Rama

Rama is a Syrian/Brazilian/American queer activist, strategist and community organizer who joined CAE in 2023 as its first Executive Director of color. Prior to CAE, Rama was at Communities United for Police Reform (CPR) working to end discriminatory and abusive policing in NYC through policy and organizing. She also served as the Deputy Public Advocate for Justice, Health Equity & Safety at the Office of the Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams during the 2020 pandemic. She is the former Executive Director of the Arab American Association of NY (AAANY) where she led police reform, immigration, anti-surveillance, gender justice, mental health and anti-Islamophobia campaigns. Before joining AAANY, Rama was the Lead Advisor on Arab, Muslim, and South Asian Relations at the NYC Commission on Human Rights working to increase the Commission's efforts to engage the Arab and Muslim communities citywide. She kick started her career working with refugee youth at the Shatila refugee camp in Beirut, and spent her first 4 years in NYC working for the Arab-American Family Support Center (AFSC). Rama is also one of the co-founders of Yalla Brooklyn. She was born in Brazil to a Syrian family, bred in Miami, and has lived and breathed Brooklyn for the last 13 years.