Presented in collaboration with Penn's Forum for Global Islamic Studies
As both a Muslim and an American, hip-hop dancer and activist Amirah Sackett believes her identity and art have the power to build bridges and create awareness. She uses her voice to fearlessly combat negative stereotypes about Muslim women and to educate communities. The Wolf Humanities Center and Penn’s Forum for Global Islamic Studies present a screening of Lateef, a short film featuring Sackett by Ahmed Zaghbouni, an internationally recognized beatboxer known as MR MiC, followed by a wide-ranging conversation with the artists moderated by Jamal J. Elias.
An internationally recognized hip-hop dancer, choreographer, and teacher, Amirah Sackett explores and embodies her Muslim American identity through combining hip-hop movement and Islamic themes. She is widely known for her creation of the choreography and performance group known as, “We’re Muslim, Don’t Panic”, which reached viral video fame after being featured on POPSUGAR Celebrity, The Huffington Post, AJ+, and Upworthy. Sackett was honored to be a TEDx speaker, guest lecturer at Harvard University, and a cultural diplomat with the U.S. State Department in Bangladesh and Malaysia.
Ahmed Zaghbouni, also known as MR MiC, is a multi-talented beatboxer and filmmaker originally from Sousse, Tunisia. Renowned for his Omegle beatbox reaction videos on YouTube Along with his “Megatron” beatboxing, MR MiC has performed his theatrical style of beatbox on major stages throughout the world including the renowned Theatre Plein air Sidi Dhaher in Tunisia and The Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. Zaghbouni has collaborated and shared the stage with artists such as Tunisian rapper RedStar Radi, Turkish bouzouki player Orhan Osman, Tunisian singer Nader Guirat, Tunisian violinist Mahdi Tfifha, and American dancer Amirah Sackett. He has a degree in Media Arts and Cinematography from the Higher Institute of Fine Arts in Sousse and has worked on short art films, commercials, and music videos. His short dance film, “Sikeena,” with dancer Amirah Sackett was chosen to be part of the American Muslim Futures exhibit created by Shangri La Doris Duke Foundation for the Arts and the organization Muslim Advocates.
