Hello, and welcome back to my Author Spotlight series where I interview trending authors about their newest release. Today, I’m happy to introduce political activist Linda Sarsour about her YA novel We’re In This Together. She is a Brooklyn-born Palestinian Muslim American community organizer and mother of three. Recognized for her award-winning intersectional work, Linda served as national cochair of the Women’s March, helping to organize the largest single-day protest in US history. She is the former executive director of the Arab American Association of New York and cofounder of the first Muslim online organizing platform, MPower Change, as well as Until Freedom, a national racial justice organization working with Black and Brown communities across the country.
We’re In This Together is an empowering young readers edition of We Are Not Here to Be Bystanders, the memoir by Women’s March coorganizer and activist Linda Sarsour. She shares the memories that shaped her into the activist she is today, and how these pivotal moments in her life led her to being an organizer in one of the largest single-day protests in US history. From the Brooklyn bodega her father owned to the streets of Washington, DC, Linda’s story as a daughter of Palestinian immigrants is a moving portrayal of what it means to find your voice in your youth and use it for the good of others as an adult.
We’re In this Together is a young reader’s edition of your other novel, We Are Not Here to be Bystanders. What made you decide to write a YA version of your previous novel, and how was it a similar and/or different process than your previous work?
Growing up, I wish I had contemporary Palestinian/Arab/Muslim American women autobiographies to read. I am proud knowing that now girls everywhere will read my story; one of resilience, pride and solidarity that inspires them to step in their full identities. Youth are not just the future, they are our present and we live in a complicated world that must engage young people in conversations about racism, anti-Muslim sentiment, and also justice and solidarity so they can be informed and equipped to react and respond in productive ways. I wanted to write for young people so they would feel seen and to inspire them to action. While writing “We’re In This Together”, accessible language that young readers can understand was the focus and when it was necessary I used words in other languages or introduced specific concepts I provided a glossary. I also shared more stories from my childhood that I know will resonate across race, ethnicity, faith and more. I believe when someone sees themselves in a book they are more likely to read it, enjoy it and hopefully be inspired by its message.
How do you believe reading adds to people’s understanding of culture and social awareness if there is often a blur between what is fictional or not within literature?
Reading gives us a window into the lives of others we may not be familiar or not have relationships within real life. Telling stories and consuming the stories of others often breaks down stereotypes, and we tend to find parts of others that resonate with us or at the very least we find respect in our differences. Storytelling is a very powerful tool that can bring communities closer together because as the title of my book states, “We’re In this Together.” We have much more in common and we share many of the same universal values of love, dignity and equity.
Nowadays, people see activism movements on media outlets and think there is such a thing as being “too much” when it comes to fighting for certain rights since it can often end in harm. How do you think writing novels, such as this one, and your own experience can help those who don’t understand the importance of activism? What do you wish to say to those people?
We are living in dark times where marginalized communities and our rights are under attack. We need more people willing to speak up and organize. To be an activist means to care deeply about an issue and find ways to use our skills and talents towards a solution. The more people willing to work together to address an issue and alleviate harm, the better our chances to transform our communities and the world around us.
“Throughout history, it has been the inaction of those who could have acted; the indifference of those who should have known better; the silence of the voice of justice when it mattered most; that has made it possible for evil to triumph” -Haile Selassie
As an activist speaker, how do you find small remarks that society dismisses so they are left unchecked feed into something bigger and more dangerous?
The most important form of activism is addressing those we are closest to when they make remarks that disparage an entire group of people based on their beliefs and/or identities. We must educate and hold our own accountable because if we allow for misconceptions, disinformation and bigotry to fester, harm can come to innocent people in our communities.
In this young adult version of your memoir, you talk a lot about your personal experiences that have shaped you into an activist today. For those who want their voice to be heard, what would you tell them are the first steps and what advice would you give?
Here are some steps to begin exploring and engaging in activism as a young person.
- Choose an issue that really means something to you.
- Research the issue and learn as much as you can about it.
- Once you feel very knowledgeable about the issue, create a presentation to teach others about it so you can expand the number of people who care about this issue.
- Think about something you can do to help contribute to addressing this issue. This could mean raising funds for an organization that has solutions about this issue. You can organize a bake sale or some other activity that can raise small dollars. You can also organize a rally and invite your friends and their families to share solutions and demand that people in power do something about it. You can organize this rally with the help of adults at your local City Hall or somewhere else that is symbolic.
- Stay connected to an organization that works on this issue. Volunteer with them if there are open opportunities.
Within the novel, you write about Linda Sarsour’s Spanish & American Food Center which was a bodega your father named after you. What are some of your favorite memories that are linked to this store that you couldn’t include in your work, and how did you believe this store served as a foundation for who you are today?
Linda Sarsour’s Spanish & American Food Center was a community. The way in which my father taught me about the power of deep relationships and trust has had a profound effect on me. My father came to America and experienced many challenges and he had a keen understanding of a common struggle amongst those who patroned his business. He wanted them to feel like his store was an extension of their family and I watched that in every interaction my father had. The terms of endearment people used towards him, the way the children would giggle with joy when they saw him and the looks of the mothers who would whisper to my father about a hard week they were having and my dad waving them off to get whatever groceries they needed and that they could pay when they could. He would explain to me that the reason why his family could thrive was because his neighbors chose him as a place to do business. He owed much of what he had to his customers. His love for the Spanish & American Food Center community embodied, “We’re In this Together.”
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Thank you so much, Linda for answering my questions! I had a really fun time creating questions for this Author Spotlight since I wanted to convey the importance and impact activism has on our society especially for the younger generation reading books like We’re In This Together. Huge thanks to Alex Kelleher from Simon & Schuster for acting as meditator between Linda and I, along with sending me a physical copy of the novel. Without the two of them, this interview wouldn’t have been possible.