This has been a heavy few weeks for our community. At CAIR-Ohio we will continue to fiercely combat anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian hatred. Join us to uplift the voices of truth, for a gathering of unity, and building strength and power. Security will be onsite.
Be sure to arrive early for the opportunity to have your copy of Dr. Yusef Salaam’s “Better, Not Bitter” signed during the event. Limited copies will be available, or you can bring your own.
We look forward to hosting you, highlighting the challenges and victories of the past year, and sharing our plans for further community empowerment, civic engagement, challenges to Islamophobia, and trainings for our youth to become the next generation of leaders.
Banquet attendees will also meet the winners of CAIR-Ohio’s 2023 Community Empowerment and Hero Awards.
BANQUET REGISTRATION – 4:00 PM
ASR PRAYER – 4:45 PM
MAIN PROGRAM & DINNER – 5:00 PM
MAGHRIB PRAYER – 7:00 PM
CLOSING REMARKS – 8:25 PM
ISHA PRAYER – 8:30 PM
In 1989, at just fifteen years young, Dr. Yusef Salaam was tried and convicted in the “Central Park Jogger” case along with four other Black and Latinx young men. The Exonerated Five spent between seven to 13 years behind bars for crimes they did not commit, until their sentences were overturned in 2002. Since then, they have received a multi-million dollar settlement from the city of New York for its injustice and have been profiled in award-winning films, including The Central Park Five documentary from Ken Burns, Sarah Burns and David McMahon and most recently the Emmy award-winning Netflix limited series When They See Us, written and directed by Ava DuVernay.
Over the past two decades, Yusef has become a family man, father, poet, activist and inspirational speaker. He continues to utilize his platform to share his story with others and educate the public about the impact of mass incarceration and police brutality rooted in our justice system. He regularly advocates for criminal justice reform, prison reform and the abolition of juvenile solitary confinement and capital punishment, specifically restoring “humanity” of those incarcerated and those trodden down by the spike wheels of justice.
Yusef is the recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award from President Barack Obama (2016) and more recently has shared his story and stance on current issues on CNN, MSNBC, REVOLT TV, NPR Atlanta, FOX and more.
Dr. Altaf Husain serves as an Associate Professor and chair of the Community, Administration and Policy Practice concentration in the Howard University School of Social Work, in Washington DC. He has primary teaching responsibilities for the Displaced Populations field of practice specialization, which includes social work practice with immigrants and refugees. He holds a joint appointment as a Research Fellow in the Center for the Study of American Muslims and the Center for Global Health at the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding in DC.
Dr. Husain received his Ph.D. in Social Work from Howard University and his M.S. in Social Administration with a specialization in Community Development and Non-profit Management from the Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. His research interests include displaced populations (homelessness, victims of disaster, immigrants and refugees), mental health and psychosocial well-being of adolescent immigrants and refugees of color in the U.S.; immigration policy and its impact on the family; cultural competence; and the development of social service agencies in the Muslim community. An invited lecturer on Islam and Muslims in the US, Dr. Husain has delivered keynote addresses on college and university campuses and communities throughout the US and Canada.
His professional involvement includes serving as a co-chair of the Islam and Muslims track of the Annual Program Meeting of the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), co-chair of the Race, Ethnicity and Immigration cluster of the Society for Social Work and Research (SSWR), and as a founding member of the CSWE Religion and Spirituality Working Group.
Dr. Husain’s community involvement includes serving as Vice President of the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), Vice President of the Yaqeen Institute for Islamic Research (YIIR) and a former two-term national president of the Muslim Students Association of the US and Canada. He also serves as an advisory board member of the Peaceful Families Project (PFP), dedicated to preventing domestic violence.
Alauddin Alauddin has been a resident of Ohio for over 15 years and has served as a community leader within various organizations in the area.
As the Founder and President of The360Muslim.com, Alauddin uses coaching, facilitation, and mediation techniques to guide individuals and families towards a life of purpose and accomplishment. He is also the Vice President of Muslim Family Services of Ohio, a Columbus, Ohio based social service organization, governed by Islamic principles, that strives to help families in crisis, such as the displaced or homeless and women in abusive situations.
Imam at Ohio Department of Corrections & Community Activist
Imam at Dayton Mercy Society
Muslim Chaplain & Assistant Director of Interfaith Program at Xavier University
Second Year, International Affairs
Second Year, Health Sciences
Second Year, Neuroscience
Second Year, Health Sciences
B.S. in Biology
BA in Political Science
Third Year, Political Science and Critical Race
Fourth Year, Diplomacy and Global Politics and History
Second Year, Psychology
Fourth Year, Accounting
Fourth Year, Physics
BA in Public Health and Epidemiology
