Adama Bah – Founder & Executive Director, Afrikana
A New York-based immigrant rights advocate and the Founder & Executive Director of Afrikana, a Black-led community organization in Harlem serving newly arrived immigrants particularly from Africa and the Caribbean. As a Black Muslim woman, Adama brings a powerful and often underrepresented perspective to the immigrant justice movement. Her lived experience as an undocumented youth, detained at age 16 and forced to wear an ankle monitor, shaped her lifelong mission to ensure others don’t endure the same trauma in silence.
Afrikana, which Adama launched in 2022, is rooted in cultural understanding and dignity. The organization provides holistic support including case management, mental health care, translation services, legal referrals, and food distribution to hundreds of newcomers each day. Under Adama’s leadership, Afrikana has quickly become a trusted community anchor, especially for Black and Muslim immigrants who too often face layered marginalization in traditional support systems.
Current Work & Impact
As a proud Black Muslim woman, Adama’s leadership is deeply informed by faith, resilience, and a commitment to equity. She advocates for policy changes around language access, halal food in shelters, and protections for unaccompanied minors testifying before the New York City Council and working directly with city agencies. Her efforts were nationally recognized when Afrikana received the 2023 Compassionate Communities Award from the Coalition for the Homeless for its vital support to migrants since 2019.
Today, Adama continues to grow Afrikana through interfaith partnerships, healing circles, and culturally competent programming. Her work not only meets immediate needs but also challenges systemic inequities building power and voice for Black, immigrant, and Muslim communities across New York City.