This individual is not a direct affiliate of the USC Center for Religion and Civic Culture. They have contributed to one or more of our events, publications, or projects. Please contact the individual at their home institution.

Sumaya Abubaker managed leadership training programs at the USC Center for Religion and Civic Culture, including for the American Muslim Civic Leadership Institute and Cecil Murray Center for Community Engagement.

Since 2011, Abubaker has represented CRCC on the Los Angeles Department of Mental Health Faith-Based Advocacy Council, which works towards integrating mental health and spirituality to advance the health of under-served communities. Through the council, she helps build the capacity of spiritual communities to meet the mental health needs of their communities through collaborations with one another and with the DMH.

Outside of CRCC, Abubaker co-founded the Rahma Network, a project established to help American Muslim communities address sexual violence and abuse. As a survivor herself, she works with survivors, builds resources and conducts speaking engagements for diverse faith communities on how to prevent and address sexual violence and abuse.

Abubaker also is a fellow of NewGround, a program that engages Muslim and Jewish Angelenos in an innovative community-building process of intra- and inter-faith education and reflection, leadership training and civic engagement. She also served on the board of ELEV8, a nonprofit designed to empower youth with the tools to engage in activism through the arts.

Prior to joining CRCC, she worked for Wells Fargo Bank, the Council for Islamic Education and The Minaret Magazine. Sumaya holds a BA from the University of California, Los Angeles, where she studied International Development with a specialization in the Middle East/North Africa and sub-Saharan Africa.