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Chapter 1: What pivotal moments shaped Mohamed Semra's journey into leadership?
Would I go back and take away my stutter? Would I go back and take away the racism I experienced? I wouldn't. Because it's all led me to the person I am today.
You're the first person from sub-Saharan Africa to be elected as mayor in Australia.
It was very unsafe for my mum to remain where she was. And so for the sake of herself, for the sake of her kids, she decided to escape and seek a better life in a new country. Being a young black boy growing up in Australia... Going to school, not seeing yourself represented in the curriculum, not seeing yourself represented in the staffing.
It's easy to dissociate yourself from an environment where you feel like you don't belong. We went to look at the new iPhone and security automatically realizes we're there, starts circling our table. And I look at the security because it's a bit uncomfortable and I go, is there a problem? The security goes, no, but there's going to be.
This episode of Inherited is brought to you by Every Year After, the highly anticipated series following two lifelong friends as they explore the question, what if your first love was destined to be your soulmate? Watch it now exclusively on Prime Video. Mohamed Semra, welcome to Inherited Life Lessons.
Thank you for having me on, Ruby. Very much excited for this.
You are a busy, busy man. So thank you for making the time to come on Inherited. What were you doing right before you've arrived here today at Shameless Media?
I was at our youth summit. So we bring together six schools within our municipality, young people, all super eager to learn, contribute their ideas. And it happens once every two years. So to be part of this as a mayor has been surreal. Because I used to be a part of the Melbourne Youth Advisory Committee. Yeah. The same committee that's leading this youth forum. So it was a full circle moment.
And being able to share that with the young people and let them know that I once sat where you are. And now I'm the mayor of the city of Melbourne. So the thing that's resonated with them and it's left them with a bit of inspiration.
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Chapter 2: How did Mohamed overcome challenges related to his childhood stutter?
And there was only enough space for the donkey to make it safely under the tree. And so I had maybe 10 to 15 seconds to make a decision, a decision whether I would jump off, save myself, Or go through the tree and save the water. So I decided to go through the tree. So I held on to the donkey.
And you had to bend down.
I had to bend down and minimize the damage to my face. And I got scratched all over the side of my face. But the water made at home and all this is to help me, you know, remove some of the spikes on my face. But I think if that taught me anything is that in the service of others, sacrifices need to be made.
I'm a big family person myself and I've always, you know, put family at the forefront of my decision making. And now that's been extended to my community. So when I think about my role as mayor, my role as being the first mayor, There'll be a lot of scratches that I need to take.
But like I said before, what makes it easier is understanding that there are going to be people that benefit from this. Because if I succeed, many of the communities I mentioned will benefit. But if I fail, then a lot of them will feel it as well.
So you were eight years old in that moment.
Eight years old, yeah.
And what do you remember about growing up in Sudan with your mum and six siblings?
Hmm.
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Chapter 3: What was the impact of the racial profiling incident at the Apple store?
Being a young black boy growing up in Australia, going to school, not seeing yourself represented in the curriculum, not seeing yourself represented in the staffing, it's easy to dissociate yourself from an environment where you feel like you don't belong. There were so many times where I felt like I did not belong and that was a shared experience with those that
you know looked like me and especially African boys around the ages of you know 13 to 17 because I remember when I was in high school there was an African gang narrative And marginalized communities, especially the African community, don't feel like they have control over their own narrative.
It's being told for us, either by politicians using our community as political footballs or the media that is pushing a narrative that is not the full picture. And so, you know, it has impacted a lot of people that I grew up with and their sense of belief in themselves.
Because, you know, it's hard to want to do more or have ambition when you feel like everyone's painting a picture that isn't the truth. And trying to combat all of that is a lot harder than saying to yourself, if everyone thinks this is who I am, then it's easier just to be that.
How did you and your mates support each other at that time when you were in high school together?
We had a strong camaraderie because obviously in the absence of that sense of belonging, you find it within similarities. And I had a lot of similarities with my friends. But we were extremely lucky in the sense that we went to a school where we had certain teachers that really backed us. All young people really need is someone to identify their potential and invest in it.
And I'm not sure if you know this, but growing up I had a debilitating stutter. And that's one layer of the many... that I had to go through, but that's a similar story with so many other young people, right? There are barriers that they are facing on their own.
And there are other barriers that they are facing together with other young people or other young people that look like them or from marginalized communities. And so it's, it's informed, I think the work that I do, especially in, you know, running my youth organization and and what I want to raise to the surface of political debate as mayor or as a politician.
In high school, was there one teacher that particularly saw you and saw your potential and supported you, especially with the startup back then?
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Chapter 4: How does Mohamed define leadership and its responsibilities?
And when I looked at debating, no one looked like me in debating. So that was another hurdle. But I told myself, if I can overcome this hurdle of learning how to speak again, then debating isn't as difficult as I once thought it was. And I joined debating. Three months later, our entire debate team was now African. My friends saw me join, they joined, and we went undefeated at our school.
And so that also showed me what leadership looks like. Taking that step, starting that precedent, you'd never know who you're going to inspire. And leadership starts at a macro level. Micro level, whether it be your family, your school, your community. And I really did see that. And together we felt more a part of the school. And I think that's how we grew as a friendship group.
