WE WON’T BACK DOWN

ABOUT

Held as White House lawyers pressed the U.S. Supreme Court to approve the second Muslim Travel Ban, We Won’t Back Down presented a week of public talks with an array of thought leaders who were directly impacted by the policy. Together they examined the historical, political, and cultural context of the ban, as well as what it meant for America going forward. Presented at seven cultural spaces in seven neighborhoods over seven consecutive days.

CURATORIAL STATEMENT

The U.S. Supreme Court has now approved implementation of the travel ban, and the evolving policy is the subject of fierce litigation and debate. But what are the consequences for those Americans who are among its targets? What does it mean to be American when your ethnic identity has been branded with terrorism? 

These seven forums will explore what the travel ban, and the narratives at its core, mean for Iranian Americans, Iraqi Americans, Libyan Americans, Somali Americans, Sudanese Americans, Syrian Americans, and Yemeni Americans. Each forum will relate the perspectives of a given community through conversation with its people - from fields of law, medicine, academia, the arts, and more - to help put the question in personal and historical perspective, while also mapping a path forward. 

 - Brian Tate 2017

PROGRAM

What Will Be Different for IRANIAN AMERICANS
Judson Memorial Church (Manhattan)
Samira Abbassy + Setare Arashloo + Monna Sabouri + Negin Sharifzadeh | Moderator: Kiana Karimi

What Will Be Different for LIBYAN AMERICANS
Museum of the Moving Image (Queens)
Leila Abu-saada + Danya Hajjaji + Leila Zubi + Jehad Nga | Moderator: Sumeja Tuli

What Will Be Different for SOMALI AMERICANS
Performance Project at University Settlement (Manhattan)
Ifrah F. Ahmed + Idil Ibrahim + Najma Sharif + Fatima Siad | Moderator: Muna Mire | Performance: Safia Jama

What Will Be Different for SYRIAN AMERICANS
Greenlight Bookstore PLG (Brooklyn)
Sarab Al-Jijakli + Shiyam Galyon + Loubna Mrie + Sarah B. Sakaan | Moderator: Rama Issa-Ibrahim

What Will Be Different for SUDANESE AMERICANS
Weeksville Heritage Center (Brooklyn)
Fadwa Abbas + Israa Hamad + Selma Idris | Moderator: Ladin Awad

What Will Be Different for YEMENI AMERICANS
Brooklyn Historical Society (Brooklyn)
Rooj Alwazir + Rabyaah Althaibani + Somia El-Rowmeim + Zaid Nagi | Moderator: Dr. Debbie Almontaser

What Will Be Different for IRAQI AMERICANS
Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning (Queens)
Fajer Al Kaisi + Heather Raffo + Stephan Said | Moderator: Zahra Ali

PROJECT PARTNERS

Judson Memorial Church + Museum of the Moving Image + Performance Project at University Settlement + Greenlight Bookstore + Weeksville Heritage Center + Brooklyn Historical Society + Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning + Pop Culture Collaborative + Unbound Philanthropy

PROJECT TEAM

Brian Tate, Curator/Executive Producer 
Jenny Tibbles, Production Support
Trevor Exter, Production Support 
Adrian Taverner, Audio Recording 
Holly Ajala, Social Media 
Ed Marshall, Photography

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