Gallery Talk: Muslim Feminist Futures

The Halal Metropolis exhibition, by artist Osman Khan, photographer Razi Jafri, and historian Sally Howell, explores the facts, fictions, and imaginaries of the Muslim population(s) in Detroit and Southeast Michigan as viewed through historical research, documentation of current conditions, and explorations of future desires. The Halal Metropolis is one where Muslims practice their faith freely and contribute to society with all of their talents and commitments. It is created dialogically and requires Muslims to be visible to one another and to non-Muslims. It encourages Muslims to organize and speak as believers, citizens, and artists.

This webinar/​virtual gallery talk will explore the work of Muslim women at the fore of feminism’s future. Arts & Culture Organizer Piper Carter, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan Saima Mohsin, and Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib will sit down for a conversation, moderated by Halal Metropolis curator Sally Howell, on emerging leadership in the Muslim community of Southeast Michigan. 

Stamps events are free and open to the public, and we are committed to making them accessible to all attendees. This event will be online using the Zoom platform with an auto-generated Live Transcript available. Questions may be asked using the Q&A feature on Zoom. If you anticipate needing any additional accommodations to participate, please email asbaban@​umich.​edu at least one week in advance of the scheduled event so we can arrange for your accommodation or an effective alternative. After receiving your request, our team will follow up with you directly. This event can also be live streamed on the Halal Metropolis and Stamps School of Art & Design Facebook pages. 

Speaker Bios

Piper Carter

Piper Carter lives inside Detroit city. She is an Arts and Culture Organizer and Hip Hop Activist with focus on Entertainment Justice, Environmental and Climate Justice, Education Justice, the Maker Space movement, and Food Justice, communities.

She is Host of the Piper Carter Podcast on Detroit is Different where she discusses Social Justice and Hip Hop to a world wide audience.

She is an Image Maker, Fashion Photographer, Featured four times on Tyra Banks’ VH‑1 TV show ​“The Shot”, The First Black Woman to shoot for Hi-End publications such as French Vogue, British Elle, New York Times, Spin, & Essence Magazines, as well as emerging talent for Music companies such as Def Jam, Sony Music, Warner Music, Universal Music, Disturbing tha Peace, Elektra Records, and BET.

She is co-Founder of We Found Hip Hop (The Foundation, uplifting, celebrating, and supporting Women in Hip Hop to help them build careers in a safer environment). She is Creator of Dilla Youth Day (This day is a highlight during African American History Month for young people to become excited about exploring the S.T.E.A.M (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) disciplines through the process of participating in and leading hands on engagement in fun educational activities while recognizing a modern homegrown figure in Hip Hop.

She is also Creator and Editor-In-Chief for thes​tu​dioarena​.com (a sustainable fashion magazine promoting zero waste and international trade).

She is a 3‑Time Awardee Knight Arts Challenge by The Knight Foundation Grant, Detroit Young Professionals Vanguarde Award, Community Connections Grant Awardee, Cognizant Grant Awardee, Ford Foundation Awardee. She also received The Spirit of Detroit Award for Creating Dilla Youth Day.

She is Coordinator for Detroit Rocks The Runway at The Annual African World Festival, Multimedia Artist for Jessica Care Moore’s Black Women Rock, Part-Time Assistant Stage Manager at The Aretha Amphitheater.

She is formerly co-Chair of Bravo Bravo (fundraising committee for the Detroit Opera House), Founding Member of Cosmic Slop a Michigan based Black Rock Coalition, & former co-Owner of 5egallery and 5 Elements Arts Foundation.

As an activist in Detroit, she is a Volunteer for East Michigan Environmental Action Council (EMEAC), Communications Team Coordinator for Frontline Detroit Coalition, Cohort Member of Detroit Equity Action Lab (for Racial Equity), Founding Member of the Detroit Digital Justice Coalition, Volunteer Staff Member of Detroit Independent Freedom Schools Movement (providing supplemental education to marginalized youth as a result of a failed public education system), Adult Ally for Detroit Youth, Alumni of Public Allies Metro Detroit.

