Amer Zahr runs for Dearborn Schools Nov. 5, 2024
Dearborn’s population is 110,000 people. Arab Americans make up almost 65,000 of them. Dearborn School’s student body is over 20,000. And Arab American children make up 80% of that student body.
Yet only 2 out of our 7 school board members are Arab Americans.
And no one knows how to enthusiastically represent us like I do. As an educator, lawyer, and an activist, I will always fight to ensure Dearborn Schools are taking care of all students, no matter their background.
But I cannot do it alone. To win this campaign, I’ll need to raise $75,000. So I need 500 of you to give $150. Or 1000 of you to give $75. Or 750 of you to give $100. Anyway, you do the math.
It costs thousands of dollars to send mailers, knock doors, and advertise online. But this is all money well spent. Nothing is more important than our kids.
So, can you give today?
Your support means the world to me!
Amer Zahr bio:
My family moved to America when I was 3 years old. We ended up outside of Philadelphia. When I was in middle school, my teachers went on strike. I didn’t totally understand what was going on at the time, but I knew that it was deeply important to my dad. My refugee father supported those teachers, advocating for them at board meetings, and the teachers eventually got what they deserved. We all finally went back to school.
After much urging from our small community, a year later, my dad ran for the school board, and he won. And to this day, well into his seventies, he still talks about that time as some of the most rewarding of his life.
My parents taught me to be an advocate, and that’s what I’ve been doing in Michigan communities since I moved here when I was eighteen to attend the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. I received my bachelors, masters and law degrees all from UM. Then, I moved to Dearborn in 2007, and I’ve been here ever since.
While I work as a comedian and adjunct professor of law, advocacy and activism have always been at the center of what I do in our community. Whether it’s for civil rights, political activism, or in our schools, I’ve spoken up for what’s right. And of course, that means I’ve been attacked at times, but I’ve always kept my focus on one thing: making Dearborn a better place for all of us.
And now, I’ve made the decision to follow in my father’s footsteps. So now, I’m proudly a candidate for the Dearborn School Board in this year’s November election.
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