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ACCESS Annual Dinner to honor distinguished Arab Americans

We are only three weeks away from the ACCESS 44th Annual Dinner. Don’t miss out on this exciting event!

This year, we are thrilled to present our coveted Arab American of the Year awards to Dr. Jack Shaheen and Dr. Khaled Mattawa, who will join ACCESS staff, friends, supporters and special guests, as we celebrate Shaping our Future on April 25.

As a mass communications expert, acclaimed author and compassionate philanthropist, Dr. Jack Shaheen’s extraordinary accomplishments have made him a leading advocate for dispelling anti-Arab stereotypes over the past 40 years. He is the author of the popular book, Reel Bad Arabs, a former CBS News consultant on Middle East affairs and Professor Emeritus of Mass Communications from Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville. He is a recipient of two Fulbright teaching awards and was also the Distinguished Visiting Scholar at New York University’s Hagop Kevorkian Center for Near Eastern Studies.

Dr. Khaled Mattawa, a professor at the University of Michigan, is both a poet and prominent Arab American writer of Libyan descent.  He is also a leading literary translator, focusing on translating Arabic poetry into English. His outstanding accomplishments, along with his ability to create awareness and understanding through poetry between two parts of the world that have struggled to identify with one another for decades, is a testament to his talent, influence and leadership. In 2014, Khaled Mattawa was among 21 people from around the country named a MacArthur Foundation Fellow. This most prestigious award in the academic world is known as the "genius grant."

The ACCESS 44th Annual Dinner will take place at the Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center on Saturday, April 25 at 6:00 pm.
 
Don’t miss the opportunity to be a part of this landmark event, as we honor these distinguished award recipients. 

For more information, contact Rose Srour at 313-842-4749, or at rsrour@accesscommunity.org.
 
Tickets are available for purchase online! Click here to purchase your ticket.

Arab American of the Year award recipients Dr. Jack Shaheen (left) and Dr. Khaled Mattawa (right).