You Have to Make Yourself Important to You

In this episode, we hear from Abdul Ali, a 25-year-old Ethiopian-American Social Activist, Organizer, and Educator from Maine. 

Ali shares with us his story, from having his parents divorced when he was 7 years old and coming to this country as a refugee. He reflects on the toll it took on him to have to choose between his dad or mom while growing up. Ali talks about what it was like to live with his father and brother in a shelter, have no structure, and feel like he had to raise himself. He opens up about later going to live with his mom and having to adjust to living with a step-dad and two siblings he’d never met. And later being kicked out of that home because of a misunderstanding at 12 years old. Ali reflects on how these experiences led to him growing up without a sense of belonging or safety.

Ali further goes into how these experiences led to him being arrested, placed on probation at 15, and inevitably ending up in prison for two years. He speaks about taking college courses while incarcerated and finding theater as an outlet to talk about his story and getting the community to care. Ali describes losing one of his theater partners to an overdose and participating in an Islamic burial where he had to bury him with his bare hands. He ends by sharing some words of wisdom on how people can take their stories and use them as a force of change.

Listen to his episode and follow his work on:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/humblephilosopher2020/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/abdul-ali-3a670ba0/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100036604031534