Reclaiming the “Monster” to Challenge Power: What the Horror Genre Reveals About Power, Bias, and Belonging

In this interactive and timely Halloween-season session, actress, writer, and comedian Kausar Mohammed (THE FLASH, JURASSIC WORLD: CHAOS THEORY, MONSTER HIGH, APPENDAGE) takes us inside the horror genre as both fan and creator. Drawing from her own work and collaborations with diverse horror storytellers, Kausar unpacks how fear on screen reflects the fears of society, and how those fears are too often weaponized against marginalized communities. Together, we’ll explore who gets cast as the “monster” in media and why, examine how these narratives ripple into policy, culture, and everyday bias, and use creative writing to reimagine and reclaim our own monsters. With humor, insight, and a dash of the macabre, Kausar invites us to flip the script, confront what haunts us, and turn "horror" into a tool for empathy, resistance, and change.
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Meet Your Presenter

Co-Founder of SHIFT Kausar Mohammed

Kausar Mohammed is a distinguished equity facilitator, actress, and comedian. Her highly-interactive presentations offer an insider’s view into the film and television industry through the eyes of a queer, Muslim, woman of color. As a co-founder of SHIFT, a women of color-led collective offering racial and gender equity education and consulting, and drawing from her own experiences in Hollywood, Kausar disrupts norms by unapologetically centering historically marginalized identities. Kausar's impactful career spans TV, film, and live comedy, including her celebrated queer, Muslim romcom THE SYED FAMILY XMAS EVE GAME NIGHT, which premiered at the 2021 Toronto International Film Festival. She also starred in the 2023 horror comedy movie, APPENDAGE and the films, LITTLE and WHAT MEN WANT. On television, in addition to portraying superhero Dr. Meena Dhawan on the CW's THE FLASH and Shila in MO, Kausar's voice work as Yaz in JURASSIC WORLD: CAMP CRETACEOUS and the series follow-up, JURASSIC WORLD: CHAOS THEORY, has gained a dedicated fan base as has her Cleo De Nile character on MONSTER HIGH. Kausar is a founding member of Los Angeles-based The Get Brown sketch comedy troupe, where she continues to create comedy that pushes the boundaries as to what it means to exist as first generation Americans today. She brings a uniquely transformative perspective, grounded in the performing arts and anti-oppression work, to her engaging and entertaining workshops, discussions, and art. To learn more about Kausar Mohammed or bring her to speak, visit: https://www.speakoutnow.org/speakers/kau

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