Aisha Monks-Husain is a student, an activist, and a writer. Monks-Husain earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Creative Writing at Chapman University. She is currently applying for her Masters in Comparative Literature, emphasizing in Middle Eastern literature to help bridge the gap between Eastern and Western cultures. Monks-Husain aspires to write about her experiences as a first-generation American with the mixture of British and Pakistani cultures in her life.
Although all these people’s credentials are impressive I find myself oddly uncomfortable reading about people rather than reading/viewing their work. This idea of defining a person by her/his academic history is a very westernized concept that, I think, can elevate some people “as experts” and create a hierarchy which can be dismissive and even destructive to others. I have credential too, but I do not identify myself with them because they are only labels.
This is understanding. Nonetheless, RTM is proud of contributors with academic/social credentials. For many esp. non-white people or people with disadvantages by the patriarchal standard need to put the credentials to the public. And RTM is read by any one not just those in circles of free minds.