It's very inspiring. It really, really is. On your teacher, Leah White, do you remember the moment that you told her that you had become mayor? She must have been really proud of you.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. You know, a lot of the teachers and students live locally. Yeah.
Chapter 5: What sacrifices has Mohamed made in his life and career?
So when I was campaigning, I door knocked maybe 80% of the houses in my ward. And just for context, I'm an independent, so I'm not part of a party. So I really had to put in the hard yards to get elected. And for that, I needed to meet people. So when I was door knocking, I met a lot of the teachers. And I never knew they lived in the area. And so I had told them that I wanted to campaign.
And a few weeks later, I got elected as mayor. I came back to the school, met Leah, met the principal, and everyone was so proud.
How did your mum feel in that moment as well?
My mom was excited. My mom was nervous as well. You know, obviously, you know, being a public figure now, you are open to a lot of criticism and my mom didn't know how I would be able to manage all of that. But extremely supportive and I'm blessed to have a loving and supportive family.
How do you handle the criticism, as you said, that there are a lot more eyes on you now and there comes pressure with making big decisions for your city?
Yeah.
How do you deal with the pressure or if you read, you know, a nasty comment online?
Yeah, I always say, Ruby, diamonds form under pressure.
Diamonds form under pressure. I love that.
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Chapter 6: How does Mohamed view the role of representation in politics?
If not now, then when? And if not me, then who? That's it. I've internalized completely, Ruby, I think, that everything happens for a reason. And I think it might be me looking through a faith lens. But yeah, I'm a big believer that everything happens for a reason. The good, the bad, everything in between.
Because you learn from some of the most difficult times and challenging times you've been through.
Exactly.
And you have empathy for others that have gone through it yourself, as you're saying.
Of course. Would I go back and take away my stutter? Would I go back and take away the racism I experienced? I wouldn't. Because it's all led me to the person I am today.
You should be so proud. When you were 15, you and some of your African mates, you went into an Apple store and you were uncomfortably followed around by security guards. You guys recorded it and then it ended up going viral online. Can you take me back to the moment you entered the Apple store that day when the security guards approached you?
Yeah, so we went to look at the new iPhone. We went to the first table and security automatically realizes we're there, starts circling our table. And I look at the security because it's a bit uncomfortable and I go, like, is there a problem? The security goes, no, but there's going to be. And I reply, what do you mean by that? He goes, you know what I mean. It was a very uncomfortable situation.
I said, you know what, to my friends, let's just leave. It's not even worth it. And as we're walking out, it It hits me. And this was after I came back from speech therapy. Knowing my whole life, I've always let racism slide. I've always not advocated for myself. I said, why are we being asked to leave when we belong in there just like anyone else?
And so I decide to return and straight away the manager comes out. We are at this point recording because we know this for what it is. It's pure racism. And the manager goes, you know, we're just afraid you might steal something. And not giving us a response, not even trying to entertain a conversation. And yeah, we left and uploaded it online the next day and the rest was history.
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Chapter 7: What lessons has Mohamed learned from his experiences in public service?
And I was at home. And I remember the council elections this year. And I was so mad at everything that had happened. And I wanted change. So I go on Canva. I get a photo. I pick the three main things that are recurring that I've been hearing from community. And I uploaded it on Facebook and Instagram.
And it was a day after I had come back from volunteering at the Flemington and North Melbourne Towers. Yeah, and literally the rest was history. And then it took off, got a lot of support, galvanized a lot of the community. And I saw it as a statement, a statement that young people are really to lead, that we care about being a part of the decision-making table.
And we're not happy with the current systems as they are.
What was the most difficult part about seeing communities at risk when you were volunteering in those housing flats?
They had no voice, Ruby, and that was very frustrating for me, right? And a lot of the volunteers that were there, no one was getting paid. So people were there because they were passionate. They were there because they loved what they do. Like you. You know, but just imagine if we weren't there.
I know.
Those voices wouldn't be heard. And so that really frustrated me. And so that's why I decided to put my hands up in 2020.
And what happened next? You started to get amongst local government. Did you have a mentor that sort of helped you get from the community into the government space?
No, I had no mentor in the politics space. I was never really much a political person. I was very much grassroot, community orientated.
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Chapter 8: What are Mohamed's aspirations for the future of his community?
Three years before were still prevalent, if not getting worse. And so I wanted to be a part of the decision making table. And yeah, ran again.
And that was in 2024.
This was in 2023.
Three years later.
Three years later. And 2024, I put my hands up again. And yeah, here we are.
Because you've lived in Melbourne's inner west for 20 years. It must have just been such a celebratory moment for you.
I can't put into words, Ruby, how it felt walking into Town Hall as a councillor. The weight of the responsibility, like you feel it on your shoulders, you know? It's like, okay, you're here. It's what you wanted. But now... It's real. It's real. You need to show up. You need to know what you're talking about. But more importantly, like... You got to take the community with you.
And how do you be different? How do you be different? And stand out. And stand out and not be the same old. Because they say, I'm only here for as long as I can make a contribution. I've never been one to seek power for the sake of getting power. And yeah, it was a surreal feeling, Ruby. Yeah.
And how do you want to make change? You're obviously such a personable, charismatic, likeable person and you really get down to the roots of being in your community and actually talking to the people that want the support and help.
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