Today we’d like to introduce you to Sabria Mills and Rasheedah Shabazz.
We would like to take this time to introduce you to MACE (Muslim Advocates of Children with Exceptionalities). Sabria Mills and Rasheedah Shabazz are the co-founders of the organization and they work alongside a passionate board of directors. MACE provides support services to empower children and adults living with disabilities and survivors of trauma to reach their full potential. Our aim is to empower communities by educating, advocating, and serving families and youth living with cognitive, physical, and socio-emotional exceptionalities from early-childhood through the stages of adulthood.
Our organization was formed based on a need to promote the rights and well-being of individuals with exceptionalities in all spheres of society and development and to increase awareness on the plight of individuals living with disabilities in every aspect of political, social, economic, and religious life.
Rasheedah and Sabria founded this organization based on growing frustration with the lack of awareness, resources, and support offered to exceptional members of the Muslim community. They saw a need to develop a network to support community centers, places of worship, and schools to develop inclusive spaces for all members of the community. Many parents lacked spiritual support to help manage the day-to-day needs of caring for an exceptional child. Likewise, Islamic schools were struggling with meeting the needs of their growing diverse population.
MACE focuses on two primary tracks:
1. Promoting awareness through educating the community on the need for inclusive spiritual spaces for community members living with exceptional needs. This includes but is not limited to – community outreach support, parent support, programming for children, etc.
2. Transforming our community’s awareness about the impact of trauma on children through education and social outreach.
MACE launched its inaugural awareness event on December 2, 2018, titled, “A Day of Inclusion.” This event included a panel discussion of six expert speakers and twelve interactive simulated stations. Each station allowed participants to learn about ten different exceptionalities through simulated activities and interactive discussions.
Thereafter, MACE launched and managed two other efforts which included a trauma awareness event and on-site conference support for exceptional attendees.
We would like to offer ongoing support to your community by providing informational sessions, providing on-site accommodation support during community events, and being a resource for the community. We believe our services will help bring awareness to the need for creating inclusive spaces for your community members.
MACE is excited about the future and we will continue to collaborate with communities across metro Atlanta. We can be contacted via our website at www.wearemace.com and emailed at info@wearemace.com.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
MACE was established in July of 2018. Establishing an executive board of directors was extremely challenging and we’ve been through several role changes since our establishment. It hasn’t been a smooth road to establishing a board but we have worked through each challenge.
MACE – Muslim Advocates of Children with Exceptionalities – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
What do we offer NOW:
1. Community outreach –
• We can come to your community masjid and/or organization and provide an interactive workshop to help educate and empower your community members on the topics of inclusion for individuals with exceptional needs, trauma awareness, special education training for Muslim teachers/schools, etc.
2. Inclusion Training and/or support –
• Sensory room training for masjids, schools, community centers
• Access friendly masjids, schools, and/or community centers
• Training for masjid staff, school staff, and/or other community leaders
• On-site support for individuals with disabilities for events, conferences, etc.
3. Family support –
• Parent/Caregiver support group
• Education/awareness programs for caregivers
What we plan to offer in the FUTURE:
1. Direct support for exceptional children
2. Counseling
3. Trauma support and services for families
4. Case management
5. School support & advocacy – special education
6. Educational programs for exceptional children
7. Behavioral support, counseling, and services
8. Sensory room installation in homes, schools, and other institutions
How can you support us NOW:
Sign up for our mailing list – email, address
Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook
Advocate for us to visit your masjid and/or community for an outreach program
Sponsor us
Donate
Spread the word about MACE…
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
We hosted a Trauma Awareness Event in March and it made a huge impact on the community. We offered self-defense workshops, yoga presentations, school trauma support, and on-site counseling support. We connected with several different communities and provided resources for families in the community.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.wearemace.com
- Phone: 470-609-4883
- Email: sabria@wearemace.com
- Instagram: @wearemace
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MACE2018/
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