Alhamdulillah 2021 is a wrap. Here’s a look back at the top nine moments from the year.
1. Detroit Documenters Program: As the civic reporter for WDET, I helped train people to take notes or tweet Detroit public meetings. The program helps people become more civically engaged.
2. Embassy of Bangladesh stories: The Embassy comes to Michigan every year to provide popup consular services. A story about the growing need for a permanent office was featured in Detroit Free Press and WDET.
3. Journalism Awards: This year I won a second-place merit award from the Michigan Association of Broadcasters for my story, “Mosques Go Virtual During COVID-19 Ramadan,” about how people worshiped during COVID. This story was reported for Michigan Radio. The story also won second place for best feature story by Michigan Associated Press Media Editors. Alhamdulillah.
4. Bangladeshi Older Women: For the Journalists in Aging fellowship by the Gerontological Society of America, I reported three stories about how Bangladeshi older women coped through language barriers, caregiving, and a tag team approach to healthcare during the pandemic.
5. SAADA Bangladeshi Women Entrepreneurs: This year I finished up a fellowship with the South Asian American Digital Archive documenting 10 oral histories of Bangladeshi Women Entrepreneurs who pursued nontraditional business models while holding onto traditions and culture.
6. Bengalis of New York x Nargis The Writer: The 10 oral histories were created into a podcast series on Bengalis of New York.
7. Communities of Hope: In September I launched a 12-part series on WDET called Communities of Hope, showcasing how Detroiters from communities of color persevered during the pandemic by holding onto hope.
8. Dearborn Mayoral Election: This year I covered the Dearborn mayoral elections. Mayor-elect Abdullah Hammoud made history as the first Arab American Muslim mayor of the city.
9. Anchoring on WDET: During the closure, I guest-hosted for midday for a few days.
Inshallah next year brings prosperity, joy and new opportunities. #2021
Nargis The Writer 