In the past year, we have witnessed one of the most contentious and emotional political races in our country’s history. Throughout this presidential election, we have been forced to reevaluate the values and ideals that define our nation. What we have learned is that, now, more than ever, we need to come together to uphold our shared values of freedom and equality for all. 

Many of the issues we faced this year were not new. Our communities have long dealt with Islamophobia, xenophobia, racism and bigotry. Because of the increase in this rhetoric, our communities worked harder than ever before to get out the vote and get people engaged this election year. We were faced with many unprecedented obstacles, and yet we persevered and remained committed to improving and empowering our communities. We are incredibly proud of our team at the National Network for Arab American Communities (NNAAC) and our member organizations across the country for all of the hard work they have done to mobilize on the ground. With several reports of high voter turnouts, we know those efforts made a difference.

We must continue to fight for our values and continue to engage within and beyond our communities. We must maintain our spirit of advocacy and become stronger leaders for a more hopeful future. We know you want to see change. We know you want to take action. We know you want to make a difference. Sign up here to join our movement and keep updated on our grassroots initiatives through TAKE ON HATE, led by NNAAC, an ACCESS institution. We also want to hear from you. Click here to share your personal stories of hate and discrimination with us.

Let’s work together for a better America for our communities. We’re all in this together.