Congressman Keith Ellison Discusses Literature and Cross-Cultural Dialogue with Egyptian Public
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Alexandria—As part of the Big Read, Egypt/U.S. project, the BA Public Services Department organized a Seminar via video conference with American Congressman Keith Ellison on Tuesday, 28 April 2009. From Washington, he virtually met the Egyptian public at the BA Lectures Hall and the American Embassy in Cairo at the same time.
Being the first African American from Minnesota and the first Muslim in America to serve in the U.S. Congress, Ellison shared his insights about the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, first published in 1960. Set in the America of the 1930s, the novel narrates the story of an African-American who was discriminatorily accused of raping a white woman. Ellison spoke of the status of Africans in the contemporary American society, himself and President Barak Obama, as examples. However, he also stated that some staunch challenges are yet to be faced, as long as stereotypes, misunderstanding, generalization, judgment by appearance and injustice mark our lives. To Kill a Mockingbird is thus a call for universal equality and inclusiveness.
Ellison was also very much interested in hearing the views of the audience about Naguib Mahfouz’s classic The Thief and the Dogs, which is being read in America as part of the project. He expressed his hope that these kinds of readings would give each side an insight about the other, thus enriching cultural dialogue and understanding.
The Big Read Egypt/U.S. is a cultural project including various public events around a selected novel. It is a collaborative Global Cultural Initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts, in partnership with Arts Midwest and the Institute of Museums and Library Services.