1 00:00:08,176 --> 00:00:09,385 - Stories. 2 00:00:09,427 --> 00:00:10,845 - Since the dawn of time, 3 00:00:10,887 --> 00:00:13,723 we've relied on stories to entertain and enlighten. 4 00:00:13,765 --> 00:00:16,100 - Be they tales of adventure, love, loss, 5 00:00:16,142 --> 00:00:17,643 or abject stupidity, 6 00:00:17,685 --> 00:00:20,772 these sagas are passed down through generations... 7 00:00:20,813 --> 00:00:23,608 a grand catalog of our collective experience. 8 00:00:23,649 --> 00:00:25,443 - But what about those epic stories 9 00:00:25,485 --> 00:00:28,237 only shared among a small circle of friends? 10 00:00:28,279 --> 00:00:30,364 How do they achieve the legendary status 11 00:00:30,406 --> 00:00:32,867 they so richly deserve? 12 00:00:32,909 --> 00:00:34,619 - By being told here. 13 00:00:34,660 --> 00:00:37,455 - Welcome to the ultimate chronicle of humanity. 14 00:00:37,497 --> 00:00:41,125 - This is "True Story with Ed & Randall." 15 00:00:41,167 --> 00:00:43,878 [dramatic music] 16 00:00:43,920 --> 00:00:46,005 Good evening and welcome to "True Story," 17 00:00:46,047 --> 00:00:47,673 the show we agreed to host 18 00:00:47,715 --> 00:00:50,343 knowing nothing about the stories we're about to hear. 19 00:00:50,385 --> 00:00:53,054 - That's right, Ed, we have been hermetically sealed. 20 00:00:53,096 --> 00:00:55,932 These are all true stories from real people across America 21 00:00:55,973 --> 00:00:58,017 that we'll be hearing for the first time. 22 00:00:58,059 --> 00:00:59,936 And you will too. 23 00:00:59,977 --> 00:01:01,562 - We do know one thing though, 24 00:01:01,604 --> 00:01:04,565 and that is the name of the person sitting across from us. 25 00:01:04,607 --> 00:01:07,485 Hello, Yasmin. - Hi, thank you so much. 26 00:01:07,527 --> 00:01:10,405 - We are very excited to hear your story. 27 00:01:10,446 --> 00:01:13,533 Is it a story that is going to scare us? 28 00:01:13,574 --> 00:01:15,993 - You're going to be scared of how cool I am. 29 00:01:16,035 --> 00:01:17,620 - Okay. - Yeah. 30 00:01:17,662 --> 00:01:19,664 - What genre would you call this story? 31 00:01:19,705 --> 00:01:23,334 - I would call this a--a story of personal development. 32 00:01:23,376 --> 00:01:25,628 - So maybe like at a video store, 33 00:01:25,670 --> 00:01:27,046 this would be in the self-help section. 34 00:01:27,088 --> 00:01:28,172 - It's in the self-help section. 35 00:01:28,214 --> 00:01:31,300 Fo' sho'. Inspirational, motivational. 36 00:01:31,342 --> 00:01:33,010 - All right. - Yes. 37 00:01:33,052 --> 00:01:35,388 - I--I need some of that. Let's go, let's get into this. 38 00:01:35,430 --> 00:01:39,225 - So my father's Libyan. He was in the Gaddafi regime. 39 00:01:39,267 --> 00:01:40,518 Yeah, he was a cabinet minister. 40 00:01:40,560 --> 00:01:42,311 But he morally abstained against him 41 00:01:42,353 --> 00:01:44,689 and joined the opposition movement against him, 42 00:01:44,731 --> 00:01:46,357 and sought asylum in Egypt. 43 00:01:48,401 --> 00:01:50,528 He moved to Egypt, he met my mom, 44 00:01:50,570 --> 00:01:53,865 and she was hot, she was super cute. 45 00:01:53,906 --> 00:01:56,617 And they dated for a year till they got married. 46 00:01:57,869 --> 00:01:59,871 And then they had my brother and me. 47 00:02:01,622 --> 00:02:03,374 - What is your life like in Egypt? 48 00:02:03,416 --> 00:02:05,585 Are you in--in an apartment? 49 00:02:05,626 --> 00:02:08,713 - Yes, I live in an apartment. It's--it's a beautiful life. 50 00:02:08,755 --> 00:02:10,423 We have a two-bedroom apartment. 51 00:02:10,465 --> 00:02:11,841 We live in kind of the heart 52 00:02:11,883 --> 00:02:14,510 of a part of Cairo called District 7. 53 00:02:14,552 --> 00:02:15,887 It's not like "The Hunger Games," 54 00:02:15,928 --> 00:02:16,929 but it sounds like it. 55 00:02:16,971 --> 00:02:18,681 - And at this point in your life, 56 00:02:18,723 --> 00:02:20,099 could you--you're a child. 57 00:02:20,141 --> 00:02:22,643 - I'm a child, yeah. - Could you feel the tension? 58 00:02:22,685 --> 00:02:24,729 - No, there was no tension. I thought I was Egyptian. 59 00:02:24,771 --> 00:02:26,522 - Yeah. - I had no idea I was Libyan. 60 00:02:26,564 --> 00:02:29,650 What happened in 1989 is a pretty seismic event, 61 00:02:29,692 --> 00:02:31,069 the Lockerbie bombings. 62 00:02:31,110 --> 00:02:33,071 So there's actually a book that's written 63 00:02:33,112 --> 00:02:36,074 about the disappearance of certain Libyans 64 00:02:36,115 --> 00:02:38,076 that--from Egypt. 65 00:02:38,117 --> 00:02:41,662 It's that event that actually led to my father saying, "Okay, 66 00:02:41,704 --> 00:02:44,415 my friend got disappeared. We have to leave right now." 67 00:02:44,457 --> 00:02:45,750 - Libyans in Egypt-- - Yes. 68 00:02:45,792 --> 00:02:47,043 - At this time are just disappearing. 69 00:02:47,085 --> 00:02:48,336 - They're disappearing. 70 00:02:48,378 --> 00:02:49,545 - And a friend of your father's disappeared. 71 00:02:49,587 --> 00:02:50,546 - Correct. - Wow. 72 00:02:50,588 --> 00:02:51,672 - So-- - Yes. 73 00:02:51,714 --> 00:02:53,925 - So what was 'right now'? 74 00:02:53,966 --> 00:02:55,134 - Right then and there, my parents told me 75 00:02:55,176 --> 00:02:56,302 we're going on "vacation." 76 00:02:56,344 --> 00:02:58,846 Vacation, here we come. 77 00:02:58,888 --> 00:03:01,349 - First, I'm going to do the Waterslide. 78 00:03:01,391 --> 00:03:03,976 Then I'm going to drink a Shirley Temple. 79 00:03:04,018 --> 00:03:06,479 - My brother, who is like my best friend, 80 00:03:06,521 --> 00:03:08,231 he's, you know, five years older than me, 81 00:03:08,272 --> 00:03:11,401 so, you know, he was--he was nine. 82 00:03:11,442 --> 00:03:12,610 So he kind of knew a little bit more 83 00:03:12,652 --> 00:03:14,445 about what's going on. 84 00:03:14,487 --> 00:03:16,280 - I don't think we're going 85 00:03:16,322 --> 00:03:21,077 to Sandals Jamaican all-inclusive resort after all. 86 00:03:21,119 --> 00:03:22,745 - He was helping-- - Yes. 87 00:03:22,787 --> 00:03:24,622 - With this thought that this is gonna be fun. 88 00:03:24,664 --> 00:03:25,873 This is a vacation. - This'll be fun. 89 00:03:25,915 --> 00:03:28,042 We'll be back. We're not gonna go to school. 90 00:03:28,084 --> 00:03:29,669 'Cause we were both in the same, like, school. 91 00:03:29,711 --> 00:03:31,045 I was in preschool at the time. 92 00:03:31,087 --> 00:03:33,339 And he was--he was like in elementary school. 93 00:03:33,381 --> 00:03:34,590 We--we went to the same school. 94 00:03:34,632 --> 00:03:35,800 - And there was no question 95 00:03:35,842 --> 00:03:38,052 as to why there was just one briefcase? 96 00:03:38,094 --> 00:03:41,264 Why he's probably carrying you, rushing you out the door? 97 00:03:41,305 --> 00:03:42,473 - Literally. Literally. 98 00:03:42,515 --> 00:03:45,226 And we had like two bags, and we left. 99 00:03:45,268 --> 00:03:46,436 - Wow. - But the whole time-- 100 00:03:46,477 --> 00:03:48,771 From--from Egypt to the United States... 101 00:03:48,813 --> 00:03:50,189 - Yes. 102 00:03:50,231 --> 00:03:52,066 - You're just like looking out the window of the car, 103 00:03:52,108 --> 00:03:53,484 like what a fun vacation. 104 00:03:53,526 --> 00:03:54,986 - Yes, like we went to Jordan. 105 00:03:55,027 --> 00:03:56,487 We went to Morocco, and he would take us to carnivals. 106 00:03:56,529 --> 00:03:57,822 He would take us to fairs. 107 00:03:57,864 --> 00:03:59,949 We went to Saudi Arabia. We went to the U.K. 108 00:03:59,991 --> 00:04:01,534 We were all trying to seek asylum. 109 00:04:01,576 --> 00:04:05,163 - This is such a heroic parental effort, I mean-- 110 00:04:05,204 --> 00:04:06,330 - Yeah. - Yeah. 111 00:04:06,372 --> 00:04:09,000 - For a parent to be that rattled 112 00:04:09,041 --> 00:04:12,462 and trying to keep security and safety for their children. 113 00:04:12,503 --> 00:04:14,172 That's... - Beautiful. 114 00:04:14,213 --> 00:04:15,381 - That's amazing. 115 00:04:15,423 --> 00:04:17,133 - My parents are both like my heroes, 116 00:04:17,175 --> 00:04:20,344 and especially, like, my--my mom, she gave up her family. 117 00:04:20,386 --> 00:04:21,679 She gave up everything. 118 00:04:21,721 --> 00:04:23,473 She gave up the life that she knew 119 00:04:23,514 --> 00:04:25,558 so that she could support my father. 120 00:04:25,600 --> 00:04:28,519 And my father gave up the riches, the wealth, 121 00:04:28,561 --> 00:04:31,481 the security, everything, to do what was right. 