Muslim Journalist and Social Media Star Noor Tagouri to Speak at Marymount

Noor Tagouri, a young Muslim journalist who rose to social media stardom as she pursues her dream of being the first hijab-wearing anchor on U.S. commercial television, will speak at Marymount University this Friday.

The talk, from 6-8 p.m. in Marymount’s Lee Center Atrium (2807 N. Glebe Road), is being hosted by the university’s Muslim Student Association. The event is free and the public is invited to attend.

From a Marymount press release:

The public is invited to hear Noor Tagouri, a popular millennial journalist, speak on the topic of “A Storyteller’s Keys to Success, Passions and Identity” during a dinner hosted by Marymount University’s Muslim Student Association from 6 to 8 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 26 in the Lee Center Atrium. The event is free.

Since launching the viral #letnoorshine campaign in 2012, Tagouri has become an associate journalist for CBS Radio in Washington, D.C., earned a bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism from the University of Maryland at age 20, become a local news reporter in the D.C. metro area for CTV News and has traveled nationally and internationally as a motivational speaker.

Last year she told the Washington Post that her goal was to be the first anchor on U.S. commercial television to wear a hijab, the traditional headscarf worn by some Muslim women.

With a social media following of more than 200,000, Noor has gained both critical support for her efforts to break stereotypes and encouraged others to tackle their own potential in a multi-cultural society through weekly YouTube videos and other projects, the #journeywithnoor bracelet that promotes accomplishing goals and creating pen pals, social media discussion posts and one-on-one mentoring.

As a first generation Libyan-American, her passion for storytelling stems from the desire to expose cultural injustices and combat the challenges facing women on a global scale.