From Ruth Mott Foundation, funds to be used for cultural and education project
FLINT, Mich. – The Arab-American Heritage Council (AAHC) has been awarded a $60,000 grant from the Ruth Mott Foundation. The funds will be used for the AAHC’s largest cultural and educational project to date, “Honoring Our Heritage: Co-created Histories of Flint’s Arab-American Community.” The project will be conducted in collaboration with the Arab-American National Museum.
“We are incredibly excited to be awarded this grant,” said Mona Sahouri, AAHC’s executive director. “This project will allow us to put the documentation and collection process directly in the hands of Arab-Americans in Genesee County, giving them a chance to share their stories.”
The AAHC plans to engage Genesee County’s Arab-American community in the process by creating a cohesive digital collection of photos, oral histories, and other significant documents that reflect the community’s diversity, experiences, and contributions.
The AAHC staff will use its established community connections to recruit families who represent the national, ethnic and religious diversity of Genesee County’s Arab-American community to create a series of 15 “digital scrapbooks.” The digital scrapbooks, which are approximately five-minute videos assembled from scanned images and compelling oral narratives, will narrate visually engaging stories centered on one of the following themes: Immigration, Entrepreneurial Spirit, or Rites of Passage.
As a result of this grant, the AAHC will also be able to hire an addition staff member to administer the program.
The Arab-American Heritage Council (AAHC) is a non-partisan, non-sectarian, nonprofit organization that strives to preserve and celebrate Arabic heritage, as well as support and unite all Arab-Americans in the Greater Flint Area. Through a wide range of services and programs serving both Arab Americans and the community at large, the AAHC strives to broaden understanding about and appreciation of Arabic culture and to encourage and recognize Arab-American involvement in the Greater Flint Area community.
For additional information about the AAHC, visit aahcflint.org or the organization’s Facebook page.