122 00:04:31,522 --> 00:04:34,442 And that has been all the difference in my life. 123 00:04:34,484 --> 00:04:35,693 - Describe your dad. 124 00:04:35,735 --> 00:04:39,530 - Loving, warm. Extremely spontaneous. 125 00:04:39,572 --> 00:04:40,698 - Extremely spontaneous. - Sounds like it. 126 00:04:40,740 --> 00:04:44,410 - Okay, so we are moving to-- 127 00:04:44,452 --> 00:04:47,288 vacationing in America. 128 00:04:47,330 --> 00:04:49,373 - Major ADHD. [mouths] Like me. 129 00:04:49,415 --> 00:04:51,417 - Yeah. - Loyal. 130 00:04:51,459 --> 00:04:53,211 Loyal, loyal, loyal, loyal to the tee. 131 00:04:53,252 --> 00:04:54,545 - So he's a good guy. 132 00:04:54,587 --> 00:04:56,881 - Super good guy. Moral, adaptable. 133 00:04:56,923 --> 00:04:58,925 You put him in any situation, he'll figure it out. 134 00:04:58,966 --> 00:05:00,802 - We need to find the best place 135 00:05:00,843 --> 00:05:03,012 for an immigrant family to go. 136 00:05:03,054 --> 00:05:05,473 USA, here we come. 137 00:05:06,432 --> 00:05:07,892 - And by this time, 138 00:05:07,934 --> 00:05:09,143 we had been on the move for five years. 139 00:05:10,978 --> 00:05:12,230 Are we there yet? 140 00:05:12,271 --> 00:05:14,315 - Just a couple more hours. 141 00:05:14,357 --> 00:05:15,900 - [sighs] - I hope. 142 00:05:15,942 --> 00:05:18,361 - And the whole time still, what a crazy vacation. 143 00:05:18,403 --> 00:05:20,613 - Yeah, and I'm like, "This is a crazy vacation." 144 00:05:20,655 --> 00:05:22,281 - It will be worth it when we get there. 145 00:05:22,323 --> 00:05:24,409 I've got the perfect spot. 146 00:05:24,450 --> 00:05:27,161 Best place for immigrants in the U.S. 147 00:05:27,203 --> 00:05:28,413 Huntsville, Alabama. 148 00:05:28,454 --> 00:05:30,540 [light music] 149 00:05:30,581 --> 00:05:31,916 - So you make the move. 150 00:05:31,958 --> 00:05:33,835 - So we make to Huntsville, Alabama. 151 00:05:33,876 --> 00:05:37,213 Is it like New York? - Or is it more like Hollywood? 152 00:05:37,255 --> 00:05:40,591 - Yes, like a very New York-ish Hollywood. 153 00:05:40,633 --> 00:05:42,176 - It's a culture shock. 154 00:05:42,218 --> 00:05:44,971 People looked at me like I was an alien. 155 00:05:45,012 --> 00:05:47,265 There was no one that was, like, visibly Muslim. 156 00:05:47,306 --> 00:05:49,934 So I wore a headscarf when I was eight years old 157 00:05:49,976 --> 00:05:52,103 because I felt like it was beautiful. 158 00:05:52,145 --> 00:05:54,105 Like, I felt like it was 159 00:05:54,147 --> 00:05:57,066 the way that I wanted to present myself as a woman. 160 00:05:57,108 --> 00:06:00,069 It was me and then Asmah. 161 00:06:00,111 --> 00:06:03,030 But they called her Asthma in school, yeah. 162 00:06:03,072 --> 00:06:05,116 And then my name is Yasmin. 163 00:06:05,158 --> 00:06:09,704 Yeah, but they call me Yasma. For like a whole year. 164 00:06:09,746 --> 00:06:11,664 - Just because it sounded like asthma? 165 00:06:11,706 --> 00:06:13,708 - Yeah, it was, like, there's Asthma, 166 00:06:13,750 --> 00:06:15,043 and there's her sister Yasma. 167 00:06:15,084 --> 00:06:16,794 We were the only two in middle school 168 00:06:16,836 --> 00:06:18,755 that wore a headscarf, or were Muslim for that matter. 169 00:06:18,796 --> 00:06:21,966 - It clearly felt like you were being bullied. 170 00:06:22,008 --> 00:06:23,593 - And I had, like, literally two other friends 171 00:06:23,634 --> 00:06:25,511 I talked to kind of on regular basis. 172 00:06:25,553 --> 00:06:27,138 - Where's your brother at this point? 173 00:06:27,180 --> 00:06:29,182 - So my brother is just going into high school at this point. 174 00:06:29,223 --> 00:06:30,808 - Okay. 175 00:06:30,850 --> 00:06:32,226 - And he's having kind of a brutal time of it. 176 00:06:32,268 --> 00:06:35,396 His name is Hussein, so he was bullied pretty badly. 177 00:06:35,438 --> 00:06:36,689 "Saddam Hussein" was still like, 178 00:06:36,731 --> 00:06:39,609 you know, a character that people made fun of. 179 00:06:39,650 --> 00:06:40,943 - Yeah. 180 00:06:40,985 --> 00:06:44,155 - So my parents, they would--they made us 181 00:06:44,197 --> 00:06:45,740 watch the USA Network 182 00:06:45,782 --> 00:06:48,701 because they thought it would get us to be American faster. 183 00:06:49,702 --> 00:06:51,329 - Yasmin, Hussein. 184 00:06:51,370 --> 00:06:52,955 Remember, you have to be you, 185 00:06:52,997 --> 00:06:55,833 but you also have to learn to be American. 186 00:06:55,875 --> 00:06:59,504 And what better way than USA? 187 00:06:59,545 --> 00:07:03,841 [dramatic music from TV] 188 00:07:03,883 --> 00:07:06,052 - I don't know if you guys watched it at that time, 189 00:07:06,094 --> 00:07:07,887 but at 7:00 in the morning, every morning, 190 00:07:07,929 --> 00:07:09,472 was WWF wrestling. 191 00:07:09,514 --> 00:07:13,601 announcer: Here comes Hulk Hogan and the Macho Man. 192 00:07:13,643 --> 00:07:15,937 - So those were like my heroes. 193 00:07:15,978 --> 00:07:18,106 You know what I mean, Hulk Hogan, Randy Savage, 194 00:07:18,147 --> 00:07:20,024 "Hitman" Hart, even The Undertaker. 195 00:07:20,066 --> 00:07:21,275 He's a little goth, but you know. 196 00:07:21,317 --> 00:07:22,860 - I mean, this is-- 197 00:07:22,902 --> 00:07:25,863 This is a really accurate introduction to America. 198 00:07:25,905 --> 00:07:27,323 For sure, for sure. - Yes, I think so. 199 00:07:27,365 --> 00:07:29,367 Well, I really thought that, like, Americans-- 200 00:07:29,409 --> 00:07:31,452 it was, like, perfect. I'll just connect this way. 201 00:07:31,494 --> 00:07:33,246 Like, I'll just hit someone with a two-by-four. 202 00:07:33,287 --> 00:07:35,540 Like this is how friends are made. 203 00:07:35,581 --> 00:07:36,791 - Yeah, are made. 204 00:07:36,833 --> 00:07:38,126 - And then I--I, like, got to school 205 00:07:38,167 --> 00:07:39,711 and I--there was a girl, her name was Theresa. 206 00:07:39,752 --> 00:07:41,671 This really happened. I got on top of the desk. 207 00:07:41,713 --> 00:07:43,756 Friendship! 208 00:07:43,798 --> 00:07:46,008 [distorted slow motion screaming] 209 00:07:46,050 --> 00:07:47,260 'Cause I thought we could be friends, 210 00:07:47,301 --> 00:07:48,803 I body-slammed Theresa to the floor. 211 00:07:48,845 --> 00:07:50,054 - No. - Yes. 212 00:07:50,096 --> 00:07:51,514 - What? - And she was like, 213 00:07:51,556 --> 00:07:53,057 "Why? Why, Yasmin? Why?" 214 00:07:53,099 --> 00:07:55,476 And I was like, "I don't know. I can't hear you. 215 00:07:55,518 --> 00:07:57,937 Oh, yeah!" - "Oh, yeah." 216 00:07:57,979 --> 00:07:58,938 - And I got sent to the principal's office. 217 00:07:58,980 --> 00:08:00,398 - Sure. - Yeah. 218 00:08:00,440 --> 00:08:02,775 - Now, I don't know how they do things over there 219 00:08:02,817 --> 00:08:04,569 where you're from. 220 00:08:04,610 --> 00:08:08,030 But here in Huntsville, Alabama, 221 00:08:08,072 --> 00:08:10,408 when we wish to make friends with someone, 222 00:08:10,450 --> 00:08:13,745 we do so by shaking their hand. 223 00:08:13,786 --> 00:08:15,705 - So we don't wrestle as-- 224 00:08:15,747 --> 00:08:18,624 - I'm like, "Is that not how we become friends?" 225 00:08:18,666 --> 00:08:21,085 - We do not wrap our legs around them. 226 00:08:21,127 --> 00:08:23,546 We do not put them in a half nelson. 227 00:08:23,588 --> 00:08:25,339 - But on the USA Network, they-- 228 00:08:25,381 --> 00:08:27,842 - I love wrestling as much as the next person. 229 00:08:27,884 --> 00:08:29,761 It is a known fact, I would leave my husband 230 00:08:29,802 --> 00:08:31,929 in an instant for Macho Man Randy Savage. 231 00:08:31,971 --> 00:08:33,973 But I'm worried the other students 232 00:08:34,015 --> 00:08:38,394 are starting to find it a little, um... 233 00:08:38,436 --> 00:08:41,481 horrifying. Okay? 234 00:08:41,522 --> 00:08:44,817 "Is that understood, brother?" Like Macho Man. 235 00:08:45,651 --> 00:08:47,278 - Yes, Mrs. Principal. 236 00:08:47,320 --> 00:08:51,282 There was this one guy at school who was a bully. 237 00:08:51,324 --> 00:08:52,867 His name was Ryan. 238 00:08:52,909 --> 00:08:56,162 One day I find out that he said that I--I was a "rag-head." 239 00:08:56,204 --> 00:08:58,581 He called me a "rag-head." I didn't even know him. 240 00:08:58,623 --> 00:09:00,249 Like, I didn't understand it, but there was these two girls 241 00:09:00,291 --> 00:09:02,877 that were kind of walking towards the lunch room, 242 00:09:02,919 --> 00:09:04,420 and they turned back and they were like, 243 00:09:04,462 --> 00:09:06,130 "Well, it's just like Ryan called you a rag-head. 244 00:09:06,172 --> 00:09:08,132 And like, we agree." I was like, 245 00:09:08,174 --> 00:09:09,967 "Why would Ryan say that?" 246 00:09:10,009 --> 00:09:13,471 - Because you have a-- - Nope! Nope. No. 247 00:09:13,513 --> 00:09:14,847 I know what he's saying. 