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Kerning Cultures

Ugly Truth

Kerning Cultures

Kerning Cultures Network

Documentary, Society & Culture

4.9529 Ratings

🗓️ 10 July 2020

⏱️ 22 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

This is the ugly truth: racism and anti-Blackness in the Arab world is a common practice and a subject so taboo that many have convinced themselves that it doesn't even exist. But for those of us who live in these societies, and who are caught at the intersection of Black and Arab identities, it is undeniable. Today on Kerning Cultures, producer Sara Elhassan on racism in the Arab world.

This episode was produced by Sara Elhassan, with editorial support from Dana Ballout, Tamara Rasamny, Zeina Dowidar, Alex Atack, and Hebah Fisher. Fact-checking by Zeina Dowidar and sound design by Mohamed Khreizat. Episode artwork is illustrated by Enas Satir. Kerning Cultures is a Kerning Cultures Network production.

Support this podcast on patreon.com/kerningcultures for as little as $1 a month.


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Transcript

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0:00.0

Hey everyone, Dana here. I'll be starting off today's episode. A quick heads up before we start,

0:05.6

this episode contains one racial slur that we've left unbeaped. Everyone listening has likely

0:11.3

been witnessing the protests across not just the United States, but the world. It's the largest

0:16.6

civil rights movement of our time in the U.S. and by some accounts the largest civil

0:21.1

rights movement in all American history, the Black Lives Matter movement. Here at Kernan

0:27.0

cultures, we love telling stories of wonder, of celebration, odes to this beautiful region

0:32.9

that we've lived in or are from. But above all else, we're committed to the truth, personal truths

0:39.7

included. So today we'd like to hand it off to Sudanese American storyteller and

0:45.9

podcaster Saddha Hassan. Her Instagram video diaries during quarantine and then the Black Lives

0:52.1

Matter movement are ones I personally listen to closely

0:55.2

to help me digest the events around me.

0:58.4

I want to say that I hope this isn't a one-off conversation and not a one-off episode or

1:03.9

a momentary time where we finally bring racism in the Arab world to the forefront.

1:09.2

Internally we're taking a look at ourselves as a team and outwardly as storytellers.

1:14.9

We need to do better and we need to begin with ourselves.

1:18.9

This has all been and will continue to be an issue that you and I need to dive into in a more

1:23.5

meaningful and a more insightful way outside of just hashtags and social media posts,

1:29.1

although those might be helpful as well.

1:32.2

I'm Dana Balut, and this is Kernan Cultures, stories from the Middle East and North Africa

1:37.5

and the spaces in between.

1:42.6

And one story that always kind of captures my imagination. And one story that always kind of captures my imagination.

1:47.4

The street's lost culture.

...

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