Activist Ismael (Ish) Ahmed, a prominent figure in the Arab American community, the Democratic Party, and the arts, who was dedicated to immigrant rights and social justice, died Saturday at age 79.
Ahmed co-founded the Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services (ACCESS) in 1973 and became its executive director in 1983, serving in that role for 24 years, according to his LinkedIn page. In 1975, he earned a bachelor’s degree in secondary education and a minor in sociology from the University of Michigan, Dearborn.
In September 2007, he became one of the most prominent Arab Americans in state government, serving as director of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services under Democratic Gov. Jennifer Granholm. He served in that post until December 2010…