Social Glue: A Conversation with Syed Jamal
On the other side of the glass, gentle waves rock scattered seafaring vessels under a cerulean sky accompanied by cotton candy clouds. In the distance, the great mountain stands watch as guardian of the land. Is this a fantastical dreamscape or an everyday reality?
The answer lies in perspective.
Syed and I share a profound adoration of the setting our lives take place in today.
As I sip my perfectly spiced oatmilk chai, he affirms the awareness which exploration brings. Whether one is traveling to other cities, reading of different places or experiencing a culture far from their own, stepping outside routine is vital to truly seeing your surroundings.
I lean in, curious to discover what brought this man over 7000 miles from his homeland of Delhi, India to settle in Tacoma, Washington.
Syed Jamal’s dedication to his studies landed him a prestigious Ford Foundation Fellowship. This opened many doors of possibility in choosing international education. He could have gone just about anywhere in the world and had his tuition, living expenses, trips to visit home–literally all of it covered. He first decided on university in the UK. His uncle lived there and being a family oriented person, this was a clear choice.
While the arrangements were underway—and there were many—something happened to forever alter the trajectory of Syed’s life.
A friend’s cousin was researching media for his PhD. One day while Syed was visiting, a conversation about the research led to them watching a two minute video which would ignite an unexpected flame.
“It was a two minute story, just two minutes...but it was the story of the Freedom Riders and the Greyhound buses and that image of the Greyhound bus being burned. It was very dramatic.”
Jamal was deeply moved by learning of the Freedom Riders–the indomitable power of the human spirit. The lethal dangers they met with unwavering nonviolence.
“When I saw that, I just wanted to go to the country where they grew up. That was it. I just want to go there. I can go anywhere and study. I want to go to this country. This country called America. I had no other reason to come to the US. People thought I was crazy. My advisors were going nuts. They said, what are you doing? You're changing the whole plan just because you saw some people? I said, no, not some people. They are my heroes now. I mean, they really touched me. And this is a once in a lifetime opportunity. I have earned this stuff. It's my fellowship. I have the right to decide where I want to go. They said, yes, and you have already decided it. I said, yes, I want to change my mind. I fought with it. I reserve the right to change.”
That spark, born in a two minute clip, is something I recognize among exceptional people–the moxie to follow intuition over convention.
This is the spirit I refer to as a “Rebel Unicorn”. To be courageous enough to make a decision for your life that leaves others bewildered. To trust in something enough that you absolutely know it’s for you despite what practicalities and logistics might say.
Syed followed through on his decision. By Fall quarter 2008, he was studying in the USA. A year later brought freedom to travel the country, as he had completed his on campus courses. While in New Hampshire, a love interest was formed. Introduced to his future wife by a professor, the two quickly formed a bond through their love of Bollywood film. She was American–well traveled but had never visited India. She found great delight in the song and dance found within nearly every Indian film.
I sat fascinated by the lively visions dancing across my mind as Syed shared about the production of these movies.
“We call it spicy film. Unlike the Western Cinema, which is genre specific. Even if it's an action film, it'll have a little bit of comedy, it'll have five to six dances and songs. She loved that. And she really helped me see my own culture from the point of view of an American, you know, somebody who is not from India, but who is watching from a totally different perspective.”
Another huge decision was looming for Syed. He wanted to marry this woman but family ties in Delhi were also pulling his heartstrings. His proposal came forth raw and direct. He would love to marry her and he was going home. Within months, they married in India and proceeded to create a life (and a son) there. In the next few years, the pollution began to affect his wife and son. Some people will move out of the city to find a fresher environment but Syed didn’t see any stable work in outlying areas. During a trip to visit his wife’s family in Tacoma, he fell in love with the cinematic beauty of our city. Having family here was very important as well. It took two years to pull everything together. In 2015, Syed became a resident of Tacoma.
Over the last ten years, he has become an empowering force in our city, involved in numerous boards and programs which promote cross-cultural collaborations and better economies. His vision has Tacoma on the map as a global creative hub, opening opportunity and revenue streams for many residents and businesses.
While studying cities that are prospering through creative avenues, Jamal was inspired to bring a Festival of Light to Tacoma. His first annual Festival of Light is happening Saturday October 4th, 11-6pm at the Eastside Community Center. This exciting community event is inspired by the spirit of Diwali, a festival of light and togetherness. It has manifested through many partners, volunteers and sponsors, including Syed’s own non-profit, Grit City Studio.
During our conversation, we spoke of intentional celebration–the importance of gratitude, for our lives, our health, environment and all blessings. Syed feels it is important to celebrate as a community which he says creates a “social glue”. This in turn, has a positive ripple effect which elevates us all.
This spirit of togetherness will be honored throughout the festival featuring live music and dance performances, a community fashion show featuring a broad range of age, gender and race, film screenings, hands-on workshops, artisan vendors and more.
Families are invited to take part in creative activities, and the evening will culminate with a lamp-floating ceremony, a moment of collective gratitude and illumination meant to symbolize hope and unity across cultures.
There are wonderful local publications highlighting Jamal’s accomplishments and sharing all the details of this beautiful event including the Weekly Volcano, Tacoma Weekly, and Showcase Magazine. What I felt moved to share, was a peek behind the many achievements–the creative spirit, that through passion, purpose and intentional decision making, came to be a part of our rich tapestry of Tacoma talent. Syed’s personal story touches on so many emotions, it might be a film in itself.
While sitting in the comforting, inspirational company of this soft spoken yet laser focused powerhouse of a human for a delightful portion of my afternoon, something else he said really landed–that many who wouldn’t consider themselves an artist, actually are.
“We're all artists. We're always curating something. We're creating experiences for somebody. It might be pulling over to watch a sunset or resolving a difference with someone. That’s an art.”
From the remarkable people he has met, to the stories exchanged and the astonishing beauty here in our city, Syed treasures Tacoma as his home.
His message to the rest of us is simple yet profound.
Zoom out–explore, experience contrast so that we may fully open our eyes to the magnificence here and not for a moment, take it for granted.
As I walked out of the coffee shop, I noticed the large pots of flowers spilling their glorious blooms onto the walkway and in a heartfelt gaze to the sky, I felt infinite soul level gratitude.
