Executive Director, APIA Vote-MI

Rebeka Islam

Rebeka Islam grew up in a tiny city located on the outskirts of Detroit.  Growing up in a community consisting mostly of immigrants,  Rebeka experienced first-hand how lack of opportunities and awareness, coupled with indifference and unresponsiveness from civic leaders was leaving her community behind. The experience nurtured a strong desire to create positive change for immigrants and minority populations through community service. She has been doing this ever since.

After completing her early education in Detroit public schools and undergraduate studies at Wayne State University, Rebeka’s journey as a community leader began. She has worked relentlessly on behalf of Asian and Pacific Islander American (APIA) issues related to language access, immigrant rights, civil rights, economic empowerment, housing, public health, and voting rights.

Rebeka has taken on these issues through her work at the Michigan Roundtable for Diversity and Inclusion, Michigan State Housing Development Authority, the Skillman Foundation. Rebeka currently serves as an active member of the Detroit League of Women Voters.

For the past decade, Rebeka has worked with the Asian Pacific Islander American Vote MI (APIA VOTE- MI), starting as a youth intern and working her way up the ranks as the current Executive Director. Under her leadership, the organization helped get a record number of AAPI residents to register and vote in the historic 2020 elections. In the past year alone she has not only helped get AAPIs to the polls, but she has rallied against aggressive voter suppression efforts, and ensured that immigrant communities had access to voting resources in multiple translated languages.
 

Additionally, as she identified critical needs throughout the pandemic she was compelled to make sure resources and services were available for AAPIs. Rebeka worked tirelessly on the ground to get AAPIs access to COVID-19 testing and in-language resources, developed partnerships to ensure families financially impacted by the pandemic could put food on the table, and quickly worked with mental health and domestic violence experts to offer virtual workshops.  Rebeka was most recently recognized as a Michigan Hero under Michigan’s Hero’s Project a project of the Governor. 

She currently serves on multiple non-profit boards:  Director at Michigan league of Women’s Voters, American Citizens for Justice, Voter Empower Project for Washington DC, and Michigan Redistricting Commission Outreach committee.

In her leisure time, Rebeka finds pleasure in volunteering with different local campaigns and interfaith organizations. She also loves to travel, and enjoys time with family.