Dear Friends,

We sincerely hope that this email finds you and your loved ones safe. While there are no words to describe the senseless loss of life we are witnessing in Gaza, we wanted to take this opportunity to share some resources that ACCESS and our four national institutions, the Arab American National Museum (AANM), the National Network for Arab American Communities (NNAAC), the Center for Arab American Philanthropy (CAAP), and the Center for Arab Narratives (CAN), have provided to help support our communities during these difficult days and to address the alarming spike in hate speech here at home. 

Making a Humanitarian Impact Through Giving

More than $422,000 has been raised through CAAP’s Disaster Relief Fund for two on-the-ground organizations, United Palestinian Appeal and UNRWA USA, to provide emergency aid and life-saving resources for Gaza. If you would like to contribute, please click here.  

In response to the anti-Palestinian backlash faced by students and other advocates here at home, we have launched a fundraising campaign for the Palestine Legal Fund, which provides funds for legal aid for Palestinian justice advocates.

Addressing Hate at Home

We are working to combat hate speech and violence through our Take on Hate campaign as well as tracking incidents of discrimination. If you have experienced any type of discrimination, please report it here. 

On November 15, the Museum hosted a community conversation with author and DEI expert Hanif Fazal. The event was live streamed and can be viewed here. 

Caring for Our Mental Health

We are very aware of the increased need for mental health services during this difficult time. Our Community Health & Research Center (CHRC) remains committed to providing mental health services, addressing an elevated number of cases to support the well-being of our community.

CHRC hosted an event entitled "Coping in Times of Crisis," a community discourse on mental health. Click here for a short snippet from this powerful event. See entire session here. If you or a loved one are need of support or assistance, please call the ACCESS behavioral health line at 313-945-8138. NNAAC hosted a webinar series, including a session on disinformation and another on youth mental health. 

Uplifting Palestinian Stories

The Museum shared resources on Palestine and hosted a film screening of the Gaza Surf Club and the Palestinian Voices film series as well as the 2023 Arab American Book Awards, including an open mic for Palestine, honoring author Naomi Shihab Nye with the Anan Ameri Lifetime Achievement Award. A snippet of her acceptance speech can be found here. 
 
The Museum is also collecting stories of Arab Americans coming together in times of crisis. Click here for more information.  
 
CAN has been sharing research related to the ongoing occupation of Palestine through a series of social media posts that provide the community with historic and contemporary scholarship on Palestine. Posts can be found here. 
 
Although this is a profoundly painful time, we remain unwavering in our commitment to serve our communities as we have for over 50 years. As always, we greatly appreciate your support as we navigate these difficult times together.