Iman Uqdah Hameen

Iman Uqdah Hameen, is an independent African American filmmaker, writer, activist, and a retired New York City public educator. She is the director of the film Unspoken Conversation which is a part of the Pearl Browser Collection at the Museum of African American History and Culture.
==Early Life and Education:==
Iman Uqdah Hameen originally Robin Ropper, is the daughter of the late James Roper Sr. and the late Elder Nabeela Uqdah, a nurse, and a devout member of the Nation of Islam. Hameen spent her early years in New Haven, Connecticut along with brother Reid Dirk Ropper where she had attended James Hill House High School. As a child, she used to spend most of her time reading in a library. Apart from that, she also liked observing and listening to people, which later influenced her writing and storytelling. 
After graduating from high school in 1970 she had originally attended the prestigious Harvard University as a pre-med student. At that time, she had intended to follow in her mother’s footsteps and had no thoughts about filmmaking. But she continued to take creative writing courses along the way. For the next two years till 1972, Hameen continued to pursue her studies and raising her family. Later, she took some time off from academia before getting a Masters degree in Early Childhood Elementary Education and Educational Building Administration and Supervision with advanced certification in Staff Development. 
Hameen, also holds an undergraduate degree in Film communications and Video, and a minor in journalism from the School of Communications of City College, New York. She’s also a graduate of the video technician training program at the Apollo Theater, certified by the City University of New York Business and Professional Development Institute. 
==Career:==
Iman Hameen made her directorial debut with her film Unspoken Conversations in 1987. The film which partly reflects her own life was made as a thesis film under the mentorship of Kathleen Collins (director of Losing Ground). 
Hameen has also held several positions in numerous film and production. Most notably she has worked on feature films as a production assistant in Spike Lee’s Jungle Fever, and as an Apprentice Script Supervisor for Ayoka Chenzira’s Alma’s Rainbow, and assistant producer to fellow film video technician the late Joseph. B. Vazquez of Hangin’ with the Homeboys. 
She is also an activist, community organizer, and coordinator of parades, conferences. Hameen currently spends her time traveling, writing, reading scripts, editing books, and revising curriculum for the Arts Education Home Schooling Network. At present she is also writing about her family’s migration from Ohio to CT to Africa. 
==Personal Life: ==
Iman Uqdah Hameen is married to jazz musician Jesse Hameen II. They met in 1973 and are now the parents of Najeeb and Hanan Hameen. Jesse Hameen founded his music group Elevation in 1976 and is also one of the founders of the New Haven Jazz Festival.
During the pandemic 2020, she had lost her mother and brother to Covid. 
==Filmography:==
* Unspoken Conversation (1978)
* Jungle Fever (1991).
* Alma’s Rainbow (1994)
==Awards and Nominations:==
Her film Unspoken Conversation was the winner of the CCNY Picker Film Institute Film Festival (1987).
Category:African-American film directors
Category:Writers
Category:Activists
Category:Educators