Feel Good Friday - American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee

April is National Arab American Heritage Month and a great way to celebrate is by learning more about the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee.

Founded in 1980 by former U.S. Senator James Abourezk and headquartered in Washington, D.C., the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) is "a civil rights organization committed to defending the rights of people of Arab descent and promoting their rich cultural heritage.” It is the largest Arab American grassroots organization in the U.S.

The goals of ADC are to protect the civil rights and liberties of Arab Americans, promote mutual understanding among cultures and preserve Arab American cultural heritage and history. They do this through a variety of programming.

The Research Institute sponsors “public programs and initiatives in support of the constitutional and First Amendment rights of Arab Americans.” They also train Arab Americans in the exercise of their constitutional rights as citizens. One example of this is the Know Your Rights video created for international students. They also run a 24/7 Legal Hotline, which you can call at 844-ADC-9955 to report a hate crime.

The Arab-American Business Advisory Council provides assistance to business owners and entrepreneurs. People who become members of the council receive expert advice, mentorship and access to meetings with government officials. There is also a Women’s Empowerment Forum which is focused on promoting issues such as women leadership roles and gender equity. 

With a mission is to foster mental health and well-being within the Arab American community, the Mental Health Resource Hub provides accessible resources and hosts informative webinars led by experts in the field.

Finally, there are programs that celebrate and uplift the cultural heritage of the Arab American community. These include webinars and social media campaigns during the month of April, events such as book launches and musical performances, and the annual ArabCon conference which takes place in Dearborn, Michigan in September.

If you’d like to support the goals of ADC, there are many ways to do so. Become a member, make a donation and amplify their work on social media. Follow the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee on Facebook or Instagram and subscribe to their YouTube channel.