248 00:09:14,889 --> 00:09:17,433 I just don't know why he would say it about me. 249 00:09:17,475 --> 00:09:19,727 I don't even know that dude. 250 00:09:19,769 --> 00:09:21,854 - Beats me, but don't feel so bad. 251 00:09:21,896 --> 00:09:25,233 'Cause guess what. He made fun of Carol too. 252 00:09:25,274 --> 00:09:28,361 [punchy music] 253 00:09:28,403 --> 00:09:30,822 - He made fun of Carol? 254 00:09:30,863 --> 00:09:32,949 So Carol was the only Jewish girl 255 00:09:32,990 --> 00:09:34,367 in our entire middle school, 256 00:09:34,409 --> 00:09:36,202 and she always wore a Star of David 257 00:09:36,244 --> 00:09:37,912 to represent that she was Jewish 258 00:09:37,954 --> 00:09:40,164 and in--in pride of her Jewish heritage. 259 00:09:40,206 --> 00:09:42,083 And he had called her a racial epithet. 260 00:09:42,125 --> 00:09:44,335 And he'd said, "Oh, her stupid Star of David." 261 00:09:44,377 --> 00:09:47,004 It was in that moment that I felt like I actually 262 00:09:47,046 --> 00:09:51,175 could have a voice for myself because I was so incensed 263 00:09:51,217 --> 00:09:53,761 by the fact that he would go after this girl. 264 00:09:53,803 --> 00:09:55,096 - After Carol. - After Carol. 265 00:09:55,138 --> 00:09:57,181 - But he went after you, but your--your-- 266 00:09:57,223 --> 00:09:59,892 what really triggered your rage was that he went after this-- 267 00:09:59,934 --> 00:10:01,436 - Yes. - This other person. 268 00:10:01,477 --> 00:10:04,522 - Yeah, literally. I was like, "Not Carol!" 269 00:10:04,564 --> 00:10:06,941 Like I got angry. - Nobody messes with Carol. 270 00:10:06,983 --> 00:10:08,359 - Nobody messes with Carol. 271 00:10:08,401 --> 00:10:10,611 I was like, she's so freaking nice. 272 00:10:10,653 --> 00:10:13,364 Like, these people won't stop until we stop them. 273 00:10:13,406 --> 00:10:15,700 announcer: Ladies and gentlemen, 274 00:10:15,742 --> 00:10:17,869 that was the last straw. 275 00:10:17,910 --> 00:10:21,289 - Nobody...messes with...Carol! 276 00:10:21,330 --> 00:10:24,792 announcer: In this corner, weighing-in at 93 pounds, 277 00:10:24,834 --> 00:10:27,712 the Dixieland Libyan, it's Yasmin. 278 00:10:27,754 --> 00:10:29,672 Bully Ryan is going down. 279 00:10:29,714 --> 00:10:33,801 [dramatic music] 280 00:10:33,843 --> 00:10:35,178 - And no one's seen this side of you before? 281 00:10:35,219 --> 00:10:36,596 - No one's seen this side of me. 282 00:10:36,637 --> 00:10:37,764 - Have you seen this side of you? 283 00:10:37,805 --> 00:10:38,931 - I haven't even seen this side of me. 284 00:10:38,973 --> 00:10:40,308 - You haven't even seen this side of you! 285 00:10:40,349 --> 00:10:41,476 - It was like, all I could hear was 286 00:10:41,517 --> 00:10:42,769 my father's voice, like, 287 00:10:42,810 --> 00:10:44,896 "Be you. Do what's right. 288 00:10:44,937 --> 00:10:46,814 Be you. Do what's right." 289 00:10:46,856 --> 00:10:48,191 - "Do what's right." Like your dad did. 290 00:10:48,232 --> 00:10:49,525 - Like my dad did. He's always like, "Be you. 291 00:10:49,567 --> 00:10:51,194 "Be unique. Okay, you're different. 292 00:10:51,235 --> 00:10:53,237 "You're unique. Just do it. 293 00:10:53,279 --> 00:10:55,490 Be you." And I'm like... 294 00:10:59,452 --> 00:11:01,788 - So my dad wanted me to really lean into my uniqueness 295 00:11:01,829 --> 00:11:03,081 and to just do what was right, always. 296 00:11:03,122 --> 00:11:05,374 - Which is so hard for a kid. 297 00:11:05,416 --> 00:11:06,876 - Yeah. - Yes. 298 00:11:06,918 --> 00:11:09,754 - Like when you're a kid, uniqueness is like a liability. 299 00:11:09,796 --> 00:11:11,964 - It's a liability. both: You just want to fit in. 300 00:11:12,006 --> 00:11:13,549 - You want to be like everybody else. 301 00:11:13,591 --> 00:11:17,303 - But your dad's message had sunk in--it was in there. 302 00:11:17,345 --> 00:11:18,930 - I didn't even know I had this power inside of me. 303 00:11:18,971 --> 00:11:20,431 - Yeah. - It was like I heard him. 304 00:11:20,473 --> 00:11:21,641 And he was like... 305 00:11:21,682 --> 00:11:24,602 - "You can't spell unique without you. 306 00:11:24,644 --> 00:11:28,815 "You can't spell 'you are different' without you. 307 00:11:28,856 --> 00:11:31,609 "Be unique. Be different. 308 00:11:31,651 --> 00:11:34,320 "Just be. 309 00:11:34,362 --> 00:11:38,199 Just do it. Okay." 310 00:11:39,659 --> 00:11:40,618 Okay, Yasmin, hey. 311 00:11:40,660 --> 00:11:42,078 Psst! Just do it. 312 00:11:42,120 --> 00:11:44,122 - And I'm like, that's kind of a Nike ad, Dad, but okay. 313 00:11:44,163 --> 00:11:47,125 - Yeah. - That's all right, I got it. 314 00:11:47,166 --> 00:11:49,419 - So this Ryan guy. - Yeah. 315 00:11:49,460 --> 00:11:52,338 - Does he look like your-- your classic school bully? 316 00:11:52,380 --> 00:11:55,800 - So he's tall and kind of wiry. 317 00:11:55,842 --> 00:11:58,094 He's imposing, he's mean. 318 00:11:58,136 --> 00:11:59,846 - Uh-huh. - So he kind of towered 319 00:11:59,887 --> 00:12:01,597 over people, but he's not a big guy. 320 00:12:01,639 --> 00:12:03,349 I wouldn't say like, he's like--was so-- 321 00:12:03,391 --> 00:12:04,976 - He's not an athlete, but he hung out with the athletes. 322 00:12:05,017 --> 00:12:05,935 - He hung out with the athletes. 323 00:12:05,977 --> 00:12:07,103 He's not really an athlete. 324 00:12:07,145 --> 00:12:08,062 He hung out--he hung out with them. 325 00:12:08,104 --> 00:12:09,313 - Right. - But he was mean. 326 00:12:09,355 --> 00:12:11,441 So I go up there to the lunchroom. 327 00:12:11,482 --> 00:12:15,027 And he's sitting there, and I take my tray, and I go-- 328 00:12:15,069 --> 00:12:17,280 And the whole lunchroom goes, "Ooh." 329 00:12:17,321 --> 00:12:18,156 - Ooh. 330 00:12:18,197 --> 00:12:21,200 [food splashes] all: Ooh. 331 00:12:21,242 --> 00:12:25,455 - Oh, yeah, Ryan, brother-- you're not my brother-brother. 332 00:12:25,496 --> 00:12:28,332 Hussein's my brother. But that's besides the point. 333 00:12:28,374 --> 00:12:31,711 My point is I heard that you've been yapping your yapper. 334 00:12:31,753 --> 00:12:33,296 Well, guess what? 335 00:12:33,337 --> 00:12:36,132 I've got one of those too, and what are you going to do 336 00:12:36,174 --> 00:12:38,801 now that the Yas is coming for you? 337 00:12:38,843 --> 00:12:42,472 And his jaw starts kind of coming a little loose. 338 00:12:42,513 --> 00:12:43,931 He's like-- - It's that little jiggle? 339 00:12:43,973 --> 00:12:45,683 - Oh, he's--he's shook. - He started going--like this. 340 00:12:45,725 --> 00:12:47,393 - Yeah, yeah. And I was like, shut up, Ryan! 341 00:12:47,435 --> 00:12:50,021 Keep those lips zipped, brochacho, 342 00:12:50,063 --> 00:12:53,191 and take a good look into these eyes, brother, 343 00:12:53,232 --> 00:12:55,777 because if I ever, and I mean-- 344 00:12:55,818 --> 00:12:58,112 all: Ever! Ever! 345 00:12:58,154 --> 00:13:00,531 - Hear you disrespected me, Carol, 346 00:13:00,573 --> 00:13:03,326 or any other rootin'-tootin' gal in this school, 347 00:13:03,367 --> 00:13:06,537 you're going to have to answer to this face. 348 00:13:06,579 --> 00:13:09,832 The face of the Yas coming for your ass! 349 00:13:09,874 --> 00:13:12,335 all: Ooh! - Ooh. 350 00:13:12,377 --> 00:13:14,045 - It's like, "We treat you with respect. 351 00:13:14,087 --> 00:13:17,215 That's exactly what we deserve, and expect in return, got it?" 352 00:13:17,256 --> 00:13:19,175 He starts crying, and everyone goes-- 353 00:13:19,217 --> 00:13:23,721 - He starts crying? - And everyone, "Ooh." 354 00:13:23,763 --> 00:13:25,556 And I take a napkin, I throw it in his face 355 00:13:25,598 --> 00:13:27,725 and I was like, "Clean yourself off--you're embarrassing." 356 00:13:27,767 --> 00:13:30,019 - Oh, that's a badass. - Wait, what a tag. 357 00:13:30,061 --> 00:13:35,024 all: [chanting] Yas! Yas! Yas! Yas! Yas! Yas! Yas! Yas! Yas! 358 00:13:35,066 --> 00:13:38,027 Yas! Yas! Yas! Yas! Yas! Yas! Yas! 359 00:13:38,069 --> 00:13:39,237 [wrestling bell chimes] 360 00:13:39,278 --> 00:13:41,280 - And then they were like, "Oh, my God, 361 00:13:41,322 --> 00:13:42,824 "have you met this new girl, Yasmin? 