Activism at AU is a series devoted to highlighting activists at American University. To celebrate Women’s History Month, AUSG Women’s Initiative is teaming up with Kennedy Political Union and Her Campus to highlight feminist activists who are making a difference on campus and in the community, as a subseries of Activism at AU. The month will culminate with Wonk of the Year Donna Brazile on March 24th and Women’s Initiative WHM speaker, Wagatwe Wanjuki on March 31. Click here to learn more.
Name: Azza Altiraifi
Year: Class of 2016
Major: CLEG & Journalism
Her Campus American University: What kind of advocacy have you been involved in both on and off campus?
Azza Altiraifi: I am primarily involved in anti-racism work, combating Islamophobia, and mental health advocacy. Outside of American University, I worked at an anti-racism collaborative, and helped to organize events and social media campaigns designed to unpack racism and anti-Blackness within our communities, as well as amplify the voices of marginalized communities. Additionally, as the former president of the Muslim Students Association, I organized events to raise awareness about Islam on campus. I have spoken on various panels outside of AU on effective strategies for combating Islamophobia. I am also engaged in mental health advocacy work.
I currently intern at Green Door Behavioral Health, a nonprofit in DC serving the city’s most vulnerable residents. Specifically, Green Door provides a range of services to low-income, mentally ill individuals living in the District. I also speak at community centers, universities, and places of worship on the importance of dismantling the stigma surrounding mental health disorders and learning to recognize the signs of emotional distress. On campus, I am working with a recently launched student group – United Muslim Relief – to organize an event on campus meant to start the conversation on mental health and mental illness, dispel stigma, raise awareness and promote recovery.
HCAU: What do the issues you work with mean to you personally?
AA: Anti-racism work and combating Islamophobia have deep meaning to me, because I have been raised in a country where institutionalized racism and rampant Islamophobia have limited my opportunities and made the likelihood of experiencing violence much higher for me. I was bullied throughout my childhood for my skin color, hair texture, and racial heritage. As a Black, Afro-Arab, Muslim woman living in the US, I am inundated with messages that the lives of those who are like me do not matter. That is why I am dedicated to the work of dismantling racism, anti-Blackness, and Islamophobia within this country and within the AU community.
I also suffer from a debilitating eating disorder and mood disorder. The stigma surrounding mental health disorders made me delay receiving treatment. My mental health continued to deteriorate, resulting in multiple hospitalizations. It was difficult to access the proper care, and I began engaging in self-harm, and attempted suicide. Since then though, I have assembled an incredible treatment team and have begun my journey to recovery. I share my story openly, because I am committed to ending stigma, and creating a world where mental health is prioritized as much as physical health.
HCAU: What drives you to keep advocating for what you believe in, even in the face of potential obstacles?
AA: I am committed to the work that I do, even in the face of obstacles, because I know that the work that I do impacts the lives of people like me. My activism has the potential to improve the world that we live in, and that motivates me to persevere.
HCAU: Describe one experience you felt reminded you of what you were fighting for.
AA: I once spoke about my mental health disorders at an event at Busboys and Poets. It was the first time that I publicly shared my story. As frightening as it was to make myself vulnerable in that way, the response I received from the attendees was overwhelmingly positive. People were so moved by my story that a group of attendees actually formed a committee to collect stories like mine, and put on annual events to further raise awareness about mental health disorders and to dispel stigma. I am currently collaborating with this committee to put on an event this May promoting stories of recovery and resiliency.
Photo Credit: Haithem Hammad Photography