Najla Said: Identity, Advocacy, and Healing through Storytelling

In this powerful episode of the Sumud Podcast, we are joined by author, actress, and playwright Najla Said—daughter of the legendary Palestinian intellectual Edward Said.

This video is for educational purposes only. It provides historical and political analysis to inform and educate viewers.

Through humor, vulnerability, and sharp storytelling, Najla reflects on growing up as an Arab American in New York, her struggles with identity and anorexia, and the pressure of assimilation in the elite white spaces surrounding her.

Najla opens up about navigating a world that both shrunk and exoticized her Palestinian identity, her healing journey through Arab culture, hospitality, and expressing love through food, and the personal toll of being one of the only visible Palestinians in spaces like Hollywood and Broadway. From stories of her solo play Palestine to memories of Mahmoud Darwish, she shares the intimate and political threads that shaped her life and work.

🎯 In this conversation, we explore:

➡️Growing up Arab American and code-switching to assimilate in elite white spaces

➡️The complexities of anorexia, shame, and reclaiming her identity

➡️Creating art as a form of resistance and healing

➡️The enduring impact and misinterpretation of Edward Said’s legacy

➡️The power of theater and memoir to shift narratives about Palestine

🎧 For all things Sumud: https://sumudpod.com

📘 Read her memoir "Looking for Palestine: Growing Up Confused in an Arab-American Family" at Sumud Pod's affiliate bookstore:

https://bookshop.org/shop/sumudpod

🎙️ Follow our host: https://www.instagram.com/dredhasan/

Najla Said: https://www.instagram.com/kittybubble/

📌 Chapters

00:00 – Introduction & Growing Up Arab-American

04:45 – Identity, Anorexia, and Cultural Rejection

14:50 – Returning to Palestine & Reconnecting Through Food

21:00 – Writing Looking for Palestine & Preserving Legacy

27:00 – On Social Media, Generational Shifts & Movement Building

34:54 – Edward Said’s Influence, Illness & Resilience

42:00 – Theater as Resistance and Finding Her Own Voice

#SumudPodcast #NajlaSaid #Palestine #EdwardSaid #ArabAmerican #ResistanceThroughArt #DiasporaVoices #PalestinianNarratives #Theatre

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