362 00:13:42,865 --> 00:13:45,201 There's a new girl, Yasmin." I'm like, it's just--it's me. 363 00:13:45,243 --> 00:13:46,786 I've been here. 364 00:13:46,828 --> 00:13:48,246 - I've been here the entire time. 365 00:13:48,287 --> 00:13:49,914 - Same Yasmin. I've been here the entire time. 366 00:13:49,956 --> 00:13:51,707 Yeah, so I got my respect. 367 00:13:51,749 --> 00:13:53,084 I was like, put some respect on my name! 368 00:13:53,126 --> 00:13:54,460 - Yeah! - It's Yasmin. 369 00:13:54,502 --> 00:13:57,463 - And then from there on, you were--you were Yasmin? 370 00:13:57,505 --> 00:14:00,341 - So I felt strong like in my middle school, after that time. 371 00:14:00,383 --> 00:14:02,468 But then we went to high school, and I kind of-- 372 00:14:02,510 --> 00:14:04,262 it felt like going back down to the rung again 373 00:14:04,303 --> 00:14:06,222 because there was over 3,300 students 374 00:14:06,264 --> 00:14:08,391 and I start getting bullied from day one. 375 00:14:08,433 --> 00:14:09,600 - Even the middle schoolers who had... 376 00:14:09,642 --> 00:14:11,269 - Yes. 377 00:14:11,310 --> 00:14:12,437 - You know, learned to respect you 378 00:14:12,478 --> 00:14:13,771 were suddenly turning on you. 379 00:14:13,813 --> 00:14:16,607 - It was like literally starting from ground up. 380 00:14:16,649 --> 00:14:20,319 I was super smart. So I was like, geeky and weird. 381 00:14:20,361 --> 00:14:21,612 - What was your style at this time? 382 00:14:21,654 --> 00:14:22,822 What did--what did you-- 383 00:14:22,864 --> 00:14:24,282 - Oh man, I was wearing, like, 384 00:14:24,323 --> 00:14:26,993 jeans and, like, an oversized T-shirt every single day. 385 00:14:27,034 --> 00:14:29,036 I was so focused on getting out of Alabama. 386 00:14:29,078 --> 00:14:31,372 - Like a XXXL T-shirt. - XXXL T-shirt. 387 00:14:31,414 --> 00:14:32,790 But then September 11th happened, 388 00:14:32,832 --> 00:14:35,126 and when September 11th happened, I was 15. 389 00:14:35,168 --> 00:14:36,461 So I was a junior in high school. 390 00:14:36,502 --> 00:14:39,088 And in that moment, I couldn't hide anymore. 391 00:14:39,130 --> 00:14:40,757 - Yeah. - Part of wearing that big 392 00:14:40,798 --> 00:14:42,717 oversized T-shirt and the jeans is to just... 393 00:14:42,759 --> 00:14:45,303 - Hide. - Hide so I could be focused. 394 00:14:45,344 --> 00:14:48,181 But I realized that there was no hiding. 395 00:14:48,222 --> 00:14:51,601 And I had to prove that I was 396 00:14:51,642 --> 00:14:54,479 American, loyal, worthy. 397 00:14:54,520 --> 00:14:56,314 - But you shouldn't have to prove. 398 00:14:56,355 --> 00:14:57,482 - But that's the reality. 399 00:14:57,523 --> 00:14:59,567 I think when you're a minority... 400 00:14:59,609 --> 00:15:00,610 - Of course. 401 00:15:00,651 --> 00:15:02,403 - And you live in a--in a situation 402 00:15:02,445 --> 00:15:05,406 that people that represent you did something terrible 403 00:15:05,448 --> 00:15:06,991 and you now, you have to pay for that. 404 00:15:07,033 --> 00:15:08,159 - Right. 405 00:15:08,201 --> 00:15:09,452 - And when I got home, my parents, 406 00:15:09,494 --> 00:15:12,622 they were feeling intense sadness and guilt. 407 00:15:14,874 --> 00:15:17,001 Hey, Mom. - Hey, there. 408 00:15:17,043 --> 00:15:18,920 [somber music] 409 00:15:18,961 --> 00:15:20,838 - You look intensely sad. 410 00:15:21,547 --> 00:15:23,674 - Well, today's been a very sad day. 411 00:15:23,716 --> 00:15:25,927 - And it must be a very, very hard time for you 412 00:15:25,968 --> 00:15:28,721 and Hussein too. 413 00:15:28,763 --> 00:15:31,849 - I'm fine. - [sighs] 414 00:15:31,891 --> 00:15:34,435 Yasmin, uh... 415 00:15:35,686 --> 00:15:40,149 God is vast. God is merciful, okay? 416 00:15:40,191 --> 00:15:42,443 You know how I always say just do it? 417 00:15:44,278 --> 00:15:48,074 Well, now the "it" is your headscarf... 418 00:15:49,700 --> 00:15:52,662 And the "just do" 419 00:15:52,703 --> 00:15:54,288 is take it off. 420 00:15:55,915 --> 00:15:58,751 I'm sorry. 421 00:16:00,253 --> 00:16:01,587 - And in this moment, I couldn't believe it. 422 00:16:01,629 --> 00:16:03,506 It was weird to see my dad like this. 423 00:16:03,548 --> 00:16:07,552 'Cause my dad was the most like moral, straightforward, 424 00:16:07,593 --> 00:16:10,555 caring, but also spiritually connected person I knew. 425 00:16:10,596 --> 00:16:12,390 Like I remember I would call him sometimes like, "Hey, Dad." 426 00:16:12,432 --> 00:16:13,891 He would just be like, "The cosmos." 427 00:16:13,933 --> 00:16:15,268 And he would hang up the phone in my face would be like-- 428 00:16:15,309 --> 00:16:16,728 He was like spiritual. 429 00:16:16,769 --> 00:16:18,521 It'd be like, "Hey, Dad, how's it going?" 430 00:16:18,563 --> 00:16:20,565 He'd be like, "Know your place in the universe." 431 00:16:20,606 --> 00:16:23,025 You know, even when I got a scholarship, I was like, 432 00:16:23,067 --> 00:16:24,861 "Hey, Dad, I got a scholarship, like, to cover my books." 433 00:16:24,902 --> 00:16:27,196 He'd be like, "Oh, you're so great; God is greater." 434 00:16:27,238 --> 00:16:29,532 - That's kind of a mystical move. 435 00:16:29,574 --> 00:16:30,867 - Yes. - Just--it gets you thinking. 436 00:16:30,908 --> 00:16:33,411 - Yes. - You can't even ask questions. 437 00:16:33,453 --> 00:16:35,455 - They're spiritual phone byes is what I call them. 438 00:16:35,496 --> 00:16:37,623 - They're just little pearls of spiritualism dropped in. 439 00:16:37,665 --> 00:16:38,875 - Yes. 440 00:16:38,916 --> 00:16:41,085 - I'd imagine it's tough for the entire family, 441 00:16:41,127 --> 00:16:44,297 tough for everyone, but to be a kid in high school... 442 00:16:44,338 --> 00:16:46,007 - Yeah. - I mean, they were-- 443 00:16:46,049 --> 00:16:47,675 they were very aware 444 00:16:47,717 --> 00:16:51,429 that you were definitely gonna have it really bad. 445 00:16:51,471 --> 00:16:53,598 - Yes, I was like, "Dad, 446 00:16:53,639 --> 00:16:56,350 "I don't know--I don't know who's going to speak 447 00:16:56,392 --> 00:16:58,144 for Muslim women if I don't speak for Muslim women." 448 00:16:58,186 --> 00:16:59,854 - Wow. - Like what's on TV? 449 00:16:59,896 --> 00:17:01,105 Blue and black blobs? 450 00:17:01,147 --> 00:17:02,982 Like we have no representation of Muslim women. 451 00:17:03,024 --> 00:17:05,443 Like if I don't speak up, who will? 452 00:17:05,485 --> 00:17:08,946 Who will take my voice? He was like really quick. 453 00:17:08,988 --> 00:17:10,490 He kind like looked off into the distance. 454 00:17:10,531 --> 00:17:12,867 He was like, "Oh, I knew you were my daughter." 455 00:17:12,909 --> 00:17:15,953 [laughter] 456 00:17:15,995 --> 00:17:18,873 And then he was like-- - You will run for president. 457 00:17:20,625 --> 00:17:23,669 - Me? Or Hussein? 458 00:17:27,340 --> 00:17:29,884 - Definitely not Hussein. You. 459 00:17:29,926 --> 00:17:34,389 You, my daughter, will run for president. Ha. 460 00:17:34,430 --> 00:17:37,350 [heroic fanfare] 461 00:17:37,392 --> 00:17:41,521 * * 462 00:17:41,562 --> 00:17:43,064 - I was like, "Dad, I was born in Cairo." 463 00:17:43,106 --> 00:17:45,316 There's a constitution. That's not going to work. 464 00:17:45,358 --> 00:17:47,276 I can't run for president. 465 00:17:49,028 --> 00:17:51,989 [heroic fanfare] 466 00:17:52,031 --> 00:17:56,285 * * 467 00:17:56,327 --> 00:17:58,454 - Then you will run for president 468 00:17:58,496 --> 00:18:01,666 of your class. Yes? 469 00:18:01,707 --> 00:18:02,959 - I couldn't be like, "No, Dad, I'm not doing that." 470 00:18:03,000 --> 00:18:05,503 I was like, "Yeah, Dad. Rise to the occasion. 471 00:18:05,545 --> 00:18:07,839 Here we go. Let's do this." 472 00:18:07,880 --> 00:18:10,633 - So he went from "You don't have to wear..." 473 00:18:10,675 --> 00:18:11,968 - Right. - "Your headscarf." 474 00:18:12,009 --> 00:18:13,010 - Yes. - To-- 475 00:18:13,052 --> 00:18:14,262 - To seeing me strong. 476 00:18:14,303 --> 00:18:16,055 - To seeing you and all your power, 477 00:18:16,097 --> 00:18:17,473 and then suddenly being like, 478 00:18:17,515 --> 00:18:20,476 "Oh, yes, you will be president." 479 00:18:20,518 --> 00:18:22,103 - Yes. Of your class. 480 00:18:22,145 --> 00:18:24,564 - But at this time when you don't have the votes. 481 00:18:24,605 --> 00:18:26,441 - No, I don't have the votes, Randall. 