Nadine Naber, PhD | Melibee Global Speakers

Past Speaking Engagements

Speaking Options

It’s Complicated: Women’s History

Dr. Naber understands what happens when we celebrate women’s history as if all women are the same. We ignore the experiences of women of color and their diverse experiences, and we misunderstand relevant and necessary history that informs our world and workplace. For example, many people are unaware that women’s suffrage did not include all women; Black and indigenous women were excluded from voting rights. Through the inspiring stories of diverse women of color trailblazers–in sports, pop culture, government, and medicine, Dr. Naber will help audiences understand how women of color have persevered through racism and sexism in order to thrive and succeed. Audiences will better understand how to honor women’s diverse histories, and how to fully recognize all of the women around us in our daily lives.

Arab Americans: Beyond Invisibility and Stereotypes

Discussions about diversity rarely address the growing U.S. Arab American community. Yet Dr. Naber knows how misunderstandings and racial stereotypes about Arab Americans matter and have grave consequences in the real world and the workplace. In this talk, audiences will learn about Arab Americans beyond common perceptions of oppressed women, belly dancers, rich oil sheikhs, and terrorists. They will gain tools for understanding Arab American cultures in the real world, beyond stereotypes. She will help them see Arab Americans as individuals from 22 countries that span northern Africa to western Asia with many faiths and racial/ethnic identities. She also helps them recognize the Arab Americans all around us, from our neighbors and co-workers to to trailblazers like Apple founder Steve Jobs and actress Salma Hayek. Participants will leave this talk having shifted what they notice and remember about Arab Americans while growing a sense of belonging for all while preventing inequity.

Selected Media

CBS2 – Chicago

TedX Oak Park

Spring 2022 YWomen Film (YWCA, Evanston, IL)

Press

UIC scholar earns ASA lifetime achievement award

UIC report examines experiences, racial justice for Chicagoland’s Arab Americans

Testimonials

“Nadine Naber is simply riveting! She is one of the most fascinating and innovative thinkers. She offers ingenious solutions to better understanding our world and the dilemmas we face. Nadine is such a brilliant engaging and dynamic speaker; you will not be the same person after hearing her speak—and the world and you will be better as a result.”
– Clarissa Rojas – Professor, Latino Studies, University of California Davis

“Dr. Naber’s was a key speaker at our 10 year anniversary event. I’ve also seen her speak at other educational and community events. She has a wealth of knowledge and a great presence. She breaks down information and makes it relevant so that it speaks directly to the audience she’s presenting to.”
– Chris Lymbertos – Associate Director, Center for Media Justice

About NADINE Naber

With more than two decades of studying and leading movements to support diverse people around the world, Dr. Nadine Naber incorporates deep knowledge found in academic theory and translates it into action to support people of color in the workplace and in our communities.

Dr. Naber is an award winning Professor in the Gender and Women’s Studies Program and the Global Asian Studies Program at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC). Her dedication to these fields has led to major awards including the American Studies Association’s 2022 Lifetime Achievement Award [The Oscars of academia!), the YWSA’s Y-Women’s Leadership Award, and the Silver Circle Teaching Award.

She is also the author/co-author of five books on race and gender, lead author of the 2023 report Beyond Erasure and Profiling: Cultivating Strong and Vibrant Arab American Communities, and serves as an expert author for the United Nations. She co-founded MAMAS, supporting mothers of color survive and thrive, and is the founder of Liberate Your Research, a highly sought after program that empowers diverse academic researchers to learn to write fully and authentically with the wisdom of their ancestors behind them.