{{short description|Palestinian-American activist and sociologist}} {{Use American English|date=April 2026}} {{Use mdy dates|date=April 2026}} {{Infobox person | name = Rami Nashashibi | image = Rami Nashashibi (34684044915) (1).jpg | alt = | caption = Nashashibi in 2017 | birth_date = | birth_place = | death_date = | death_place = | other_names = | alma_mater = {{ubl|DePaul University|University of Chicago}} | occupation = {{ubl|Activist|Community organizer|Sociologist|Islamic studies scholar}} | years_active = | known_for = | awards = {{ubl|MacArthur Fellowship|Opus prize}} }} '''Rami Nashashibi''' is a Palestinian-American activist, community organizer, sociologist, and Islamic studies scholar. He founded the nonprofit organization Inner-City Muslim Action Network in 1997, working as its executive director for many years, and has been involved in a number of efforts to improve the welfare of residents of the South Side of Chicago. He has also worked as a sociologist and religious studies scholar at universities, and as a musician. Nashashibi was a 2017 MacArthur Fellow.
==Early life and education== Nashashibi attended Saint Xavier University for the first year of his university education, where he held a soccer scholarship.<ref name=kalra20>{{cite news |url=https://www.fwparker.org/news-detail?pk=979277 |title=Calling Out and Calling Up |work=Francis W. Parker School News |first=Avani |last=Kalra |date=January 1, 2018 |access-date=30 October 2020}}</ref> After his freshman year he transferred to DePaul University,<ref name=kalra20/> where he graduated with a B.A. degree in 1995.<ref name=macbio/> Nashashibi then attended graduate school at the University of Chicago, obtaining an A.M. degree in 1998.<ref name=allen18>{{cite news |url=https://mag.uchicago.edu/education-social-service/ingenious-community-organizing-earned-rami-nashashibi-macarthur-fellowship |title=Ingenious community organizing earned Rami Nashashibi a MacArthur Fellowship |work=UChicago Magazine |first=Susie |last=Allen |year=2018 |access-date=30 October 2020}}</ref> While working as an activist, Nashashibi continued to study sociology at the University of Chicago, and he completed a PhD in 2011.<ref name=allen18/> His scholarship and his activism both involved identifying or building connections between African American and Muslim immigrant communities.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/15/us/building-bridges-where-needed-on-chicagos-south-side.html |title=Building Bridges Where Needed on Chicago's South Side |work=New York Times |first=Samuel G. |last=Freedman |date=November 14, 2014 |access-date=30 October 2020}}</ref>
==Career== In 1997, while still a graduate student at the University of Chicago, Nashashibi founded the nonprofit Inner-City Muslim Action Network, which aims to address systemic injustices affecting communities of color living on the South Side of Chicago.<ref name=imanbio>{{cite web |url=https://www.imancentral.org/about/ |title=About IMAN |publisher=Inner-City Muslim Action Network |access-date=30 October 2020}}</ref> He continued to work as the executive director of the organization for many years after it was incorporated in 1997.<ref name=macbio/> The MacArthur Foundation described Nashashibi's work with the organization as involving organizing a coalition of African American Muslims and Muslim immigrants to advance social justice for residents of the South Side who are vulnerable to such problems as housing foreclosure, unemployment, and violence.<ref name=macbio/> The nonprofit also lobbies for socially progressive policies, and converts vacant properties into housing for lower-income residents.<ref name=bowean17/> Though the Inner-City Muslim Action Network is informed by Muslim social ethics, a major emphasis of the organization has been to build coalitions both within and outside of the Muslim community in Chicago, reflecting the diversity of the Marquette Park neighborhood in which it is based.<ref name=bowean17/>