482 00:18:26,482 --> 00:18:28,776 I'm the only Muslim. I'm the only Muslim. 483 00:18:28,818 --> 00:18:30,069 I'm the only one who wears a headscarf 484 00:18:30,111 --> 00:18:32,071 in a sea of over 3,300 students. 485 00:18:32,113 --> 00:18:34,198 It was like, it's time to-- it's time to stand 486 00:18:34,240 --> 00:18:35,867 on your own two feet, Yasmin. 487 00:18:35,908 --> 00:18:37,535 It's like it's time to put all of that 488 00:18:37,577 --> 00:18:39,370 into practice, into action. 489 00:18:39,412 --> 00:18:41,372 - Which is--which is a huge risk at this time. 490 00:18:41,414 --> 00:18:42,707 - Huge risk. - Yeah. 491 00:18:42,749 --> 00:18:44,125 - And so I, like, go over to this other room. 492 00:18:44,167 --> 00:18:46,044 My brother's just like looking at me in the other room, 493 00:18:46,085 --> 00:18:47,545 Hussein, And he's like-- 494 00:18:47,587 --> 00:18:50,173 - Dad told me you promised to run for class president? 495 00:18:50,214 --> 00:18:52,842 I know you're smart and all, but that's pretty stupid. 496 00:18:52,884 --> 00:18:54,385 - I know, I know. 497 00:18:54,427 --> 00:18:56,304 Okay, I don't know what I'm going to do. 498 00:18:56,345 --> 00:18:58,556 I need you to help me. 499 00:18:58,598 --> 00:19:00,767 - This seems like a Yasmin problem. 500 00:19:00,808 --> 00:19:04,020 - Please. Please, just come on. 501 00:19:04,062 --> 00:19:05,772 - It's going to be ugly. 502 00:19:05,813 --> 00:19:07,482 - I'm like, "Come on, man. I need your help." 503 00:19:07,523 --> 00:19:09,400 He's like, "Okay, well, who--who's your opponent? 504 00:19:09,442 --> 00:19:10,401 Do you know anyone who's running?" 505 00:19:10,443 --> 00:19:11,903 I'm like, "Yeah, there's one guy 506 00:19:11,944 --> 00:19:14,155 "who's announced, since August, that he was going to be 507 00:19:14,197 --> 00:19:15,198 "the senior class president, 508 00:19:15,239 --> 00:19:16,741 and his name was Mike Green." 509 00:19:16,783 --> 00:19:18,618 So Mike Green was a triple threat. 510 00:19:18,659 --> 00:19:20,870 He played football, basketball. 511 00:19:20,912 --> 00:19:22,038 He ran track. 512 00:19:22,080 --> 00:19:24,499 He was 6'2". He had aced the ACTs. 513 00:19:24,540 --> 00:19:26,000 He already got early decision into Duke, 514 00:19:26,042 --> 00:19:28,419 to be like a scholar-athlete, pre-med. 515 00:19:28,461 --> 00:19:29,712 - Outta my way, wimps. 516 00:19:29,754 --> 00:19:31,672 Whoever makes eye contact gets punched. 517 00:19:31,714 --> 00:19:34,258 - He was mean. People were scared of him. 518 00:19:34,300 --> 00:19:36,928 Every girl wanted to date him. Every guy wanted to be him. 519 00:19:36,969 --> 00:19:38,638 That was Mike Green. And he was like, 520 00:19:38,679 --> 00:19:40,598 "I'm going to be student class president, guys. 521 00:19:40,640 --> 00:19:41,891 "I just want you guys to know 522 00:19:41,933 --> 00:19:43,476 I'm going to throw the best prom." 523 00:19:43,518 --> 00:19:45,978 He was like making all these, like, promises to people. 524 00:19:46,020 --> 00:19:50,775 He is the quintessential American hero from high school. 525 00:19:50,817 --> 00:19:53,444 - He sounds like--like high school royalty. 526 00:19:53,486 --> 00:19:54,904 - Yes, he was diabolical. 527 00:19:54,946 --> 00:19:56,948 He just announced that he's going to be president 528 00:19:56,989 --> 00:19:58,491 before anyone even voted. 529 00:19:58,533 --> 00:20:01,285 - Sounds like a good ol' boy. He's everything you're not. 530 00:20:01,327 --> 00:20:03,037 - Yeah. Yeah, thank you. 531 00:20:03,079 --> 00:20:04,956 - Listen, you've got to do the thing 532 00:20:04,997 --> 00:20:08,626 no one else in school can do, something that sets you apart. 533 00:20:08,668 --> 00:20:10,378 - Right, okay. Like, wear a headscarf. 534 00:20:10,420 --> 00:20:11,796 Yes. Check. 535 00:20:11,838 --> 00:20:13,965 - No, you're gonna rap your election speech. 536 00:20:14,006 --> 00:20:15,299 - You're going to rap your election speech? 537 00:20:15,341 --> 00:20:16,467 - What? 538 00:20:16,509 --> 00:20:17,802 - That's what you're going to do. 539 00:20:17,844 --> 00:20:19,804 - What? - We do it all the time. 540 00:20:19,846 --> 00:20:21,305 - Yeah, no. We do it in private 541 00:20:21,347 --> 00:20:23,307 where we make up these silly little raps for each other. 542 00:20:23,349 --> 00:20:26,477 I can't rap battle Mike Green in front of the entire school. 543 00:20:26,519 --> 00:20:27,937 - Who said anything about battle? 544 00:20:27,979 --> 00:20:29,981 He's not gonna know that you're doing this. 545 00:20:30,022 --> 00:20:31,858 You're just going to be dissing him one way. 546 00:20:31,899 --> 00:20:33,818 You'll be the only one waging war. 547 00:20:33,860 --> 00:20:35,319 - And I'm like, I don't think we should be 548 00:20:35,361 --> 00:20:39,073 talking about waging war right now, Hussein, but okay. 549 00:20:39,115 --> 00:20:42,243 I employed the help of a young man named Mark, 550 00:20:42,285 --> 00:20:45,079 who I was tutoring, who was best friends with Mike. 551 00:20:45,121 --> 00:20:47,457 both: Oh! - To cut the music, to do this. 552 00:20:47,498 --> 00:20:48,833 He mixed the music. 553 00:20:48,875 --> 00:20:50,376 He was like a Napster guy. So he was like-- 554 00:20:50,418 --> 00:20:53,421 - I got you, girl. I hook my tutors up. 555 00:20:53,463 --> 00:20:55,590 We'll mix this up in a jiffy. Watch this. 556 00:20:57,800 --> 00:20:59,844 - How quick is a jiffy? [dial-up tone whirring] 557 00:20:59,886 --> 00:21:01,679 - Uh, we may have to leave it on overnight. 558 00:21:04,891 --> 00:21:08,144 And if Mike Green asks, I was never here, girl. 559 00:21:12,106 --> 00:21:13,691 - Where's your head at? 560 00:21:13,733 --> 00:21:16,069 Are you feeling really--is this something that takes a lot of, 561 00:21:16,110 --> 00:21:18,738 like, a lot of courage to muster up, 562 00:21:18,780 --> 00:21:21,032 or are you just kinda like, yeah, I'm doing this? 563 00:21:21,074 --> 00:21:23,951 - No, no, no, no, no. I am sweating out of my mind. 564 00:21:23,993 --> 00:21:25,369 - Yeah. 565 00:21:25,411 --> 00:21:28,748 - All I'm doing is thinking about messing up on stage 566 00:21:28,790 --> 00:21:30,458 in front of thousands of kids. 567 00:21:30,500 --> 00:21:32,418 All I can think about 568 00:21:32,460 --> 00:21:36,714 is ruining any semblance of respect I had. 569 00:21:36,756 --> 00:21:38,549 I thought about also like--I'm kind of 570 00:21:38,591 --> 00:21:40,551 like "representing" something bigger than me, 571 00:21:40,593 --> 00:21:42,011 so I really gotta get this right. 572 00:21:45,932 --> 00:21:47,016 - So, where are you in the process now? 573 00:21:47,058 --> 00:21:48,309 You--you're working on the speech. 574 00:21:48,351 --> 00:21:50,812 Is there campaigning happening? - Yes, there is. 575 00:21:50,853 --> 00:21:53,064 So I really try to lean in to me being different. 576 00:21:53,106 --> 00:21:56,150 So I start putting up slogans, like, you know, 577 00:21:56,192 --> 00:21:58,861 like "Rising Muslim Star," like very clear. 578 00:21:58,903 --> 00:22:00,947 Like I am a rising Muslim star. 579 00:22:00,988 --> 00:22:02,198 - Right. 580 00:22:02,240 --> 00:22:04,367 - You know, vote for me. My name was El Hottie. 581 00:22:04,409 --> 00:22:05,701 Yasmin Elhady is my name. 582 00:22:05,743 --> 00:22:07,412 So they call me El Hottie. 583 00:22:07,453 --> 00:22:10,206 Like H-O-T-T-I-E. - Yeah. 584 00:22:10,248 --> 00:22:12,917 - Yeah, so I made like, "Vote for El Hottie," you know. 585 00:22:12,959 --> 00:22:15,837 And then I'd have like flames and stuff. 586 00:22:15,878 --> 00:22:17,922 Like she's lit. She's on fire. 587 00:22:17,964 --> 00:22:22,051 I also really thought very carefully about the slogans 588 00:22:22,093 --> 00:22:26,055 because I wanted to approach the single-most powerful 589 00:22:26,097 --> 00:22:29,684 voting bloc at our school-- the cheerleaders. 590 00:22:29,726 --> 00:22:31,561 - A lot of influence there too. - Yeah. 591 00:22:31,602 --> 00:22:33,187 - Hugely influential. 592 00:22:33,229 --> 00:22:36,023 - So did you have any ins with the cheerleaders before 593 00:22:36,065 --> 00:22:37,525 or were they just-- - Funny, you should ask. 594 00:22:37,567 --> 00:22:40,653 So one of the cheerleader's boyfriends in middle school 595 00:22:40,695 --> 00:22:43,656 decided to pinch my butt in class, 596 00:22:43,698 --> 00:22:46,492 and I slapped him super hard. 597 00:22:46,534 --> 00:22:48,244 And he couldn't believe that I did that. 598 00:22:48,286 --> 00:22:50,037 And I was like, "Don't you ever touch a woman like that. 599 00:22:50,079 --> 00:22:52,749 And I'm sure your girlfriend wouldn't like that very much." 600 00:22:52,790 --> 00:22:54,959 - Just so happened, she was a cheerleader. 