MANA is committed to empowering and uplifting the African-American Muslim community. We are planning the second series of planning sessions for our three working groups under the banner of our two-year Initiative to Strengthen Families of African-American Muslims (ITSFAAM). Those three groups are:
Healthy Marriages:
The Healthy Marriage working group focuses on setting goals to increase healthy marriages as the cornerstone for creating a stable and thriving community.
| The next session for the Healthy Marriage Working Group is Sunday, January 28th. |
Youth Engagement
The Youth Engagement working group places a strong emphasis on finding ways to engage and empower the youth within the community successfully.
| The Youth Engagement Working Group was held on January 24th. |
Young Adult Leadership:
The Young Adult Leadership working group recognizes the importance of nurturing the leadership potential of young adults within the African-American Muslim community and is working on setting achievable goals to meet this important objective.
| The next session for the Young Adult Leadership Working Group is Feb 4th. |
By focusing on these three key initiatives as part of MANA’s two-year Initiative to Strengthen Families of African-American Muslims (ITSFAAM), we aim to create a supportive and nurturing environment that enables individuals and families to thrive spiritually, emotionally, and socially. Through these efforts, we want to build a strong, resilient community that is equipped to address the unique challenges and opportunities we face while also contributing positively to the broader society.
Akanke is a communications specialist and consultant with a degree in Communication from Georgia State University, focused on film, TV, and cultural anthropology. Her career is diverse, and her interests span various creative forms of expression — from producing TV and radio shows to creating documentaries, writing, graphic design, and life coaching, she strives to make a lasting and authentic impact wherever she goes. She reverted to Islam in 1994 and is passionate about Islam and Islamic spirituality, a passion that runs through nearly every corner of her work. Akanke has been a dedicated supporter of the Muslim Alliance in North America (MANA) since 2007, currently serving as the organization’s Board Vice President — working alongside the Board President and Secretary to help shape MANA’s trajectory — and previously served for several years as its Communications Director. A native of Atlanta, she now resides in Dayton, Ohio.
