StoryCorps Chicago: ‘Young People Need To See Muslim Heroes Onscreen’

Bassam Abdelfattah and Kayem
Bassam Abdelfattah (left) and Kayem (right) spoke to each other as part of our StoryCorps series. Courtesy of Bassam Abdelfattah, Kayem
Bassam Abdelfattah and Kayem
Bassam Abdelfattah (left) and Kayem (right) spoke to each other as part of our StoryCorps series. Courtesy of Bassam Abdelfattah, Kayem

StoryCorps Chicago: ‘Young People Need To See Muslim Heroes Onscreen’

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Recently, StoryCorps Chicago has been collecting stories about the experiences of being Muslim in the United States. Last month, musician Kayem spoke to his friend Bassam Abdelfattah. Bassam is an actor in Chicago. He’s worked with local theaters including Silk Road Rising, and on TV shows such as The Chi. Bassam said that when he was a kid, he didn’t see a lot of Muslim people in the media. But the few he did see made a difference.

This interview was facilitated by StoryCorps Chicago’s Rocio Santos, through a partnership with Silk Road Rising, a community-centered artmaking and arts service organization rooted in Asian, Middle Eastern and Muslim experiences.

Bill Healy produces StoryCorps Chicago for WBEZ and teaches journalism at Northwestern University. Follow him @chicagoan.