601 00:22:55,001 --> 00:22:58,796 So she had always remembered that I stood up for women. 602 00:22:58,838 --> 00:23:01,090 - Yeah! - And that I stood up for her. 603 00:23:01,132 --> 00:23:02,884 So she had remembered that. Okay. 604 00:23:02,925 --> 00:23:05,011 So I went to the cheerleaders where they practiced. 605 00:23:06,846 --> 00:23:10,141 Hey guys, you know me, I'm running for class president. 606 00:23:10,183 --> 00:23:12,310 - Oh, yeah, we heard. Good luck. 607 00:23:12,351 --> 00:23:15,396 It's going to be, like, really hard to win against Mike Green. 608 00:23:15,438 --> 00:23:16,814 - "We all have crushes on Mike." 609 00:23:16,856 --> 00:23:18,399 - Literally, they were like, "We all kind of want 610 00:23:18,441 --> 00:23:20,693 to date him because, you know, he's cute or whatever." 611 00:23:20,735 --> 00:23:23,112 Okay, listen, let's talk. 612 00:23:23,154 --> 00:23:25,615 Mike Green's going to be busy with sports, track, 613 00:23:25,656 --> 00:23:26,824 probably dating you guys. 614 00:23:26,866 --> 00:23:27,950 I will be your friend. 615 00:23:27,992 --> 00:23:30,078 I will be here to listen to you, 616 00:23:30,119 --> 00:23:31,746 woman to woman. Isn't that better? 617 00:23:31,788 --> 00:23:34,082 - Women supporting women? 618 00:23:34,123 --> 00:23:37,126 Oh, I am here for this. What can we do? 619 00:23:37,168 --> 00:23:38,252 - How about this? 620 00:23:38,294 --> 00:23:40,296 What if you guys tried being me for a day? 621 00:23:40,338 --> 00:23:42,256 They were like, "Oh, like real smart and weird. 622 00:23:42,298 --> 00:23:43,633 Like a weirdo?" 623 00:23:43,674 --> 00:23:46,094 - You mean like a Freaky Friday situation? Sure. 624 00:23:46,135 --> 00:23:47,303 - Yeah. No. 625 00:23:47,345 --> 00:23:49,013 I was thinking more so wouldn't it be cool 626 00:23:49,055 --> 00:23:51,557 if you guys wore a headscarf to school like me? 627 00:23:51,599 --> 00:23:54,977 They were like, "Huh. Look like you? 628 00:23:55,019 --> 00:23:56,646 "Like all like wrapped up like in a bow, 629 00:23:56,687 --> 00:23:57,855 like a little present?" 630 00:23:57,897 --> 00:24:00,024 Like, yeah. Like a little present. 631 00:24:00,066 --> 00:24:02,777 Wouldn't that be--wouldn't that be weird, 632 00:24:02,819 --> 00:24:04,570 but also really cool and different? 633 00:24:04,612 --> 00:24:06,864 - Can we wear, like, colorful ones? 634 00:24:06,906 --> 00:24:08,074 - Yeah, any color you want. 635 00:24:08,116 --> 00:24:09,575 - What about purple? - Oh, 100%. 636 00:24:09,617 --> 00:24:11,744 That is so your color. - Okay, we're in. 637 00:24:13,579 --> 00:24:15,123 Back to practice, ladies. 638 00:24:16,416 --> 00:24:18,876 - You're a genius. - Thank you, thank you so much. 639 00:24:18,918 --> 00:24:20,962 - This is a genius move. - Thank you, thank you. 640 00:24:21,003 --> 00:24:23,464 So I put slogans on the back of the headscarves. 641 00:24:23,506 --> 00:24:25,174 It's like, "Can't scarf this." 642 00:24:25,216 --> 00:24:27,385 "Scarf it down." "Scarf girl to the rescue." 643 00:24:27,427 --> 00:24:29,846 "It's getting hot in here, so put on a scarf." 644 00:24:29,887 --> 00:24:31,180 You know what I mean? 645 00:24:31,222 --> 00:24:34,183 [upbeat music] 646 00:24:34,225 --> 00:24:40,440 * * 647 00:24:40,481 --> 00:24:43,317 So this was a really important campaign move on my part. 648 00:24:43,359 --> 00:24:45,695 - How is Mike Green campaigning at this point? 649 00:24:45,737 --> 00:24:47,155 - He had like posters up. 650 00:24:47,196 --> 00:24:49,574 It was like "Mike Green for president. 651 00:24:49,615 --> 00:24:50,950 "I'll--I'll serve you. 652 00:24:50,992 --> 00:24:53,035 Mike Green for president. You know me." 653 00:24:53,077 --> 00:24:54,454 - "Mike Green for president, idiots." 654 00:24:54,495 --> 00:24:57,123 - Yeah, "Mike Green for president, duh." 655 00:24:57,165 --> 00:24:58,458 - Yeah. - Yeah, yeah. 656 00:24:58,499 --> 00:25:00,043 [laughter] 657 00:25:01,627 --> 00:25:03,004 - What happens when you and Mike, like, 658 00:25:03,046 --> 00:25:04,380 pass each other in the hall? 659 00:25:04,422 --> 00:25:06,340 - What's the vibe? - It's a little tense. 660 00:25:06,382 --> 00:25:07,592 It's a little tense. 661 00:25:07,633 --> 00:25:09,594 - You're going down. 662 00:25:09,635 --> 00:25:13,181 [spaghetti Western music] 663 00:25:13,222 --> 00:25:14,557 - I will bury you. 664 00:25:14,599 --> 00:25:17,393 * * 665 00:25:17,435 --> 00:25:19,312 No one on the teams would even talk to me. 666 00:25:19,353 --> 00:25:20,730 Like, no jocks. 667 00:25:20,772 --> 00:25:22,857 Like, nobody on any of the athletic teams would even, 668 00:25:22,899 --> 00:25:24,525 like, make eye contact with me. 669 00:25:24,567 --> 00:25:27,737 - So all of the tension from the 9/11 aftermath-- 670 00:25:27,779 --> 00:25:28,946 - Yeah. 671 00:25:28,988 --> 00:25:30,740 - How is that feeling at this time? 672 00:25:30,782 --> 00:25:34,118 - There was a couple students who did tear down my posters, 673 00:25:34,160 --> 00:25:36,621 especially the ones about like "Rising Muslim Star." 674 00:25:36,662 --> 00:25:37,789 - Yeah. 675 00:25:37,830 --> 00:25:39,957 - And I had a conversation with them. 676 00:25:39,999 --> 00:25:41,209 And I just said, "Look, like, 677 00:25:41,250 --> 00:25:42,877 "you can disagree with me all you want, 678 00:25:42,919 --> 00:25:43,961 but you--you can't tear down my posters." 679 00:25:44,003 --> 00:25:45,254 - Yeah. - Yeah. 680 00:25:45,296 --> 00:25:46,798 - He's like, "Well, I just think like, 681 00:25:46,839 --> 00:25:48,216 "why are you like being all Muslim about it? 682 00:25:48,257 --> 00:25:50,051 Like don't you know what just happened?" 683 00:25:50,093 --> 00:25:52,595 I'm like, "What just happened has nothing to do with me. 684 00:25:52,637 --> 00:25:53,805 "It just doesn't. 685 00:25:53,846 --> 00:25:56,766 "And me being Muslim is my identity, 686 00:25:56,808 --> 00:25:58,142 "and I'm proud of my identity, 687 00:25:58,184 --> 00:26:01,145 and it defines the good stuff about me." 688 00:26:01,187 --> 00:26:02,605 - You were dealing with it. - I was dealing with it. 689 00:26:02,647 --> 00:26:04,357 - Face-to-face. both: Head on. 690 00:26:04,399 --> 00:26:05,691 - Head on. Yeah. 691 00:26:05,733 --> 00:26:07,110 So I've been-- I had been practicing, 692 00:26:07,151 --> 00:26:08,986 so I felt really confident. 693 00:26:09,028 --> 00:26:12,740 - Today's the day? - Today is the day. 694 00:26:12,782 --> 00:26:16,160 - Kick Mike Green's ass. Ha! 695 00:26:16,202 --> 00:26:18,913 - So you give your speeches on the day of the election. 696 00:26:18,955 --> 00:26:20,123 - We give our speeches on the day of the election, 697 00:26:20,164 --> 00:26:21,332 and we find out the results the next day. 698 00:26:21,374 --> 00:26:23,459 - Right, so this-- this speech is crucial. 699 00:26:23,501 --> 00:26:25,253 - Speech is really crucial. It's a Tuesday. 700 00:26:25,294 --> 00:26:26,963 But Monday is the day that all the cheerleaders 701 00:26:27,004 --> 00:26:28,673 came in--in the headscarves. - Yes. Yes. Yeah. 702 00:26:28,715 --> 00:26:30,091 - Wow. - I'm stunting. 703 00:26:30,133 --> 00:26:31,592 Feeling myself a little bit. You know what I'm saying? 704 00:26:31,634 --> 00:26:33,803 - Yeah, yeah, your polling numbers are rising. 705 00:26:33,845 --> 00:26:35,179 - I feel like it was-- I was like, 706 00:26:35,221 --> 00:26:38,224 "Now this is a political maneuvering." 707 00:26:38,266 --> 00:26:40,017 But I also knew that I had to get through the speech. 708 00:26:40,059 --> 00:26:41,185 - This is what it all comes down to. 709 00:26:41,227 --> 00:26:42,478 - I got two minutes. It's Tuesday. 710 00:26:42,520 --> 00:26:43,688 I got two minutes in front of thousands of kids. 711 00:26:43,730 --> 00:26:44,856 I can't mess this up. 712 00:26:48,401 --> 00:26:51,696 - Are you as nervous as I am right now? 713 00:26:51,738 --> 00:26:52,780 - Oh, my God. Well, let me tell you. 714 00:26:52,822 --> 00:26:54,282 I wore like a shirt dress 715 00:26:54,323 --> 00:26:56,117 because I wanted to look like a mogul, you know? 716 00:26:56,159 --> 00:26:58,202 But I had sweated straight through it. 717 00:27:00,705 --> 00:27:03,666 [intense music] 718 00:27:03,708 --> 00:27:10,339 * * 719 00:27:10,381 --> 00:27:13,384 - You're just dripping-- just drenched. 