Arab and Muslim American women have been, and continue to be, at the forefront of vital social movements that shape our society. Yet they often face unique challenges at the intersections of sexism, racism and xenophobia. This panel will feature stories from a variety of Arab and Muslim women activists on how they are overcoming barriers, shattering glass ceilings and paving the way for the next generation of women leaders.
Dr. Anan Ameri
Dr. Anan Ameri is an activist, scholar, author and founder of the Arab American National Museum (AANM) and the Palestine Aid Society of America. She is also the co-founder of many progressive political and cultural coalitions in the US. For over four decades, Ameri has advocated for social justice and for the rightful place of immigrants in the US. She holds a Ph.D in sociology and is the author of many books and articles; and the recipient of many awards. In 2016, she was inducted into Michigan Women’s Hall of Fame.
Layla Elabed, ACCESS
Layla Elabed is the Program Coordinator for ACCESS’ Domestic Violence Prevention Program. She has served in her role to prevent intimate partner violence and sexual assault against women and girls since 2013. Layla is also a member of the Michigan Coalition to End Domestic and Sexual Violence and the Women of Color Network. She serves on the regional League of Women Voters board. She is an avid community activist, involved in many community initiatives that serve to create movement around social and cultural gender norms within the Arab and Muslim community in Michigan.
Zena Ozeir, Z Collective
Zena Ozeir is an Arab American activist and aspiring attorney. She is currently a third year law student at UC Hastings College of Law in San Francisco, CA. She is dedicated to fighting for racial and gender justice. Zena is a member of the Z Collective, an Arab and Muslim feminist collective, based in Metro Detroit. The Z Collective has been an integral organization in advocating for gender justice in the Arab American community on the grassroots level. As a member of the Z Collective, Zena has worked on many initiatives, including combating violence against women, LGBTQ empowerment and tackling anti-Blackness within Arab communities.
Kameelah Rashad
Kameelah Rashad is the Founder and President of the Muslim Wellness Foundation (MWF), a nonprofit organization dedicated to reducing the stigma associated with mental illness, addiction and trauma in the American Muslim community, through dialogue, education and training. She also serves as the Fellow for Spirituality, Wellness and Social Justice at the University of Pennsylvania and advisor for Penn Sapelo, UPenn’s first Black Muslim Student organization. She is a founding member of Muslims Make It Plain, a coalition of Muslims working to empower and support grassroots mobilization to address police brutality, profiling, unlawful surveillance and the overpolicing of America’s Black and Brown communities.
Linda Sarsour, Community Organizer (Moderator)
Linda Sarsour is a working woman, community activist, and mother of three. Ambitious, outspoken and independent, Linda shatters stereotypes of Muslim women while also treasuring her religious and ethnic heritage. She is a Palestinian Muslim American and a self-proclaimed “pure New Yorker, born and raised in Brooklyn!” Sarsour is the former executive director of the Arab American Association of New York and co-chair of the Women’s March on Washington, which advocated for just legislation and policies regarding human rights and other issues in the largest single-day demonstration in U.S. history. Linda is most notably recognized for her focus on intersectional movement building.
Session tags: Activism
Salon II/III