Blair Imani

Blair Imani
Blair Imani in 2018
Born Blair Elizabeth Brown
Education Louisiana State University
Known for Activism
Movement Black Lives Matter
Website https://blairimani.com

Blair Imani (born Blair Elizabeth Brown) is an African-American Muslim activist. She is Executive Director of "Equality for HER", a feminist organisation.[1] Imani is a member of the Black Lives Matter movement and is known for her voice on Twitter and Instagram and her role in protests in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and New York.[2] Imani has written for The Huffington Post and VICE.[3][4]

Imani gained recognition for her arrest following the shooting of Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and her continued activism at the intersection of Black and Muslim identity.[5]

Education and career

Imani graduated from Louisiana State University in 2015.[6] In 2016, Imani has worked as a Press Officer for Planned Parenthood Action Fund.[7] Blair Imani is presently the Civic Action & Campaign Lead at DoSomething.org, the largest tech company exclusively for young people and social change.[8][9]

Activism in Baton Rouge

Blair Imani at Baton Rouge rally in protest of the police shooting of Alton Sterling

On July 10, 2016, in the aftermath of the shooting of Alton Sterling, Imani took part in a protest in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. While peacefully protesting, Imani was arrested with her partner Akeem Muhammad.[10] In an interview with The Intercept, Imani detailed her encounter with Baton Rouge SWAT officers. In the interview she claimed she was trampled and threatened verbally. Imani was photographed screaming as she was carried away by special force officers.[6]

Less than a week after her arrest, Imani helped organize a vigil with the Louisiana State University Student Body Association in response to and in honor of the murder of three Baton Rouge police officers. In an article from The Advocate, Imani said, "All violence is wrong," and that she's against all brutality, including violence against police officers.[11]

Black and Muslim identity

During the run up to the 2016 Presidential election, Imani spoke about the intersection of Black and Muslim identity.[12]

Imani appeared on MSNBC's The Point hosted by Ari Melber on April 2, 2017.[13] She presented with activist Kwame Rose at the Harvard University Kennedy School's 2017 Black Policy Conference[14] on the intersections of Black and Muslim identity.[15]

In June 2017, Imani appeared on Tucker Carlson Tonight where she advocated safe spaces on college campuses for Muslims, LGBT people, and other minorities.[16]

Personal life

Blair Imani came out as queer in June 2017.[17] After coming out, Imani said she received support "from queer Muslims and young people all over the world" and that she found solace in the representation of LGBT Muslims on The Bold Type.[18]

References

  1. ↑ "In Trump Era, Islam's Tolerance Helps Restless Activist Survive". Observer. 2017-02-19. Retrieved 2017-04-18.
  2. ↑ Florio, Gina M. "Muslim Women You Should Be Following On Twitter, Because We Need Their Voices Now More Than Ever". Bustle. Retrieved 2017-04-18.
  3. ↑ "why activist blair imani will no longer wear hijab post-trump | read | i-D". i-D. Retrieved 2017-04-18.
  4. ↑ Imani, Blair (2016-08-10). "One Month Ago In Baton Rouge". Huffington Post. Retrieved 2017-04-18.
  5. ↑ http://thefourohfive.com. "Discussing the Resistance with Blair Imani". The 405. Retrieved 2017-04-18.
  6. 1 2 Mackey2016-07-14T15:35:14+00:00, Robert MackeyRobert. "Baton Rouge Police Sued Over Arrest of Peaceful Protesters". The Intercept. Retrieved 2017-04-18.
  7. ↑ "Donald Trump Bragged About Sexual Assault — But We Won't Let Him Normalize It". www.plannedparenthoodaction.org. Retrieved 2017-04-18.
  8. ↑ "Our Team | DoSomething.org | Volunteer for Social Change". www.dosomething.org. Retrieved 2017-08-26.
  9. ↑ "How to be an activist (no experience required)". NBC News. Retrieved 2017-08-26.
  10. ↑ "Baton Rouge Protester On Arrest: 'I Didn't Know If I Was Going To Survive'". NPR.org. Retrieved 2017-04-18.
  11. ↑ Allen, Rebekah. "Woman arrested in Alton Sterling protests is key organizer of fallen officers vigil". The Advocate. Retrieved 2017-04-18.
  12. ↑ "Times Square". This American Life. Retrieved 2017-04-18.
  13. ↑ "Growing Up Trump: The next generation speaks out". MSNBC. Retrieved 2017-04-18.
  14. ↑ http://blackpolicyconference.com/ Black Policy Conference
  15. ↑ "Blair Imani". Retrieved 2017-04-18.
  16. ↑ "Tucker Takes on Activist Who Supports Taxpayer-Funded Muslim 'Safe Spaces'". Fox News. 9 June 2017. Retrieved 14 October 2017.
  17. ↑ Imani, Blair (24 August 2017). "Blair Imani gets real about queer Muslim representation, shares exclusive "The Bold Type" clip". GLAAD. Retrieved 14 October 2017.
  18. ↑ McNamara, Brittney (12 September 2017). "Blair Imani Opens Up About Being Queer, Black and Muslim". Teen Vogue. Retrieved 14 October 2017.
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