Guest Interivew with Amer Ahmed

Amer Ahmed is scholar, intercultural diversity consultant and college administrator. He is also an acclaimed spoken word poet and Hip Hop activist.
His engaging multi-media presentations, which include "Islam: Beyond the Myths, Breaking Down the Barriers," are truly transformative, addressing a range of critical questions that are especially important in the current climate of prejudice and bigotry toward Muslim people in the United States:  
What are the tenants of the faith and who are its followers?    
What implications does a lack of knowledge of Islam and Muslims in the United States have on our campuses, in our workplaces and communities?
How do advocates for diversity, social justice and inclusion challenge the dominant narratives about Muslims framed by popular media?
Born in Springfield, Ohio, to Indian Muslim immigrants, Amer has dedicated his life to engaging and facilitating diversity across human difference.
During Graduate School at Indiana University, Amer became integrally involved in the Hip Hop Congress, the largest grassroots Hip Hop organization in the United States (www.hiphopcongress.com).   Amer served as Director of Intercultural Programs at Loras College in Dubuque, IA, and later at Concordia College in Moorhead, MN.  His education, global experience and prominent role in the Hip Hop Congress assisted him in addressing pressing issues of diversity on these campuses. He served as an Associate Instructor and PR Officer for the Muslim Student Union (during 9/11) and helped open up important discussion and dialogue regarding Islam in a post-9/11 context, both in the world and in the U.S.
Amer strives to be an inspiration to young people who see purpose in the pursuing of their ideals. He stresses the need to identify one's own talents and abilities to reach positions in which we can enact what he calls "Realistic Idealism."