Women's Media Center Live with Robin Morgan

WMC Live #499: Get Home Safe. (Original Airdate 4/5/2026)

·38 min·3 clips

Rana Abdelhamid, a black belt karate instructor, founded a self-defense program after a man attacked her and tried to remove her headscarf.

The episode begins with Robin Morgan introducing Rana Abdelhamid, detailing her background as an American activist of Egyptian descent based in Queens, New York. Abdelhamid holds a black belt in Shotokan karate and founded self-defense initiatives after a personal attack. She earned a BA from Middlebury College and a master's from Harvard Kennedy School, with accolades including the Truman Scholarship and Forbes 30 Under 30. Her book 'Get Home Safe' is framed as a comprehensive safety manual that goes beyond physical self-defense to address financial literacy and emotional well-being. Morgan praises the book's holistic approach, noting sections on spending locally to build community relationships. Abdelhamid explains the origins of Hijabis of New York, a storytelling project to humanize Muslim women, and Malika, a nonprofit offering self-defense and mutual aid. She discusses the role of her supportive parents in her activism and karate training. The conversation touches on the challenges of organizing, with Abdelhamid emphasizing the need for joy and community events to sustain efforts. Morgan references a mouse experiment on intergenerational trauma, linking it to women's experiences of violence. Abdelhamid reflects on her future as a writer and community organizer, and Morgan commends her sense of humor and pragmatic engagement with power structures. The episode concludes with practical information on Abdelhamid's websites and a news segment about teaching song to endangered honeyeater birds.

As heard by us

A spring conversation about safety, self-defense, and the practical habits that matter.

Robin Morgan opens on spring before turning to Rana Abdelhamid, an American activist based in Queens, New York, whose work brings together karate, organizing, and women safety.

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Why you'd press play

Spring opens into a calm talk about safety, karate, and young women coming into power.

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