Stand-up comedian and actress Maysoon Zayid jokes that if there were a competition called the Oppression Olympics, she would take the gold. As a Palestinian Muslim woman with cerebral palsy, she represents a unique combination of marginalized identities. As a comedian, she draws from these life experiences to combat ethnic stereotypes and redefine disability using humor and wit.

On Friday, March 29, 2019, at 7p.m., Zayid will bring her singular brand of comedy and advocacy to Fairfield University’s Barone Campus Center Oak Room for an evening of comedy and audience Q&A presented by the College of Arts and Sciences’ Islamic World Studies program. The event is free and open to the public, and co-sponsored by the Office of the Provost, the Dean’s Office in the College of Arts and Sciences, the Office of Student Diversity, the Office of Residence Life, the Center for Faith and Public Life, the Humanities Institute in the College of Arts and Sciences, Mission and Identity, the Department of History, and the programs in Catholic Studies, Humanitarian Action, International Studies, Peace and Justice Studies, and Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies.

Celebrated as one of the first Muslim women to become a comedian in America and perform in Palestine and Jordan, Zayid scored the number one Ted Talk of 2014 with her personal narrative, “I Got 99 Problems … Palsy Is Just One,” and used her platform to become one of the most vocal and widely recognized disability advocates in the world. For her upcoming appearance at Fairfield University, history professor Silva Marsans-Sakly, PhD, asked Zayid to craft a show that will compliment the launch of the University’s new Islamic World Studies program by tackling stereotypes of Arab-Muslim women and society.

"Maysoon is Palestinian-American, proudly Muslim and unveiled, and does not let her cerebral palsy stop her from performing,” Dr. Marsans-Sakly said. “She laughs at her condition, inviting us all to look past it. Irreverent, beautiful, quick-witted, and unstoppable, she will be an inspiration to all our students.”

In addition to being a comedian, actress, writer, and advocate for the disabled, Zayid is also co-founder/co-executive producer of the New York Arab American Comedy Festival and The Muslim Funny Fest. She was a full-time On Air Contributor to Countdown with Keith Olbermann and a columnist for The Daily Beast, and has most recently appeared on Oprah Winfrey Network’s In Deep Shift, on 60 Minutes, and on ABC News. 

As a professional comedian, Maysoon has performed in top New York clubs and has toured extensively at home and abroad. She was a headliner on the Arabs Gone Wild Comedy Tour as well as the Muslims Are Coming Tour. Maysoon also appeared alongside Adam Sandler in You Don’t Mess with the the Zohan and has written for VICE. She even walked in New York Fashion Week and is proud to be an ambassador for the Cerebral Palsy Foundation. She is currently developing a comedy series with Hazy Mills Productions called If I Cancan.

For more information on Maysoon Zayid’s upcoming appearance at Fairfield University, contact Dr. Marsans-Sakly at smarsans-sakly@fairfield.edu.