Aseelah Rashid
As Co-founder and CEO of The Muslim Mix, Inc. and as an active organizer within the Interfaith community, Aseelah Rashid is well known and recognized for her exceptional leadership within the Muslim community in the United States and abroad. Aseelah has curated, and convened high quality, high impact programming for people in Georgia and across the region. She has traveled extensively throughout the United States, Europe and the Middle East to build bridges and amplify female voices across religious, cultural and ethnic lines. Aseelah has demonstrated the curiosity, grit and perseverance to solve complex problems while leveraging her skills in fundraising, proposal development, consensus-building, flexibility, and humor to create successful dialogue and action. She has engaged senior political leaders, Olympians, celebrities and youth leaders and has become a sought after thought leader and partner.
Further, Aseelah has had a varied career. In exploring her limits as a social entrepreneur, Aseelah is a Public Speaker, as well as, a Special Events Producer and Host for social lifestyle events, where the primary focus is creating a unique and powerful shared experience for participants. Under her “Authentic Aseelah” Brand, she works to bring the very best quality events that strengthens Relationships, Faith, and Community in a way that motivates and inspires individual lives!
In the summer of 2021 Aseelah has joined the Inner-City Muslim Action Network (IMAN) Atlanta as their Director of Programs where she will work to bring access, education, and revitalization to Atlanta’s Westend community through arts & culture, behavioral health, and community organizing.
Aseelah holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in both Fashion Design and Merchandising and Mass Media from the esteemed Clark Atlanta University, where her concentration was Radio, Television, and Film. Aseelah is currently obtaining her Master’s Degree in Religious Studies with a concentration in Nonprofit Management at Georgia State University. She’s been married for more than 15 years to husband Adrian “Asim” Rogers, and has three sons, Righteous, Noble, and Scholar.
On the day of 9/11, I walk into my 4th period English class chatting with friends as we settled down. Our teacher, Mrs. Bridges whom I’d grown to enjoy and appreciate her conviction to her Faith through our delightful class conversations (that we often had), was clearly in distress on this day. In the confusion that we all shared that day, she made a statement: “Those people better to start praying to GOD instead of MOO-hammad!”
My heart sank and began to beat out my chest, my palms sweating. I looked around for someone to say something. Clearly someone would speak on my behalf. No one did. I was the few, they were the many. I knew then, that it was me and only me in that moment who had to say something… “Well Mrs. Bridges, (I quietly spoke from my desk) ... I’m Muslim. And we don’t pray to Muhammad, we pray to GOD, the same God that you do.”
With a trembling in my voice and in my body, that day I had to be my own advocate, my own voice. Although afraid in that moment to speak up, I knew that her ignorance could not go unchecked! On this day, I had to go it alone but I vowed that this would no longer be the case for anyone else after me. No one should have to stand up for what they believe in alone.
This notion has sparked and renewed my spirit, identity, and activism from that day forward. On that day, the Young Black Muslim Girl was made visible. On that day, I knew my assignment stretched far beyond the MLA style citations and essay writing for college applications. On that day a Leader was born.
Although, there have been and are moments when I still have to “go it alone,” I find great strength and comfort in knowing that Allah and his angels are there with me, guiding me, protecting me, as I speak truth to power as they were there with me on this faithful day.
About my artwork: “The Letterman’s Jacket”
I have created a wearable art piece that represents a moment in High School, 10th grade, 9/11/01 when my Homeroom English Teacher spewed some offensive and prejudice things about Muslims. I, being the only Muslim in my class and the entire school at the time, had to stand up and confront her words. This moment was very scary, yet very necessary. It catapulted me into my work today in religious literacy, interfaith, and social justice activism.
I initially planned to write a letter to Mrs. Bridges and to my younger self reflecting on the impact of that day, but instead decided to do an artistic ‘play’ on the written letter to be an actual “Letterman’s” Jacket which speaks to High School and the feeling I had of being “covered” by GOD on that day.
You will find that I hand-painted Arabic Kufic-style Calligraphy of the Shahadah (bearing witness to one GOD) on the front and back. The Jacket is really a testament of my Faith and a celebration of my cultural nuanced identity as an African American Muslim Woman (from the South). This Letterman’s Jacket serves as a visual affirmation of strength, faith, and fortitude with Allah’s protection.