‘Arab Americans Stories’ wins national award for diversity

October 2, 2013December 1, 2015 Category: Arab American Culture

The documentary series “Arab American Stories,” produced by Detroit Public Television (DPTV) and PBS, was recently selected to win a Belva Davis Broadcaster Award from the SAG-AFTRA American Scene Awards for presenting a “varied and multifaceted view of Arab Americans from all walks of life.”

The American Scene Awards honors productions in the industry that realistically portray the “American Scene” by intelligently and progressively employing the talents of diverse ethnicity, people with disabilities, women, seniors, and other misrepresented or underrepresented groups.

“This series has given audiences an opportunity to learn about the significant contributions of those featured to their professions, communities and the world at large in a format which is highly entertaining and relatable,” said Jenny O’Hara, co-chair of the SAG-AFTRA Honors and Tributes Committee.

“We’re extremely pleased that ‘Arab American Stories’ has been selected to receive this honor,” said DPTV President and CEO Rich Homberg. “The series explores the diversity of the Arab American experience and we thank SAG-AFTRA for recognizing the power of public media to promote greater understanding of misrepresented or underrepresented groups in our communities.”

Based on the Emmy Award-winning success of “Arab American Stories”, Detroit Public Television, in cooperation with public television stations and local libraries, has also launched a series of community events in cities throughout America to increase public understanding of Arab American contributions to society. The outreach project is funded by a grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation of Battle Creek, Mich.

Maha Freij, CAAP’s founder, was featured in Episode 112. All of the series’ episodes are available to view at www.arabamericanstories.org.

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