Salma Albezreh, a 13-year-old middle schooler, uses spoken word poetry to empower youth to define themselves and resist stereotypes as she shares her story as an American Muslim. 

Salma Albezreh is an American Muslim writer of spoken word poetry. Her topics vary from Islamophobia and the American identity to human trafficking and women's rights. She works to fight stereotypes that are especially evident in schools as well as to empower youth to take leadership roles in making a change in their society. Salma is the co-founder of MYSA, an association that provides youth with service opportunities. She is also helping to establish an initiative to empower youth from different religious backgrounds to interact at a retreat and training program where they can showcase their talents across the country and promote tolerance. Salma is a proud Daytonian who was born in Boston. She is 13 years old.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx