“I’m part of two
fights that are kind of similar,” says Ceesay. When she’s at a Black Lives
Matter rally, she can bring the Muslim perspective; when she’s organizing for
Islam, she can share her perspective as a black woman. “Black people here in
the U.S. are treated so unfairly and, post-9/11, Muslims here have been treated
incredibly horribly,” she says, pointing to President Trump’s policies
regarding Muslims as an example. “Because of those injustices,” she says, “I
want to help people who don’t have voices, to have their voices heard by the
general public.”
From Ceesay’s
perspective, Western women’s ongoing fight for equal rights, even the right to
vote (which black women didn’t expressly have until the Voting Rights Act of
1965), seems “slow in catching on” compared to Islam, which she says has
mandated women’s rights to education and their own money “literally since like
the beginning of Islam.” Confronting stereotypes is part of why Ceesay, a
Madison365 intern who has written pieces for Madison365.com highlighting social
injustices—including one called “10 Things You Know About Islam That Are
Wrong”—has chosen to pursue journalism, particularly photojournalism. Her hijab
is a visual representation of her personal faith, and she hopes that when people
see her wearing it, they’ll speak to her instead of stare.
How am I welcoming
diversity in my city?
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