WHO WAS DR. HALA SALAAM MAKSOUD?

Dr. Hala Salaam Maksoud was one of the most exceptional and influential leaders of the Arab-American community who set a new standard of political sophistication, integrity, and commitment to principle. Her keen sense of justice and determination to build a better future guided her distinguished career, which culminated in her tenure as President of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, between 1996 and 2001.

As ADC President, Hala became a nationally and internationally recognized champion of civil and human rights, particularly the rights of women and immigrants. With an easy self-confidence reflecting her distinguished family and educational background, Hala established an amazing rapport with Arab Americans from all walks of life, ranging from high society to newly arrived immigrants.

Hala taught at George Mason and Georgetown Universities; she helped found the American Committee on Jerusalem and the Association of Arab-American University Graduates; she served as treasurer of the Committee for the Preservation of the Palestinian Heritage; and she founded and was president of the Arab Women's Council, which, led by Hala, demonstrated before the White House during Israel's 1982 invasion of Lebanon by going on a hunger strike.

Her work on behalf of Arab-American, feminist, and progressive causes built her stature as an internationally renowned activist in the causes of civil and human rights. Among the many awards she received was a lifetime achievement award for civil rights advocacy from the American Immigration Law Foundation.

Before she passed away, Hala established as a major part of her legacy to these causes and to the Arab-American community, the Hala Salaam Maksoud Foundation for Arab-American Leadership. Her intention was for the Foundation to serve as a source of training and instruction for developing a new generation of Arab-American leaders who could more effectively promote equality, justice and the interests of the Arab-American community. The Foundation is proud to be able to continue Hala’s legacy through its programs and publications and to ensure that her vision for a better future can be realized through the cultivation of enhanced leadership.