It has been long-overdue for a Palestinian-American to shy away from the shadows and create a voice for themselves, and the speechless. Palestinian-American, Linda Sarsour, is the political-activist behind progressive movements, such as the well known “Women’s March”. Most of the time, it is easy for us to neglect acknowledgment of the people behind-the-scenes, but Linda Sarsour has made quite a name and reputation of herself that should not, and could not, be unnoticed. Palestinians across the nation are so proud of Linda and all of her hard work, and here is why.
Born to Palestinian immigrants, Linda Sarsour grew up right in the heart of Brooklyn, New York City, making her a relatable figure to any average American.
Linda grew up to be a pro-Palestinian, feminist, Black Lives Matter advocate, female bad-ass that has proven herself of these well-deserved entitlements.
Linda’s journey of activism and lending a generous hand all started after the September 11th attacks. She began volunteering at the Arab American Association of New York in order to offer support to Muslims and Arabs who were being blamed and attacked following the terrorist incident. She used her position to empower a minority group that was having a difficult time being who they are, and she is still is.
She does not only seek the aid of Muslims and Arabs, she also fights for Black liberation, fights against anti-semitic views, and supports the feminist movement. In 2014, devastated by the brutal death of Michael Brown, Sarsour’s involvement in the Black Lives Matter movement grew. She questioned the Muslim’s community involvement in acquiring justice for Michael Brown, this created a shock wave that allowed the liveliness of the Muslim community’s involvement in the Black Lives Matter movement, that still contributes today. So we only owe that to Linda, for speaking up for the Muslim group.
Despite the rumors that, “since Linda is pro-Palestinian, she must be anti-semitic”, this next course of action she had taken will prove otherwise. In February of 2017, a Jewish cemetery was vandalized in a clearly anti-semitic way. Linda Sarsour took immediate action by helping create a fundraiser, with other Muslim activists, to raise money to in order to restore the gravesite. The fundraiser raised a significant sum of $125K, and she promised to use any leftover funds to other Jewish community centers/vandalized sites. This goes to show that Linda is all about equality and that she has no place in her heart for hate and discrimination. (You go girl!)
As for the well-known 2017 Women’s March that brought together five million women across the globe in a fight for equality, a day after Donald Trump’s presidential inauguration, Linda Sarsour was a co-chair of this historic protest. This march sent a universal message that women deserve equality.
As a Palestinian-American, I want to thank Linda Sarsour for inspiring me to be an advocate for what I believe is truly right. She is a modern day hero who has impacted my feeling of being a Palestinian-Muslim-American, greatly. Through my writing and voice, I hope to generate even half as much of a lending hand that she has.