720 00:27:13,426 --> 00:27:14,761 - Yeah, and Mike Green looks at me. 721 00:27:14,802 --> 00:27:17,055 And he's like, "Good luck." - Describe the assembly. 722 00:27:17,096 --> 00:27:18,347 - It's a big auditorium. 723 00:27:18,389 --> 00:27:20,058 And we have a stage, a wooden stage. 724 00:27:20,099 --> 00:27:23,644 And the auditorium sat probably... 725 00:27:23,686 --> 00:27:24,812 I want to say like a thousand-- 726 00:27:24,854 --> 00:27:26,105 - Packed. - Packed. 727 00:27:26,147 --> 00:27:29,400 - Does anyone know what you're going to do? 728 00:27:29,442 --> 00:27:31,652 - No one has any idea what I'm going to do except for Mark. 729 00:27:31,694 --> 00:27:33,154 I'm wearing a white headscarf. 730 00:27:33,196 --> 00:27:37,784 I also was wearing a little ski cap. 731 00:27:37,825 --> 00:27:39,660 And on the ski cap was a little piece of paper 732 00:27:39,702 --> 00:27:42,288 that I had to safety pin. It said, MC Yasmin. 733 00:27:44,916 --> 00:27:47,668 And then I had made a tinfoil chain 734 00:27:47,710 --> 00:27:49,670 with like music notes on it and was like, 735 00:27:49,712 --> 00:27:51,631 "Yo, yo, yo. Yasmin." - Okay. 736 00:27:51,672 --> 00:27:53,925 So people know something's up. - Something's up. 737 00:27:53,966 --> 00:27:54,884 - Who's at the podium at this point? 738 00:27:54,926 --> 00:27:56,219 Is it the--the principal? 739 00:27:56,260 --> 00:27:57,512 - Principal's at the podium introducing us, 740 00:27:57,553 --> 00:27:59,013 and I'm about to walk up. 741 00:28:00,848 --> 00:28:04,310 [indistinct chatter from students] 742 00:28:06,729 --> 00:28:09,023 - All right, Tigers. 743 00:28:09,065 --> 00:28:13,361 This is the moment we have all been waiting for. 744 00:28:13,403 --> 00:28:16,948 Now, you know that saying, "It's not, if you win or lose, 745 00:28:16,989 --> 00:28:19,367 it's how you play the game." 746 00:28:19,409 --> 00:28:22,495 Well, that is completely not true. 747 00:28:22,537 --> 00:28:26,707 Winning is everything. Remember that. 748 00:28:26,749 --> 00:28:28,835 If you fail in high school, 749 00:28:28,876 --> 00:28:32,213 it will haunt you the rest of your life. 750 00:28:32,255 --> 00:28:35,633 Trust me, I lost my bid for high school president, 751 00:28:35,675 --> 00:28:37,844 and it--it ruined me. 752 00:28:42,348 --> 00:28:45,560 Ah, but enough about my problems. 753 00:28:45,601 --> 00:28:47,854 We have here our candidates. 754 00:28:47,895 --> 00:28:49,814 And let's meet the first one. 755 00:28:49,856 --> 00:28:51,149 Bless her heart, she's going to lose. 756 00:28:51,190 --> 00:28:52,984 But let's give her a big hand, shall we? 757 00:28:53,025 --> 00:28:56,070 Yas-meen. [scattered applause] 758 00:28:57,488 --> 00:28:59,240 - I kind of go up there with a swagger, 759 00:28:59,282 --> 00:29:00,324 and people are like... [gasps] 760 00:29:00,366 --> 00:29:01,617 Or they're already kind of laughing. 761 00:29:01,659 --> 00:29:03,035 - Which is what you want. 762 00:29:03,077 --> 00:29:05,705 - And so I put the boom box at the edge of the stage, 763 00:29:05,747 --> 00:29:06,998 and I hit play. 764 00:29:12,587 --> 00:29:14,964 [hip-hop music] 765 00:29:15,006 --> 00:29:16,841 * Yasmin, Yasmin, baby * 766 00:29:16,883 --> 00:29:19,177 * * 767 00:29:19,218 --> 00:29:22,013 * Yasmin, Yasmin, baby, non-stop * 768 00:29:22,055 --> 00:29:23,681 * I infiltrate while I listen * 769 00:29:23,723 --> 00:29:25,808 * School's coming back with an important election * 770 00:29:25,850 --> 00:29:27,727 * School, it's teaching me right * 771 00:29:27,769 --> 00:29:30,021 * Ask me any questions, I won't bite * 772 00:29:30,063 --> 00:29:32,190 * White is the color of my scarf * 773 00:29:32,231 --> 00:29:34,609 * Green is the color when you barf * 774 00:29:34,650 --> 00:29:36,652 crowd: Oh! 775 00:29:36,694 --> 00:29:39,030 - Nice. - Yes. 776 00:29:39,072 --> 00:29:40,281 - Yes! - And "green is the color 777 00:29:40,323 --> 00:29:42,366 when you barf." - Barf. 778 00:29:42,408 --> 00:29:43,534 Barf, vomit! 779 00:29:43,576 --> 00:29:46,913 You are vomit. You are vomit, man. 780 00:29:46,954 --> 00:29:48,664 - And what's the look on his face? 781 00:29:49,665 --> 00:29:51,459 Yeah. - [laughing] 782 00:29:51,501 --> 00:29:54,379 No one has ever called him vomit before. 783 00:29:54,420 --> 00:29:56,005 - No one has ever called him out, period. 784 00:29:56,047 --> 00:29:57,924 And the crowd st--well, they went wild. 785 00:29:57,965 --> 00:30:01,803 They were like, "Oh, damn!" 786 00:30:01,844 --> 00:30:03,721 crowd: Oh! 787 00:30:03,763 --> 00:30:08,601 [music continues] 788 00:30:08,643 --> 00:30:11,229 - * Welcome to high school where the students say * 789 00:30:11,270 --> 00:30:13,439 * We go out to the flagpole if we want to pray * 790 00:30:13,481 --> 00:30:15,858 * Wanna skip, take a pic because the gods are roamin' * 791 00:30:15,900 --> 00:30:18,778 * And the gates be closed after 8:00 in the morning * 792 00:30:18,820 --> 00:30:22,615 [cheering and applause] 793 00:30:22,657 --> 00:30:25,243 * I've got to win * 794 00:30:25,284 --> 00:30:28,371 * So you better get this voting started * 795 00:30:28,413 --> 00:30:32,333 * Get this voting started on a Tuesday * 796 00:30:32,375 --> 00:30:35,378 * If it was the principal, you'd be here all day * 797 00:30:35,420 --> 00:30:39,507 * He talks way too long on the intercom * 798 00:30:39,549 --> 00:30:42,552 * Every word he says just comes out all wrong * 799 00:30:42,593 --> 00:30:45,221 crowd: Oh! 800 00:30:45,263 --> 00:30:48,015 - You dissed the principal? - I dissed the principal. 801 00:30:48,057 --> 00:30:49,892 - Whoa! - He deserves to be dissed. 802 00:30:49,934 --> 00:30:51,644 - And then people started getting-- 803 00:30:51,686 --> 00:30:53,771 the cheerleaders were like, "Oh, my God!" 804 00:30:53,813 --> 00:30:55,231 - Wow. 805 00:30:55,273 --> 00:30:57,608 - And the place erupts. 806 00:30:57,650 --> 00:31:00,570 [triumphant music] 807 00:31:00,611 --> 00:31:05,658 * * 808 00:31:05,700 --> 00:31:07,535 - Whoo! 809 00:31:16,544 --> 00:31:19,005 So then Mike Green goes up there to do his speech. 810 00:31:22,383 --> 00:31:25,470 And he was like crying. 811 00:31:25,511 --> 00:31:27,430 He was crying. - He was crying? 812 00:31:27,472 --> 00:31:28,931 Of course he was. - No way. 813 00:31:28,973 --> 00:31:30,183 - He was crying. 814 00:31:38,107 --> 00:31:40,777 - [sighs] 815 00:31:42,987 --> 00:31:45,531 [feedback screeches] 816 00:31:47,116 --> 00:31:49,827 - He's like, "I'm Mike Green. And, uh, you know. 817 00:31:49,869 --> 00:31:51,329 "I don't know why you really should vote for me. 818 00:31:51,370 --> 00:31:52,747 I'm going to vote for her too." 819 00:31:52,789 --> 00:31:54,082 [all gasping] 820 00:31:54,123 --> 00:31:55,166 - What! - Yes! 821 00:31:55,208 --> 00:31:57,960 - He endorsed you? - Yes! 822 00:31:58,002 --> 00:31:59,837 Yes! - Wow. 823 00:31:59,879 --> 00:32:01,923 - How the mighty have fallen. 824 00:32:01,964 --> 00:32:04,133 - Oh, my God. - Yes. 825 00:32:04,175 --> 00:32:05,843 - Amazing. 826 00:32:05,885 --> 00:32:08,846 [triumphant music] 827 00:32:08,888 --> 00:32:13,351 * * 828 00:32:20,942 --> 00:32:22,235 [scattered applause] 829 00:32:22,276 --> 00:32:25,154 - So I get home, and I had the boom box. 830 00:32:25,196 --> 00:32:27,698 Right as I enter my home, 831 00:32:27,740 --> 00:32:30,201 the boom box actually falls and breaks. 832 00:32:32,203 --> 00:32:34,038 - This seems like an omen. 833 00:32:34,080 --> 00:32:35,373 - So you're saying it went badly? 834 00:32:35,415 --> 00:32:37,667 - No. No, no, it went really well. 835 00:32:37,708 --> 00:32:39,669 I think I--I think I did really well. 836 00:32:39,711 --> 00:32:41,379 - So you're saying you won? - No. 837 00:32:41,421 --> 00:32:43,005 No, I'm saying it wasn't a disaster. 838 00:32:43,047 --> 00:32:44,424 I don't know yet. 839 00:32:44,465 --> 00:32:46,008 - When will you know? When will you know? 840 00:32:46,050 --> 00:32:48,136 - Tomorrow. I'll know tomorrow! 841 00:32:48,177 --> 00:32:50,054 He was like, "Okay. All right. 842 00:32:50,096 --> 00:32:51,597 "All right, it's fine. 843 00:32:51,639 --> 00:32:53,266 "I'm excited. You're good. 844 00:32:53,307 --> 00:32:55,017 Doesn't matter if you win or lose." 845 00:32:55,059 --> 00:32:57,687 - It doesn't matter, but I'm kind of, uh, invested. 