Race and Politics
An extremely brief history of Samira Srur Fadel
A strong, courageous and resilient Afro-Palestinian educator
I’m hyping my auntie Samira up for World Teachers Day. She is an amazing woman who doesn’t get enough praise for her work in Gaza, Palestine. Born in Yafa in 1951, she founded the Abraham Center for Languages in Gaza after presenting a project proposal to Mr. Bjarne Schirmer from Norway in 1991.
The concept for the center came from her two decades of experience as a language teacher in Occupied Palestine and Gaza and was inspired by the Folk High School movement in Norway, in which language learning is viewed as a way to open dialogue & build awareness.
In 1992 Samira was invited by the American ambassador to participate in the International Visitor Program of the U.S Information Agency. There, she took the opportunity to connect with other women and call for solidarity for peace.
The center opened in 1994 as a resource for learning for Gazans, has participated in exchange programs with Norway which have involved hundreds of people, and, despite the blockade, has ongoing intensive partner programs with groups from several universities.
Samira Srur Fadel is an integral part of the often forgotten Black history that lives synonymously with Palestinian history.
When I spoke to her recently, she mentioned being one of the first to use the term Afro-Palestinian in the 70s because she is proud of being both!
Auntie Samira is now retired, but she deserves all the flowers in the world for her life’s work as one of the strongest, bravest and fiercest Palestinian women I have the honor of knowing! Shokran Amto for everything!
