Meet Our 2024 Banquet Speakers

Keynote Speaker, Linda Sarsour

Linda Sarsour is an author, award-winning racial justice and civil rights activist, seasoned community organizer and mother of three. Ambitious, outspoken and independent, Linda shatters stereotypes of Muslim women while also treasuring her religious and ethnic heritage. She is a Palestinian Muslim American and a self-proclaimed “pure New Yorker, born and raised in Brooklyn!”

IL Rep. Delia Ramirez - District 3

Congresswoman Delia C. Ramirez, the first Latina to represent IL-3, led the passage of "The Wadee Resolution" honoring Wadee Alfayoumi, a 6-year-old Palestinian-American boy murdered in a hate crime, urging Congress to reject rhetoric that fuels hate and discrimination. The daughter of Guatemalan immigrants, Ramirez advocates for working families, housing justice, healthcare, and immigration reform. She serves as Vice-Ranking Member on the Homeland Security Committee and sits on the Veteran Affairs Committee, with a career rooted in her upbringing in Chicago's immigrant communities.

IL Sec. of State Alexi Giannoulias

Alexi Giannoulias, a dedicated public servant, was elected Illinois State Treasurer in 2006 at just 30, becoming the youngest in the nation to hold the position. Inspired by his mentor, President Barack Obama, he pursued a reform agenda to curb ethical abuses, create jobs, and safely invest taxpayer dollars. Elected Illinois Secretary of State in 2022, Alexi focused on modernizing the office, protecting voter rights, strengthening ethics laws, and enhancing public libraries. A lifelong Chicagoan, he lives in the city with his wife, Josephine, and their three daughters.

Master of Ceremonies, Wesam Shahed

Wesam Shahed is a first-generation Palestinian-American from Chicago, Illinois. He serves as a Policy Advisor - Assistant State’s Attorney at the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office (CCSAO), the second-largest prosecutor’s office in the US. Wesam has not only been recognized as one of the most promising young talents in the CCSAO, but he has also been internationally recognized in the Arab American Foundation’s “30 Under 30.” Wesam recently gave a TEDx Talk on criminal justice reform titled "Does Justice Always Require a Conviction?" Wesam’s involvement ranges far beyond his day job, as he is the Finance Director for the first Muslim and Palestinian American to be elected by the Democratic Party into Illinois’s House Legislature in 2023. Wesam holds executive leadership positions for the ACLU Illinois, the Arab Professional Business Association (APBA), the Arab American Bar Association, the Muslim Bar Association, and the AB Korkor Mental Health Foundation.

Motivational, Shahir Raslan

Shahir Raslan is a Mechanical Engineer and president of Masjid Al-Ihsan. Originally from Homs, Syria, he now calls Atlanta home. In 2016 Shahir was presented with the Huda Al Masri Humanitarian Award from Palestine Children's Relief Fund (PCRF) for his impactful work and dedication to service alongside that organization.