We are excited to announce the honorees for our 29th Media Awards on Saturday, March 20!  

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Dear John!

We are so excited to announce the honorees for MPAC’s 29th Media Awards on Saturday, March 20! This year, we will honor Just Mercy, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, Glitch Techs, LA Times' Lorraine Ali, The Honest Struggle and Transplant for their powerful voices of inclusion, representation, equality, and justice.
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Just Mercy is based on the autobiography of civil rights attorney Bryan Stevenson (Michael B. Jordan). It tells the story of Bryan’s early career and work with Equal Justice Initiative (EJI), the organization he founded to help the unjustly incarcerated and their families. Bryan Stevenson will join us to accept the award.
NBC’s Transplant is groundbreaking in so many ways. The series features a Syrian Muslim doctor as the lead character, realistic and nuanced portrayals of the challenges faced by refugees, and the real trauma of those struggling to survive in war zones. At a time when healthcare workers are overburdened, exhausted, and having to perform in heroic ways, Transplant provides viewers with an inspiring team of doctors who are also invariably human.
DC’s Legends of Tomorrow features an authentic, nuanced, female Muslim recurring team member named Zari Tomaz. Muslim audiences, and young Muslim viewers especially, need and deserve to see themselves reflected on screen. Zari’s smart, thoughtful, strong character makes a world of difference in their sense of inclusion and developing self-worth.
Glitch Techs is one of the most diverse series ever produced by Nickelodeon Animation. The series includes a strong female Muslim recurring character, Zahra, who provides inspiration to young Muslim audiences who finally see themselves reflected in an animated character. With so many young children at home throughout the pandemic, Glitch Techs is a fun, action-packed, inclusive, family-friendly show for the entire family.

As the TV and culture critic of The LA Times, Lorraine Ali consistently provides thoughtful, insightful analysis of not just what’s on screen, but of the challenging cultural pivots we are making as a society. Lorraine’s background as an Iraqi-American Muslim gives her a unique perspective and she has become one of the top journalists in her field.

The Honest Struggle documents the story of Sadiq, a Muslim convert ex-offender, and his continuing struggle to transition back into society after being incarcerated most of his adult life. The film exposes the challenges of reentry and follows Sadiq’s mission to benefit the lives of other Muslim converts as they transition out of incarceration. Director Justin Mashouf will join us to accept the award.
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We hope you can join us on March 20 to celebrate these tremendous honorees for their inclusive voices of courage and conscience!

In peace,

Sue Obeidi

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