Annoucing the 2022 National Gala Award Winners!

Join The Arab-American Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) on June 18th for a power-packed evening of inspirational awardees! We are honored to award so many amazing Arab Americans and allies that have contributed to the success and positive image of our community. This year’s awardees will be presented with their awards at our National Gala in Washington, DC- back in person for the first time in two years!

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About the Awardees:

Voices of Courage Award – Amnesty International is a global movement of millions of people demanding human rights for all people – no matter who they are or where they are. They are the world’s largest grassroots human rights organization. In recent years, Amnesty International has focused on protecting human rights in the global refugee crisis. In the United States, they’ve been on the ground in Ferguson, Baltimore, and other communities affected by police-related violence, and published a groundbreaking report calling for reform of laws governing the use of lethal force by police. That report has helped spark local, state, and federal reforms in the United States.

Ralph Johns Civil Rights Award – Dr. Jehan (Gigi) El-Bayoumi, MD, FACP received her Bachelor of Science and Medical Degrees from the University of Michigan.  She then completed her Residency and Chief Residency in Internal Medicine at The George Washington University.  She was the Program Director for the Internal Medicine Residency for 15 years prior to founding the Rodham Institute.  The institute, named for Dorothy Rodham, was established to improve health equity in Washington DC.  The Rodham Institute’s 3 areas of focus are: Youth Educational Programming & Health Workforce Development, Training the Current and Future Health Care Team about Applied Health Equity and Community Collaborations and Partnerships.

Rose Nader Award – Leila Fadel, a Lebanese American journalist, is a host of Morning Edition, as well as NPR’s morning news podcast Up First. As a national correspondent, Fadel consistently reported on the fault lines of this divided nation. She flew to Minneapolis in the midst of the pandemic as the city erupted in grief and anger over the killing of George Floyd. She’s reported on policing and race, on American Muslim communities and on the jarring inequities the coronavirus laid bare in the healthcare system. Her “Muslims in America: A New Generation” series, in collaboration with National Geographic, won the prestigious Goldziher Prize in 2019. Previously, she was NPR’s international correspondent based in Cairo and covered the wave of revolts in the Middle East and their aftermaths in Libya, Tunisia, Egypt, and beyond.

Dr. Raymond Jallow Lifetime Achievement Award – Anton G. Hajjar was appointed to the Postal Service Board of Governors by President Joseph R. Biden and was confirmed by the Senate on May 28, 2021. On January 12, 2022, he was unanimously elected by his fellow Governors to serve as Vice Chair of the Board of governors. He currently serves on the Board’s Compensation and Governance and Operations Committees.

Hajjar previously served as the general counsel of the American Postal Workers Union, AFL-CIO. Before this position he represented unions and workers while serving as counsel at Murphy Anderson PLLC and as a principal at O’Donnell, Schwartz & Anderson, PC.

Hajjar has also served as an advisor and pro bono attorney in employment discrimination cases, including those of Arab- and Muslim-Americans following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. He continues to serve as a legal advisor to the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee.

Hala Salam Maksoud Leadership Award – Zeina Azzam is a Palestinian American poet, writer, editor, and community activist. She was selected in April 2022 as the Poet Laureate of the City of Alexandria, Virginia; she is the first Arab American to hold this position. Azzam participates regularly in poetry readings locally and nationally. She serves as a mentor for We Are Not Numbers, a writing program for youth in Gaza, and volunteers for organizations that support Palestinian human rights and development. She is also active in Grassroots Alexandria, a local group that advocates for the civil rights of vulnerable communities in Alexandria, Virginia, where she lives. Her educational background includes an M.A. in Arabic literature from Georgetown University, an M.A. in sociology from George Mason University, and a B.A. in psychology from Vassar College.

Click Here to Register or Become A Sponsor

Stay tuned for more details! We hope you can join us at the Convention and Gala. See you then!

When:

June 17 & June 18

Where:

HYATT REGENCY WASHINGTON ON CAPITOL HILL
400 NEW JERSEY AVE NW
WASHINGTON, DC, 20001

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