We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Nada Al-Hanooti a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Nada, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?

Emgage USA 501c3 implements an ecosystem of programs to develop the capacity of the Muslim voter to ensure that our narrative is part of the American fabric. Our programs include civic and educational events such as issue forums and town halls, voter initiatives including Get Out The Vote (GOTV), and specific programs for the youth to mentor and support the next generation of leaders.

Over the years, Emgage has been committed to our goal of turning out Michigan Muslims to vote. We knocked on thousands of doors, educated countless residents, helped pass proactive policy, and registered numerous new voters. Our ultimate goal is to create a large Muslim voting block to build power and fight against Islamophobia, discrimination, and issues affecting our most marginalized communities.

As a Palestinian-American Muslim woman, I understood oppression and injustice at a young age, and I made it my life’s mission to uplift our most marginalized community members and ensure they are properly represented. Emgage is unique because they are contacting low-propensity voters who have never been contacted before because they were told their voices don’t matter by our political parties. We’re here to show them that now only does your voice matter, but there is power in it, and they have the power to change and fight for a more democratic and equitable society.

Nada, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

As a Palestinian-American, I always felt like the fight for justice and self-determination was in my blood. From the young age of five years old, I knew this would be my life’s mission after attending what I remember to be my first Palestinian protest. I started volunteering for local campaigns at the young age of 11, and I never stop since.

My first leadership experience on a campaign was working for Rashida Tlaib’s State Representative campaign in 2012. I served as a field coordinator in Detroit, Michigan. In this role, I recruited volunteers, facilitated community meetings/functions, and organized door-to-door initiatives. Through this experience, I learned how vital grassroots organizing and civic engagement are to transforming the day-to-day lives of our constituents. That experience prepared me to run my own campaign in 2017 for Dearborn city council.

I knocked on thousands of doors and led an aggressive race, personally out-knocking her competitors, but it wasn’t enough. I later learned that my loss was a blessing because my calling was building power for our BIPOC community, and I’m grateful that I had Emgage create that opportunity for me.

I’ve been the Executive Director of Emgage Michigan for the past five years, and I’ve had the honor and pleasure to lead the chapter to historic wins of Joe Biden, Rashida Tlaib, Abdullah Hammoud, and the Michigan Democratic trifecta win in 2022, but this is only the beginning of what we will accomplish with Emgage and our communities.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

When serving your community, it’s very important to listen and learn. You cannot assume that you know their issues, and you cannot assume that you know the solutions. To truly empower them, you must give people agency and have them educate you on their needs and gaps. Empowerment is a collective effort. In order to truly uplift the voices of the most marginalized, we must listen, learn, and serve. I had learned this the hard way, but I’m glad I did because it made me a better community servant.

Any advice for managing a team?

As an ED, I always try to lead by example, and that means I am never above the mission. Our biggest program is our organizing program, where we canvass door-to-door six months out of the year. Canvassing can be very difficult and mentally draining; this is why I choose to knock with my team to lift their spirits and show that no matter how senior your role is, you must always stay on the ground with your people because this is where the real change happens.

Contact Info:

• Website: EmgageUSA.org
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nada.alhanooti.1
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nada-al-hanooti-ma-a71354107/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/Nada_AlHanooti