JANS – As a sign of continuing the legacy established by her mother, Okolo Rashid, daughter Aseelah Rashid has come on board of the International Museum of Muslim Cultures as its new executive director. Okolo, who is co-founder and president emerita of the museum, will assume the role of consultant.
“This is not goodbye, and definitely not the end, as we’ve just begun the very important work to bring dignity and economic growth to our Beloved City,” stated Rashid.
“The IMMC Board of Directors are grateful for Okolo’s 25 years of dedicated leadership and outstanding community service and social justice work at IMMC,” shared Emad Al-Turk, Co-founder and Chairman Emeritus.
Aseelah brings a wealth of experience and a collaborative leadership style to her new role at IMMC. She is an organizer, consensus-builder, educator, and non-profit leader within the Muslim and Interfaith community, including Muslim-Jewish Interfaith dialogue and cooperation. Prior to joining the museum, Aseelah served as the Director of IMAN Atlanta (Inner-City Muslim Action Network), where she spearheaded initiatives aimed at fostering access, education, and revitalization through integrated arts and culture, behavioral health, and community organizing programs.
Aseelah’s commitment to fostering leadership and connectivity among young adults is evident in her role as a co-founder of The Muslim Mix, a social organization dedicated to cultivating leadership and connection within the Muslim community. Furthermore, her dedication to interfaith collaboration and activism has earned her recognition both domestically and internationally. Her work has taken her across America; also to Jerusalem, the West Bank, Tel Aviv (Palestine/Israel); Sarajevo, Bosnia, and Herzegovina; Dubai, United Arab Emirates; and Europe.
Throughout her career, Aseelah has curated and convened impactful programming, transcending boundaries of geography, religion, and culture. During the pivotal events of social and racial reckoning in 2020, Aseelah co-founded “Era of Woman,” a platform dedicated to amplifying the voices and leadership of African American Muslim women in the pursuit of justice and social change. Her commitment to equity, inclusion, and empowerment embodies the values at the core of IMMC’s mission.
In assuming her new role, Aseelah expressed her enthusiasm for the opportunity to lead IMMC into its next chapter of growth and impact. “I am deeply honored to join the International Museum of Muslim Cultures at the pivotal moment of incredible recent development and success,” said Aseelah. “I look forward to working collaboratively with the museum’s dedicated team to continue advancing our mission of promoting understanding, appreciation, and dialogue through the lens of Muslim cultures.”
As Aseelah takes the reins as Executive Director, IMMC remains deeply grateful to Okolo Rashid for her outstanding leadership and invaluable contributions over the past 25 years. Okolo’s transition to a consultant role ensures that her wealth of knowledge and experience will continue to benefit the museum as it moves forward into its next stage of growth and expansion.
Leveraging over two decades of dedication to education and community development work at IMMC, the museum is launching a capital campaign to start the construction of a state of the art museum and community convening space for Interfaith and broad-based engagement in the heart of Jackson’s arts and museum district.
The upcoming IMMC building is poised to become a beacon of creative cultural exchange and understanding, to include social justice and equity work, drawing visitors from across the state, region, nation, and globe.
