Standing Up to the Current Narrative

Having moved to the U.S. from the West Bank, Suzie Afridi's cross-cultural experience offers her a unique perspective. She is a Palestinian-American making a name for herself in stand-up comedy, and she sees public speaking as a way of countering current perceptions.

"As brown people, as Arabs, as Muslims, as Palestinians—it's how we're gonna get back our narrative because our narrative is hijacked," says Afridi. "We need to own our own narrative, and comedy is a great way of doing that."

The full video is available on the Voice of America website.

To learn more about comedy as a means of public diplomacy, check out the following PD Hub multimedia features:

• Counterterrorism Through Comedy. Joseph Braude discusses Nasser al-Qasabi's hit TV show, "Selfie."
• Laughing Away the Language Barrier. A comedy center in Beijing fosters U.S.-China exchange.
• Reham Kahlout: Gaza's Only Female Comedian. Though confined to Gaza, Reham Kahlout is reaching global audiences online.
• La Yekthar: Comedy and Commentary on Saudi Arabia. How a Saudi comedian is promoting the country to YouTube audiences even as he criticizes it.
   

Photo by Gus Taf I CC BY 2.0