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Teaching America: SXSW Opening Keynote (2023)

SXSW EDU Mini Interview (2023)


Rebuilding Community
with Luma Mufleh

Engraved on the Statue of Liberty are the words, “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free…” It’s a beautiful sentiment indeed, but the reality is a little less poetic. When refugees reach America’s shores today, they face the daunting task of rebuilding a sense of community while trying to work through a system that is ill-equipped to give them the support they need. That’s where Luma Mufleh comes in.

Twenty-nine years ago, Luma came to the United States as a refugee and has since found herself on a path she didn’t expect—building schools to support refugee children. After hearing her TED Talk, “Don’t Feel Sorry For Refugees, Believe In Them,” I couldn’t wait to get her perspective on how to build a community devoted to taking care of each other.


P&P Live: Luma Mufleh and Kathleen Kennedy Interview (2022)

Luma’s TED TALK: Don’t Feel Sorry for Refugees, Believe in Them (2017)

S2 E15: Learning from the Stories of Refugees in America

Top of Mind with Julie Rose – Season 2, Episode 15

One out of every 95 people on Earth has fled their home because of conflict or persecution. With thousands of people fleeing their countries and seeking asylum around the world, what can we learn from stories of refugees in America? What is the experience of leaving – when you’d rather stay – and resettling in a place where everything is foreign? Refugee stories give us a glimpse into the perseverance needed to find a home again in a foreign place. In this podcast episode, people who came to America as refugees share their stories of heartbreak, healing, and new friendships as they seek to build a better life in a new country. Podcast Guests: Warda Mohamed Abdullahi, Somalian refugee, author of “Warda: My Journey from the Horn of Africa to a College Education” Mackenzie Wellman, Warda’s mentor Luma Mufleh, founder of Fugees Family, author of “Learning America: One Woman’s Fight for Educational Justice for Refugee Children” Liz Jevtic-Somlai, Associate Director at Their Story is Our Story Aden Batar, Services Director at Catholic Community Services of Utah

CNN’s Great Big Story: Fugees Family

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