The Ramadan Road Trip

The Shoulder to Shoulder campaign works to fight anti-Muslim discrimination and bigotry in the United States. They do this through training faith leaders and community members, building networks between these groups and individuals, and amplifying faith voices in the public square. I first met Shoulder to Shoulder while filming their inaugural Faith over Fear train in partnership with the Muslim Association of Puget Sound, and I’ve been working with them intermittently ever since.  

In 2019, I accompanied Shoulder to Shoulder and the InterReligious Institute on a “Ramadan Road Trip” to Raleigh, NC; Louisville, KY; Nashville, TN; Atlanta, GA; Clarkston, GA; and Washington, D.C., to highlight the diversity of Iftars, or the Ramadan end-of-day breaking of the fast, happening across the American Southeast. The video above documents these Iftars. We also developed a collection of videos from heartfelt conversations shared with Iftar attendees in a “story booth” hosted at each event, covering topics such as being Muslim in America today, favorite foods of Ramadan, the importance of interfaith community building, how to be a better ally, and more. Shoulder to Shoulder also developed a series of thought-provoking discussion guides that accompany each video (link found in description paragraph for each video).

Talking about anti-Muslim discrimination, and bigotry as a whole, with family or friends is often uncomfortable or taboo, yet conversation is an important start in the journey toward action. I suggest inviting family and friends over to watch the micro-documentary, or host an online group viewing session, then utilize the discussion guide to help stimulate a more in-depth conversation. The storybooth series + the discussion guides is a great way to continue the conversation, and I’ve included two videos from the series below.

I can’t say enough good things about Shoulder to Shoulder and their work, and I encourage you to check out their full programming when you have a moment (and make a donation if you’re able to!)

Ramadan Road Trip Partners: Shoulder to Shoulder, the InterReligious Institute at the Chicago Theological Institute
Host partners: Many (check out the Ramadan Road Trip page from 2019 for a list of all the extraordinary host partners on this project)
Roles: Project Coordinator, Producer, Interviewer, Videographer, Editor, Graphic Designer