Rana Abdelhamid

"When I was bullied for being Muslim, I always felt like I had an army of unapologetic North African aunties who had my back... What started as a self-defense course in a basement of a community center, is now an international grassroots organization focused on building safety and power for women around the world."

Background:

Born in Queens, Rana became a civic leader as a teenager–after being attacked on the street by a man who tried to take off her hijab (headscarf). She channeled that event into a life of activism and empowerment.

Superpowers:

Activist, Political Candidate, Nonprofit Leader

Notable Accomplishments:

• As part of her healing process she founded and became Executive Director of the international nonprofit organization Malikah (formerly the Women’s Initiative for Self-Empowerment) – a global collective of women committed to building security and power for communities
• Created a Self-Defense Starter Kit, which includes resources and videos for Muslim women
• Founder of the social media project “Hijabis of New York”
• Ran for the U.S. Congress in New York’s 12th district