846 00:32:57,729 --> 00:33:02,066 - Hey, whatever happens, I'm proud of you, 847 00:33:02,108 --> 00:33:03,818 and you owe me a new boom box. 848 00:33:03,860 --> 00:33:05,153 - My eyes were like, wide open 849 00:33:05,194 --> 00:33:06,654 when the alarm goes off at like 6:30. 850 00:33:06,696 --> 00:33:08,114 I get myself ready to go to school. 851 00:33:08,156 --> 00:33:09,907 I go to school, and I'm in homeroom, 852 00:33:09,949 --> 00:33:12,827 the principal on the--on the intercom, he's like-- 853 00:33:12,869 --> 00:33:15,872 "Good morning, Tigers. 854 00:33:15,913 --> 00:33:19,208 "We got some new presidents and vice presidents, 855 00:33:19,250 --> 00:33:20,918 "and secretaries. And what else? 856 00:33:20,960 --> 00:33:23,004 "Wait, and treasurers, apparently. 857 00:33:23,046 --> 00:33:24,630 I've got a note here." 858 00:33:24,672 --> 00:33:27,133 - "I had some scrambled eggs for breakfast. 859 00:33:27,175 --> 00:33:29,552 "Now, my wife makes them a little runny for my taste. 860 00:33:29,594 --> 00:33:33,431 But I ate them anyway, and then I drove to school." 861 00:33:33,473 --> 00:33:35,183 Get to the point! - Exactly! 862 00:33:35,224 --> 00:33:36,434 I'm at like the edge of my chair. 863 00:33:36,476 --> 00:33:37,852 He just was like-- 864 00:33:37,894 --> 00:33:40,271 "And here we go. 865 00:33:40,313 --> 00:33:42,940 "Your next year's class president... 866 00:33:42,982 --> 00:33:46,152 is Miss Yasmin Elhady." 867 00:33:46,194 --> 00:33:48,321 all: Yay! 868 00:33:49,363 --> 00:33:51,866 [cheers and applause] 869 00:33:54,285 --> 00:33:55,661 - The homeroom erupts. 870 00:33:55,703 --> 00:33:57,455 Erupting! Everyone stands up. 871 00:33:57,497 --> 00:33:59,457 They all clap. They were like, "You deserve it. 872 00:33:59,499 --> 00:34:01,501 You deserve it. You're amazing." 873 00:34:01,542 --> 00:34:03,086 I was like, "Oh, my God. Thank you guys so much." 874 00:34:03,127 --> 00:34:04,629 - Wow. 875 00:34:04,670 --> 00:34:07,465 - All of senior year, me and Mike Green have lockers 876 00:34:07,507 --> 00:34:08,925 on top of each other. - Yeah. 877 00:34:08,966 --> 00:34:11,052 - Top locker, bottom locker for all senior year. 878 00:34:11,094 --> 00:34:12,345 - Yeah. - He was 6'2". 879 00:34:12,387 --> 00:34:14,764 Guess who had the top locker? 880 00:34:14,806 --> 00:34:16,724 - Can I just get some-- - No. 881 00:34:17,600 --> 00:34:19,268 - So you get home that night. 882 00:34:19,310 --> 00:34:22,647 - So I get home, and my dad is like, "Okay, what do we got? 883 00:34:22,688 --> 00:34:24,357 What do we got? What do we got?" 884 00:34:27,527 --> 00:34:30,488 - It was a landslide victory. I won! 885 00:34:30,530 --> 00:34:34,992 - That's my girl! I knew you were my daughter. 886 00:34:35,034 --> 00:34:36,160 Yay! 887 00:34:36,202 --> 00:34:37,578 - But second of all, he was like, 888 00:34:37,620 --> 00:34:39,872 "You, my beautiful daughter, 889 00:34:39,914 --> 00:34:42,333 are worth a thousand sons." 890 00:34:42,375 --> 00:34:44,293 - Ohh... - He gave me a big hug. 891 00:34:44,335 --> 00:34:46,796 - I love that. - And he made it worth it. 892 00:34:46,838 --> 00:34:49,132 That's the best part. I mean, I'm proud. 893 00:34:49,173 --> 00:34:51,759 And, um, 894 00:34:51,801 --> 00:34:53,803 and he was, um... 895 00:34:53,845 --> 00:34:56,305 he still is, like, the most major figure in my life. 896 00:34:56,347 --> 00:34:57,724 - Yeah. 897 00:34:57,765 --> 00:34:59,267 - And I know I would've never done it without him. 898 00:34:59,308 --> 00:35:01,811 - How did that win set up your life? 899 00:35:01,853 --> 00:35:03,229 - So I feel like that win 900 00:35:03,271 --> 00:35:06,023 really made me believe in human beings, 901 00:35:06,065 --> 00:35:08,276 in collective humanity. 902 00:35:08,317 --> 00:35:10,570 It made me believe in myself, 903 00:35:10,611 --> 00:35:14,323 that I think that if I could strategize, 904 00:35:14,365 --> 00:35:17,326 if I could problem-solve, I'd be just fine. 905 00:35:17,368 --> 00:35:19,162 - Yeah. - So I feel like that set me up 906 00:35:19,203 --> 00:35:24,375 for making sure that I could put out my wings, jump. 907 00:35:24,417 --> 00:35:27,378 And if I fly, great. And if I fall on my face, 908 00:35:27,420 --> 00:35:29,255 I'll get back up and it'll be just fine. 909 00:35:29,297 --> 00:35:32,925 I ended up going off to Cairo, going back to where I was born, 910 00:35:32,967 --> 00:35:34,719 and going to the American embassy in Cairo 911 00:35:34,761 --> 00:35:36,304 to do a graduate fellowship in Arabic. 912 00:35:36,345 --> 00:35:38,014 And it just taught me a lot about like, 913 00:35:38,056 --> 00:35:40,224 oh, like there's no difference between my story 914 00:35:40,266 --> 00:35:41,726 or this person's story. 915 00:35:41,768 --> 00:35:43,603 Like, it just so happens that I was born into a family 916 00:35:43,644 --> 00:35:47,565 that came to the United States and had this life, 917 00:35:47,607 --> 00:35:50,193 but I could've just as easily been a poor child 918 00:35:50,234 --> 00:35:52,612 in the street begging. - Yeah. 919 00:35:52,653 --> 00:35:54,447 - And it really inspired me to want to go to law school 920 00:35:54,489 --> 00:35:56,074 and, like, fight for people's rights. 921 00:35:56,115 --> 00:35:57,575 I was shaky on my own, 922 00:35:57,617 --> 00:35:59,327 but if I was fighting for someone else, I felt strong. 923 00:35:59,368 --> 00:36:00,661 I felt that we could stand together. 924 00:36:00,703 --> 00:36:02,955 - Wow. - So that made me feel like 925 00:36:02,997 --> 00:36:05,083 I needed to be a part of, 926 00:36:05,124 --> 00:36:06,918 you know, a legal education 927 00:36:06,959 --> 00:36:09,462 that could help empower people, protect people. 928 00:36:09,504 --> 00:36:10,922 I work in public service, 929 00:36:10,963 --> 00:36:13,132 and a big part of me running for that first election 930 00:36:13,174 --> 00:36:15,676 was me being part of the-- the governing structure. 931 00:36:15,718 --> 00:36:16,928 - Amazing. 932 00:36:16,969 --> 00:36:20,473 - That's the story, guys. - I am blown away. 933 00:36:21,682 --> 00:36:24,310 - You are an incredible person. - Thank you. 934 00:36:24,352 --> 00:36:26,521 - Thank you for taking us on this 935 00:36:26,562 --> 00:36:29,232 incredible journey with you. - Yeah. 936 00:36:29,273 --> 00:36:31,651 - * Are you gonna make it happen today? * 937 00:36:31,692 --> 00:36:33,945 * Or will you just settle for another delay? * 938 00:36:33,986 --> 00:36:36,322 * Come on, you gotta make it happen now * 939 00:36:36,364 --> 00:36:38,950 * Come on, you gotta make it happen now * 940 00:36:38,991 --> 00:36:41,119 * Said, are you gonna wait and sit on your hands? * 941 00:36:41,160 --> 00:36:42,870 * Or will you go and start making out * 942 00:36:42,912 --> 00:36:44,747 * A list of demands? 'Cause you can make it happen * 943 00:36:44,789 --> 00:36:46,541 - * Yasmin, Yasmin, baby * 944 00:36:46,582 --> 00:36:48,918 - * Start attacking, don't lose out on the action * 945 00:36:48,960 --> 00:36:51,003 * Hey! Seek the path * 946 00:36:51,045 --> 00:36:53,881 * Reach and grab all the right things that you need to have * 947 00:36:53,923 --> 00:36:55,633 * Don't wait in good faith * 948 00:36:55,675 --> 00:36:56,926 - * School's coming back with a brand new election * 949 00:36:56,968 --> 00:36:58,803 * This school got ahold of me tight * 950 00:36:58,845 --> 00:37:00,263 * Ask me any questions, I won't bite * 951 00:37:00,304 --> 00:37:02,140 - * Now is the time, lay it all on the line * 952 00:37:02,181 --> 00:37:04,642 * When you break through the wall in your mind * 953 00:37:04,684 --> 00:37:06,769 * Whatever's occurred, that's the past * 954 00:37:06,811 --> 00:37:09,063 * Don't lose the courage when I have to ask * 955 00:37:09,105 --> 00:37:11,107 * Are you gonna make it happen today? 956 00:37:11,149 --> 00:37:12,775 - * White is the color on my scarf * 957 00:37:12,817 --> 00:37:14,318 * Green is a color when you barf * 958 00:37:14,360 --> 00:37:17,447 - * Light fuse, ignite and move, why refuse? * 959 00:37:17,488 --> 00:37:19,907 * 'Cause if you really believe you want it to be * 960 00:37:19,949 --> 00:37:22,827 * More than a dream, you got to turn it into reality * 961 00:37:22,869 --> 00:37:25,121 * So you gotta make it happen now * 962 00:37:25,163 --> 00:37:27,915 * Come on, gotta make it happen now * 963 00:37:27,957 --> 00:37:30,376 * Come on, you gotta make it happen now * 964 00:37:30,418 --> 00:37:31,544 * Whoo! *