Performance and Workshop: SyrianamericanA: A Nation-State of Mind

From the jasmine tree-lined courtyards of Nizar Qabbani’s Damascene homes to the flooded riverbanks of Langston Hughes’ Harlem renaissance poems, this unique webinar will be equal parts performance and conversation. With a decade-long artistic journey that has both paralleled the rise of social media and borne witness to major sociopolitical shifts in Syria, Omar Offendum discusses how he’s been able to develop a special blend of Hip-Hop and Arabic poetry to bridge cultural divides. Jacqueline Vidal is a high school social studies teacher in Austin, Texas. She was selected as a Fellow for QFI’s 2018-2019 Teacher Leadership Program (TLP) designed to create a cohort of primary and secondary school teachers in the U.S. that could create effective professional development for their peers on topics related to the Arab world. She currently serves as an advisor/mentor for the 2019-2020 TLP cohort and is working on an online Middle Eastern Studies course for Austin Independent School District.

Please join QFI with Omar Offendum for a special performance followed by a virtual workshop with Jacqueline Vidal on how teachers can incorporate Omar Offendum’s music and poetry into their courses to promote cross-cultural exchange and reflection.

Watch “Omar Offendum – Close my eyes” music video and submit a question for discussion to Omar or Jacqueline in the registration form below.

Details: This webinar took place on April 29th, 2020 3:00 pm ET

A recording of this webinar and all of our other webinars can be found on our YouTube page.