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Largest Arab American human services organization to host leading elected officials, academic dignitaries at 44th Annual Dinner
Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, Dearborn Mayor John B. O’Reilly, Jr., internationally acclaimed author Dr. Jack Shaheen, esteemed poet and writer Dr. Khaled Mattawa among attendees
DETROIT – ACCESS, the largest Arab American human services organization in the nation, will celebrate its 44th anniversary this Saturday, April 25, at 6 p.m., at the Detroit Marriott Renaissance Center.
This prominent event attracts nearly 2,000 guests each year, including local, state and national dignitaries and is the largest Arab American sit-down dinner in the U.S.
This year, ACCESS will present its coveted Arab American of the Year awards to Dr. Jack Shaheen, acclaimed author of the popular book “Reel Bad Arabs”, which later became a film, and leading advocate for dispelling anti-Arab stereotypes over the past 40 years; and Dr. Khaled Mattawa, a professor at the University of Michigan, poet and prominent Arab American writer of Libyan descent who was recently named a MacArthur Foundation Fellow, also known as the “genius grant.”
To kick off the evening, the well-known and extremely talented Second Ebenezer Majestic Voices Gospel Choir will perform the Oscar-winning song Glory, from the award-winning film Selma.
As part of this year’s dinner, themed “Shaping our Future,” ACCESS will also award several students in metro Detroit with the Ebeid Family Fund Scholarship. Through this annual scholarship, Russell Ebeid, a 1962 Kettering University alum, supports students of color that are studying engineering, or a related field. Since 2009, the Ebeid Family Fund has awarded 20 scholarships of up to $5,000, per student annually, for up to four years each.
The event is sponsored by Comerica Bank and Ford Motor Co.
About ACCESS
Grounded in a grassroots commitment to serving our community, ACCESS has a 44-year history of providing health, education, employment and social services. An Arab American nonprofit of excellence, ACCESS empowers residents of metro Detroit to lead healthy, informed and productive lives and extends this mission nationally through advocacy, arts, culture and philanthropy.
Dr. Khaled Mattawa
Dr. Jack Shaheen