Nashashibi's activism on the South Side of Chicago has also included drives to make healthy food available in areas where stores do not typically carry affordable healthy groceries, both through the Inter-City Muslim Action Network and through the Muslim Run Corner Store Campaign.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.philanthropy.com/article/the-fight-for-better-corner-stores/ |title=The Fight for Better Corner Stores |work=The Chronicle of Philanthropy |first=Michael |last=Anft |date=March 5, 2019 |access-date=30 October 2020}}</ref><ref name=bowean17>{{cite news |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-ent-macarthur-genius-community-20171009-story.html |title=Muslim activist named MacArthur Genius |work=Chicago Tribune |first=Lolly |last=Bowean |date=October 11, 2017 |access-date=30 October 2020}}</ref> The Inter-City Muslim Action Network also hosts cultural events, such as the Takin' It To The Streets festival in Marquette Park,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/takin-it-to-the-streets/Event?oid=1999073 |title=Takin' It to the Streets |publisher=Chicago Reader |year=2010 |access-date=30 October 2020}}</ref> and has opened a second chapter in Atlanta.<ref name=macbio/>
In addition to his activism, Nashashibi has worked as an academic, teaching subjects related to sociology and Islamic studies at universities and colleges.<ref name=macbio/> This includes working as a visiting professor at the Chicago Theological Seminary in the Sociology of Religion and Muslim Studies.<ref name=imanbio/>
In 2016, Nashashibi served on the President's Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, which developed recommendations to the Obama administration on how to collaborate with faith-based and neighborhood organizations to serve people in need.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/administration/eop/ofbnp/about/council |title=About the President's Advisory Council on Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships |publisher=Obama White House Archives |date= |access-date=30 October 2020}}</ref>
In 2020, Nashashibi was the executive producer, lyricist, and guitarist on an album, ''This Love Thing'', with fellow activist Drea D'Nur<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.npr.org/2020/10/23/927259735/new-music-this-love-thing |title=New Music: 'This Love Thing' |work=NPR |date=October 23, 2020 |access-date=30 October 2020}}</ref> and sound engineer Elijah Hooks.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.thislovething.com/artistbios |title=The Artists |publisher=This Love Thing |year=2020 |access-date=30 October 2020}}</ref>
==Awards and recognition== In 2009, Nashashibi was named one of the 500 most influential Muslims by The Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre and the Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding by Georgetown University.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.themuslim500.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/TheMuslim500-2009-low.pdf |title=The Muslim 500 |publisher=The Muslim 500 |year=2009 |access-date=30 October 2020}}</ref> In 2014, the Center for American Progress listed Nashashibi as one of "14 Faith Leaders to Watch in 2014".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/religion/news/2014/03/12/85709/14-faith-leaders-to-watch-in-2014/ |title=14 Faith Leaders to Watch in 2014 |publisher=Center for American Progress |date=March 12, 2014 |access-date=30 October 2020}}</ref> In 2017, Nashashibi was named a MacArthur Fellow, for "confronting the challenges of poverty and disinvestment in urban communities through a Muslim-led civic engagement effort that bridges race, class, and religion".<ref name=macbio>{{cite web |url=https://www.macfound.org/fellows/991/ |title=Rami Nashashibi |publisher=MacArthur Foundation |year=2017 |access-date=30 October 2020}}</ref> In 2018, he won the Opus Prize, a faith-based award for social entrepreneurship.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.upbeacon.com/article/2018/11/dr-rami-nashashibi-awarded-the-2018-opus-prize-award#:~:text=Rami%20Nashashibi%20is%20the%20winner,million%20dollars%20for%20his%20nonprofit.&text=On%20Thursday%20night%2C%20Dr.,of%20the%202018%20Opus%20Prize. |title=Dr. Rami Nashashibi awarded the 2018 Opus Prize |work=U.P. Beacon |first=Madison |last=Pfeifer |date=November 16, 2018 |access-date=30 October 2020}}</ref>
==See also== * Nashashibi clan
==References== {{reflist}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Nashashibi, Rami}} Category:American sociologists Category:20th-century Muslim scholars of Islam Category:21st-century Muslim scholars of Islam Category:Chicago Theological Seminary faculty Category:Community activists from Chicago Category:American Muslim activists Category:DePaul University alumni Category:University of Chicago alumni Category:American people of Palestinian descent Category:MacArthur Fellows Category:Living people Category:Year of birth missing (living people)