She is a Member of World March of Women US Chapter, serves on the Detroit Creative Corridor Center UNESCO Detroit City of Design Stewardship Board, National Board Member of Universal Hip Hop Museum, Member of the Detroit Chapter of Hip Hop Caucus, National Board Member & Secretary of Hip Hop Congress, Detroit co-Coordinator for & National Board Member of HipHop4Foundation (providing relief to Black & Brown communities during natural disasters), Member of the Black Caucus of Climate Justice Alliance, Member of the leadership Team of The Rising Majority.

She received the prestigious Muhammad Ali Global Peace Initiative Women of Impact Award from The United Nations.

Saima Shafiq Mohsin
Saima Shafiq Mohsin is the Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan.

As the Acting United States Attorney, Ms. Mohsin is the chief federal law enforcement official in the Eastern District of Michigan, which contains approximately 6.5 million people in 34 counties. The office is widely recognized for significant prosecutions involving international terrorism, violent crime, public corruption, environmental crime, financial fraud, drug trafficking, civil rights and numerous other criminal and civil matters. As the Acting United States Attorney, Ms. Mohsin manages more than 245 employees, including approximately 120 Assistant U.S. Attorneys in Detroit, Flint and Bay City.

Ms. Mohsin assumed the duties of the office as the Acting United States Attorney following U.S. Attorney Matthew Schneider’s resignation on February 1, 2021. Before taking on the duties of U.S. Attorney, Ms. Mohsin served as the First Assistant United States Attorney, the senior-most management position in the office, for the preceding three years. In that position, she served as the chief advisor to the U.S. Attorney and oversaw the office’s civil and criminal litigation, its appellate division, as well as all administrative operations. 

Ms. Mohsin is a career prosecutor who has more than 20 years’ experience in state and federal courts protecting the public from violence, organized criminal activity, corruption, theft and fraud, drug trafficking, child exploitation, and human trafficking. She joined the United States Attorney’s Office in 2002 and served in the criminal division for over fifteen years in the Violent and Organized Crime, Drug Task Force, and General Crimes units. Prior to becoming a federal prosecutor, Ms. Mohsin served a Deputy Attorney General in the Organized Crime and Racketeering Bureau of the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office prosecuting complex organized crime cases, and as an Assistant District Attorney in Manhattan in a trial division.

Ms. Mohsin received her law degree from Rutgers Law School – Camden, and her Bachelor of Arts Degree in political science and economics from Rutgers University – New Brunswick.

Rashida Tlaib
Rashida Tlaib is a well-known progressive warrior and, in her own words, ​“a mother working for justice for all.” Her two young sons are at the root of her unwavering passion to help change lives for the better. She is the oldest of 14 children, born and raised in Detroit, the proud daughter of Palestinian immigrant parents.

Rashida made history in 2008 by becoming the first Muslim woman to ever serve in the Michigan Legislature. She is beloved by residents for the transformative constituent services she provided, and for successfully fighting the billionaires and corporations that tried to pollute her district. When families get to know Rashida, they have no doubt that she will work tirelessly to knock down barriers for real change, and whether by policy or action, she will roll up her sleeves to make sure her residents are cared for, no matter how big the challenge.

When billionaire slumlord Matty Moroun refused to follow the law and get polluting semi-trucks off neighborhood streets, Rashida organized residents with the We Have A Right To Breathe campaign and forced Moroun to fulfill his obligations to protecting public health. When large piles of black dust started showing up on the Detroit riverfront and blowing into homes and parks, and the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality told residents everything was fine, Rashida collected samples and got the substance tested herself — exposing the cancer-causing ​“petroleum coke” as a threat, and getting it removed.

As an attorney at the Sugar Law Center for Economic and Social Justice, Rashida took the movement to the courts, fighting racist emergency managers, abusive state agencies, and leading the fight for community benefits agreements that promote equitable development. Rashida knows that effective advocacy requires an all-out approach, fighting in the community, in the legislature, and in the courts every day against injustice and inequality, so that every single person in this country has a chance to thrive.

She is currently the Congresswoman for Michigan’s 13^th Congressional District, which includes the city of Detroit and many surrounding communities.

This exhibition is presented in partnership with the University of Michigan-Dearborn’s Center for Arab American Studies (CAAS), with support from the Knight Foundation, the Doris Duke Foundation, the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, the El-Hibri Foundation, the Community Foundation of SE Michigan, and the Michigan Humanities Council.