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Interviewee Profile: Nasim Almuntaser
Interviewee Profile: Nasim Almuntaser
Hometown: Brooklyn, New York
University and Class Year: Senior at Brooklyn College
Major(s) and Minor(s): Double-Major in History and Secondary Education
Community Involvement: Yemeni American Merchants Association, State Young Democrats
“I don’t do the work that I do for recognition. I do the work that I do to make sure that I’m uplifting and changing the lives of other people for the better.”
As a History and Secondary Education major, Nasim’s studies contribute to his activist identity. His role as a student and future educator provides him with a unique outlook that also helps shape his activism. Nasim explained during our interview that his background in history helps him in several areas of his activism. First, his experience with research translates to his writing and organization skills. This is useful for tasks like email writing and the evaluation of logistics. When contacting elected officials, as Nasim does, it is important to craft emails in a fashion that communicates the social issue at hand and compels the reader to respond. Second, Nasim’s background in history has helped him develop strong critical thinking skills. For a student like Nasim, a school-related task such as the evaluation of the credibility of different resources helps to promote his problem-solving ability. Nasim’s activism, informed largely by his education, relies heavily on his communicative and collaborative skills.
Applications of These Skills to Nasim’s Activism
Applications of These Skills to Nasim’s Activism
Press Conference: CUNY's Unsafe Reopening Plans
Press Conference: CUNY's Unsafe Reopening Plans
This clip shows Nasim speaking out at a press conference against the reopening plans for the City University of New York (CUNY) for the 2021-2022 academic year. Nasim and fellow community members felt that the university’s decision to reopen for in-person instruction for the school year despite the health risks posed by COVID-19 was not in the best interests of the school community. This clip demonstrates Nasim’s ability to identify an issue within his community, articulate the importance of the issue, and propose a solution to the issue. Nasim’s delivery of his speech also demonstrates skills related to his background as a history major.
Nasim’s well-written and well-delivered speech demonstrates his research skills. Throughout the speech, Nasim makes claims and then follows them up with evidence. Before making a claim about CUNY’s administration and its decisions, Nasim made the effort to conduct research about the institution’s leaders with the aim of understanding their mindsets. This is demonstrated through his quote of the university’s mission statement. Additionally, the influence of Nasim’s interest in history shone through when he said the following:
“You know, folks, I believe that we are re-living the Civil Rights Movement. Ten years from now, our young people, our grandchildren, are gonna ask us, ‘What did you do?’”
Nasim interpreted this situation through a historical perspective in addition to a public safety perspective. By calling attention to the connection between the Civil Rights Movement and the present divisive climate caused by the pandemic, he considered how the present will ultimately inform the future, and he urged CUNY decision-makers to make the choice that led to the most favorable future for all members of the school community.
NYC Council Public Education Budget hearing May 21, 2020
NYC Council Public Education Budget hearing May 21, 2020
In addition to his historical background, Nasim’s activism is informed by his identity as a pre-service educator. During our interview, Nasim explained, “I noticed that when I was in school (public schools), my teachers didn’t look like me. I noticed that what I was learning was Eurocentric… The fact that we’re going into education is a political act in and of itself… Our sole existence in the front of a classroom is also a political act in and of itself.” A part of his motivation for becoming a teacher was to be the change that he wanted to see. While Nasim’s activism encompasses many social issues affecting his community, it is clear that education is one of the most pertinent issues to him.
As a result, Nasim’s lived experiences as a student and as a future teacher helped him develop the statement that he gave to the New York City Council in the video clip featured above. As you watch the clip, you will note that Nasim has featured his social media handles on his virtual background. This demonstrates his networking skills and his recognition of the power of social media platforms within the activism space. As one council member noted in the video, Nasim’s tweets are being seen and “are getting to the right people”. With this acknowledgment, he proves to be a good writer and exhibits strong communication skills.
Call to action & demands for ending GUN VIOLENCE
Call to action & demands for ending GUN VIOLENCE
This clip features Nasim’s speech about ways to end gun violence within his community. Invited to speak by New York City Councilman, Chaim Deutsch, Nasim demonstrates once again that his ability to network and effectively communicate his ideas has earned him recognition from political decision-makers. In addition, the influences of his historical background manifest themselves throughout his speech.
Nasim demonstrates a global perspective and recognition of the diversity of his community by beginning his speech with a multi-lingual greeting. He continues by explaining what has caused the rise of gun violence in his community, presenting the events and historical context related to the phenomenon. He explains, “If you examine history very closely, the reason why gun violence has risen is because of two main reasons. First, we are living in a global pandemic where people were forced to stay home… This caused many of us to be stressed out, and since then, it has played a role in our mental wellbeing. Secondly, it’s the presidential election season, which causes people to act a certain way because of the potential political party shift in our country.”
Having observed how acts of gun violence reveal a pattern, Nasim outlines in his speech a series of action items that the community can complete as a start to preventing gun violence:
Recognize the problem
Establish and ensure access to mental health resources
Educate the community to remove the stigma surrounding seeking mental health resources
Love one another
Voice your concerns (to local elected officials)
Nasim’s speech is informed by his lived experience as a member of the community, his historical insights, and his overall desire to enact positive change.
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