Abdo is the author of “American Refuge: True Stories of the Refugee Experience," and spoke at Elon Community Church on Thursday, Sept. 26.
With the support of Alamance Reads, the fall 2024 Power+Place community book club created space for Alamance County and Elon residents to discuss how we can cultivate inclusive and diverse communities with author Diya Abdo.
The county-wide book club dialogue featured author Diya Abdo, whose book, “American Refuge: True Stories of the Refugee Experience,” was selected for the Alamance Reads’ community book club. A U.S. immigrant and the daughter of Palestinian refugees, Abdo explores the experiences of seven international refugees in the book.
“The most important factor for refugees is community,” Abdo told about 200 people gathered at Elon Community Church. Her experiences and the stories shared in her book highlight the complex experiences of refugees integrating into new societies and “show how we become part of America, but also invisible in America.”
In addition to Elon University students and faculty, the event included participation from students at Burlington’s Williams High School, local organizations and the broader community. Abdo’s narratives sparked rich discussions around tables, with participants reflecting on her observations and questions.
As the founder of Every Campus A Refuge (ECAR), an initiative that calls on college campuses to offer temporary housing and support for refugee families, Abdo has become a national community engagement and advocacy figure.
“I saw college campuses as a way to call on the pope’s message to create a sanctuary for activism,” Abdo said. Her work with ECAR has earned her several prestigious awards, including the 2021 J.M.K. Innovation Prize, awarded by the J.M. Kaplan Fund to elevate projects in social justice, the environment and heritage conservation.
At the end of the session, attendees provided feedback and agreed they had increased their awareness of cultural diversity in Alamance County.
“I had no idea how diverse Alamance County was,” said one student in attendance. “I think we should be more mindful of those they are surrounded by.”
As a part of the goal of creating inclusive and diverse communities, 94% of attendees said they connected with someone from a different background.
“It was wonderful to have all ages and backgrounds coming together to talk about one topic,” said a community member.
Abdo’s appearance was part of a larger community initiative supported by the Power + Place Collaborative. Before hearing from the author of “American Refuge,” attendees had the opportunity to connect with a wide array of community organizations that help community members approach inclusivity and diversity with radical hospitality and accountability, including the African American Cultural Arts & History Center, Alamance Community College, Alamance Public Libraries, the Burlington Masjid, CityGate Dream Center, Church World Services, the Family Justice Center, and North Carolina African Services Coalition.
By bringing local organizations and educational institutions together, the collaborative aims to foster meaningful connections and dialogue across diverse groups.
The purpose of this project is to record, preserve and celebrate stories that represent the diverse histories and communities in our county to build bridges across generations. For 2024, the theme of this project is “Spaces of Faith and Spiritual Diversity.” Students in Elon’s Department of Human Service Studies and Honors Fellows program collect and share stories representing the diversity of spiritual practices, faith traditions, religious communities and moral leaders in Alamance County. You can attend the public screening of this year’s stories by registering before Dec. 1 or watching this year’s and previous years’ stories on the Elon Center for Design Thinking YouTube channel.
Stories of Alamance Public Screening
Dec. 5, 2024
5 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Elon Community Church
271 N. Williamson Avenue
Elon, NC
Register here