Haleemah Aqel, Arab and Muslim American Studies minor and AMAS Program Assistant, was awarded an MLK Spirit Award at the MLK Spirit Awards Ceremony on January 29, 2017. The award recognizes undergraduate students who best exemplify the leadership and extraordinary vision of the Rev. Dr. MartinLuther King, Jr.

Haleemah has taken a leadership role in educating the campus community about student experiences with Islamophobia. Haleemah assisted the Arab and Muslim American Studies program in creating the Islamophobia Working Group, a group of faculty, staff, and students whose purpose is to study the impact of Islamophobia on Arab and Muslim students, faculty, and staff and to strategize on how to create a more inclusive campus environment. Haleemah has taken additional leadership positions on campus, for example with the Ann Arbor Palestine Film Festival, Students Allied for Freedom and Equality, and the Books Not Bombs campaign. Her involvement in these organizations reflects her extraordinary leadership and commitment to improving the understanding of Arabs and Muslims in the U.S. and to advancing social justice. Congratulations, Haleemah!