I’ve had the opportunity to meet Sultan Sharrief in person twice so far, and both times have been absolutely inspirational!
I first heard about “Bilal’s Stand” http://www.bilalsstand.com during my Senior year in Michigan, there was a free screening in the science building next to Angell Hall, and I randomly saw the poster in the Fishbowl one afternoon. The fact that the film was a student project: FEX Project (Encouraging the Filmmaking EXperience) where Detroit high school students participated in, and the many issues the film touches on drew me in immediately. After the screening, Sultan had a brief Q&A session. It was simply amazing to see how he has combined his passion for film, social justice, and his personal experience growing up in Detroit into Bilal’s Stand. As a Michigan wolverine, it was even more inspiring to learn of his achievements and be able to sit in that lecture room that afternoon! The movie stuck in my mind, and I continued to track Bilal’s Stand & EFEX program updates after graduation.
It happened by chance that a colleague and I, Anny Chou, decided to start a Junior’s Program for Chicago Math & Science Academy (CMSA http://www.cmsaonline.net/). CMSA is a school located in Roger’s Park neighborhood of Chicago, and served to bridge the gap between lower-income families and higher education. Many of CMSA’s students were the first to attend High School, not to mention the first to attend college! However, these students lack a “mentor” for them to look up to, and ask questions about college that many of us may take for granted. For the launch of our program, we wanted to showcase a film that will inspire students on the value of college education... A film that will spark conversation long after the program is over, and to truly ignite their interest in attending college. This was when Bilal’s Stand popped into my mind.
After emailing Sultan Sharrief, he immediately responded and offered to conduct a screening for our program! I was ecstatic about the screening, and CMSA teachers could not believe it when we told them Sultan was coming down for the screening to host a Q&A session with the students!! Having Sultan there was simply amazing… the students had so many questions, and our program’s mentors had the opportunity to chat more with Sultan over lunch.
To continue showing Bilal’s Stand in high schools and colleges across the nation, Sultan has recently launched a Kickstart campaign to raise $20,000. I hope this post has sparked your interest, and that you will take a minute to check out their website!!
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