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Mona and Seb stand by an antique Ford F100 pickup truck covered with grafitti outside the Mid Point Cafe. Image courtesy of Unity Productions Foundation and PBS
Route 66: Where the American Story is the Muslim Story
July 14, 2022
The PBS limited series, The Great Muslim American Road Trip is on a mission to break stereotypes.
The logo of the documentary The Great Muslim American Road Trip - in the form of a US highway shield -  apeareing now on PBS stations.
We’re really trying to tell the story of people. July 14, 2022
Alex Kronemer shares behind-the-scenes insights about the show’s protagonists: Syrian-American rapper Mona Haydar and her husband, educator, and Muslim convert Sebastian Robins. We hear about their stakes in taking the cross-country journey, and how they fit into a larger movement to break monolithic stereotypes about the religion and its followers.

Alex Kronemer. Co-founder of the Unity Productions Foundation, a media and educational nonprofit dedicated to creating peace and understanding about Muslims and other religions in the world. It’s best known for its production of the Sultan and the Saint, a PBS special that was nominated for an Emmy.

To watch The Great Muslim American Road Trip click on the poster.

Poster for The Great Muslim American Road Trip. Courtesy Unity Productions Foundation and PBS.
The Great Muslim American Road Trip

Unity Productions Foundation and PBS
Alex Kronemer, director of the Great Muslim American Road Trip. Photo courtesy of Unity Productions Foundation,via IMDB of
Each one of these kids carries a dream. July 14, 2022
As Haydar and Robins travel historic Route 66, they encounter Muslims they meet and hear their untold stories of Islam’s contributions to American history and culture. We meet worshippers from a diverse Midwest mosque who help Kronemer “demystify” who Muslims in America really are by sharing their prayers, beliefs, and daily experiences.
Mona and Sebatian holding hands while sitting in their car. Both smile at the camera, and Mona flashes a peace sign. Photo courtesy of Unity Productions Foundation and PBS
We have seen this cultural shift happen in Hollywood. July 14, 2022
Kronemer lays out the history of Muslim representation in Hollywood media, and charts how negative perceptions of off-screen Muslims are influenced by on-screen Muslim characters. He covers changes in both Hollywood and public opinion, ignited by a rejection of the “othering” of Muslims and a growing willingness to change the narratives about them.


The performance of Route 66 at the beginning of this week's show is by Anika Noronha,
and is shared under a Creative Commons By Attribution license by Goa Arts and Literary Festival.

Our theme music is by MC Yogi

This week's closing music, New Hope, by Audiobinger.

Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions.

Remixes and original loops by Dissimilation Heavy Industries.