon on parole in the state of New York, you should soon be able to vote again. Your voter rights will be be reinstated, per executive order of Andrew Cuomo, governor of the Empire State. Today I’m…
ADEP recently sat down with Rana Ahmadi, a 2017 Summer Leadership Initiative Alum, to get her take on the most important issues this generation can tackle and what motivates her social justice while living in Kansas. Here are her thoughts. Q: What are some things folks should know about you? I was born and raised in western Kansas, and currently…
Written by Ghizal Adina. Protecting the environment is not a novel concept for Afghans. So much of the economic welfare of Afghanistan is tied to the health and viability of the land as the majority of the population is dependent on farming and herding. So to nurture, to value the earth, is inherently tied to our ancestral identity. However, in…
Written by Ali A. Olomi Rocked by the horrific tragedy of yet another mass shooting—a phenomenon of soul-numbing regularity unique to the American experience—the students of Stoneman Douglas High School have sparked a vigorous debate about gun control. The cyclical pattern of mass shooting, public outrage, followed by inaction have become a feature of American life as much as guns…
For our Q1 newsletter we asked Angela Ahmadi, the founder of KINGNOORLA, how she got her start and what continues to motivate the creativity behind her brand. Here’s what Angela had to say.