Roots and community

Shereef grew up believing that dignity, hard work, and faith should open doors. That belief guided him from his early days in Michigan public schools to the University of Michigan, where he studied economics to better understand how decisions in boardrooms affect families at their kitchen tables.

Meet Shereef

Roots and community

Shereef grew up believing that dignity, hard work, and faith should open doors. That belief guided him from his early days in Michigan public schools to the University of Michigan, where he studied economics to better understand how decisions in boardrooms affect families at their kitchen tables. He and his family have made Oakland County their home, raising five children, building a local law firm, and serving in houses of worship and community nonprofits that bring neighbors together instead of driving them apart.

Shereef Akeel studied economics at the University of Michigan. He and his family have made Oakland County their home and raised five children.

Meet Shereef

Shereef Akeel is a nationally recognized civil rights and human rights attorney who has spent his career advocating for those who have been silenced, mistreated, and excluded from the American promise. From local workplaces in Michigan to torture prisons overseas, he has used the law to ensure accountability and justice.

Record of fighting for justice

For more than two decades, Shereef has represented workers, families, and communities in among the toughest civil rights cases in the country. His work assisted in the dismantlement of discriminatory performance systems at a major auto manufacturer, reformed police policies that forced women to remove their hijabs for mug shots, and stopped a national bank from targeting customers based on religion and ethnicity.

Shereef works as a civil rights and human rights attorney, representing workers, families, and communities in civil rights cases.

2026 Michigan General Election

Nonpartisan

Affordability and Access

Invest in open educational resources (OER). Encourage faculty adoption of low-cost materials to reduce textbook expenses.

Platform

Affordability and Access

Partnerships with Detroit industries will create internships and job pipelines for graduates.

Investments in cutting-edge research facilities will boost WSU’s rankings in STEM, health sciences, and urban studies.

Supports investing in openly available educational resources and encouraging faculty to use low-cost course materials.

Supports investment in research facilities for science, technology, engineering, mathematics, health sciences, and urban studies.

- Supports investing in openly available educational resources and encouraging faculty to use low-cost course materials.
- Supports investment in research facilities for science, technology, engineering, mathematics, health sciences, and urban studies.

School Facilities & Resources

Academic Excellence  
Campus Support and Success

 Protect Civil Rights and Civil Liberties among students, faculty, staff, and administration to maintain academic freedom and expression.

Enhance mental health and wellness services. Promote accessible counseling, peer support, and 24/7 crisis resources.

Academic Excellence  
Campus Support and Success

Support graduate and professional students. Advocate for fair stipends, healthcare access, childcare, and research opportunities.

Diversity Practices

Invest in campus safety through equity. Focus on prevention, restorative practices, and anti-bias training.

Supports expanding mental-health and wellness services, including accessible counseling, peer support, and 24/7 crisis resources.

Advocates for graduate and professional students receiving fair stipends, access to health care, child care, and research opportunities.

Supports prevention programs, approaches to repairing harm, and training to address bias as campus-safety measures.

- Supports expanding mental-health and wellness services, including accessible counseling, peer support, and 24/7 crisis resources.
- Advocates for graduate and professional students receiving fair stipends, access to health care, child care, and research opportunities.
- Supports prevention programs, approaches to repairing harm, and training to address bias as campus-safety measures.

Student Wellbeing

Affordability and Access

Advocate for stronger faculty retention through competitive salaries and modern infrastructure.

Advocates for retaining faculty through competitive salaries and modern infrastructure.

- Advocates for retaining faculty through competitive salaries and modern infrastructure.

Teachers

Affordability and Access

Champion affordable tuition and debt reduction. Fight for increased state funding to keep higher education within reach for working families.

Affordability and Access

Expand financial aid and scholarship programs. Prioritize support for first-generation, low-income, and nontraditional students.

Academic Excellence  
Campus Support and Success

 Protect Civil Rights and Civil Liberties among students, faculty, staff, and administration to maintain academic freedom and expression.

Academic Excellence  
Campus Support and Success

Enhance mental health and wellness services. Promote accessible counseling, peer support, and 24/7 crisis resources.

Improve student retention and graduation rates. Strengthen academic advising and early intervention programs.

Diversity Practices

Ensure representation. Elevate diverse voices in university leadership and governance decisions.

Public Research and Community Engagement

Empower Detroit partnerships. Strengthen collaborations with local schools, small businesses, and civic organizations.

Advocates for increased state funding, affordable tuition, and debt reduction to make higher education more accessible.

Plans to expand financial aid and scholarships, prioritizing first-generation, low-income, and nontraditional students.

Supports partnerships with Detroit industries to create internships and employment pathways for graduates.

Supports protecting civil rights and civil liberties to maintain academic freedom and expression.

Plans to strengthen academic advising and programs that identify and address issues early to improve student retention and graduation rates.

Supports supporting diverse perspectives in university leadership and governance decisions.

Supports collaborations with local schools, small businesses, and civic organizations in Detroit.

- Advocates for increased state funding, affordable tuition, and debt reduction to make higher education more accessible.
- Plans to expand financial aid and scholarships, prioritizing first-generation, low-income, and nontraditional students.
- Supports partnerships with Detroit industries to create internships and employment pathways for graduates.
- Supports protecting civil rights and civil liberties to maintain academic freedom and expression.
- Plans to strengthen academic advising and programs that identify and address issues early to improve student retention and graduation rates.
- Supports supporting diverse perspectives in university leadership and governance decisions.
- Supports collaborations with local schools, small businesses, and civic organizations in Detroit.

Education

Shereef Akeel

Shereef Akeel attended Michigan public schools and studied economics at the University of Michigan. He and his family live in Oakland County and have raised five children.

Shereef Akeel is a civil rights and human rights attorney. He has represented workers, families, and communities in civil rights cases.

Affordability and Access

Investments in cutting-edge research facilities will boost WSU’s rankings in STEM, health sciences, and urban studies.

Academic Excellence

Advocates for open educational resources and faculty use of low-cost course materials to reduce textbook expenses.

Supports investments in research facilities for science, technology, engineering, mathematics, health sciences, and urban studies.

- Advocates for open educational resources and faculty use of low-cost course materials to reduce textbook expenses.
- Supports investments in research facilities for science, technology, engineering, mathematics, health sciences, and urban studies.

Campus Support and Success

 Protect Civil Rights and Civil Liberties among students, faculty, staff, and administration to maintain academic freedom and expression.

Enhance mental health and wellness services. Promote accessible counseling, peer support, and 24/7 crisis resources.

Campus Support and Success

Support graduate and professional students. Advocate for fair stipends, healthcare access, childcare, and research opportunities.

Supports expanded mental-health and wellness services, including accessible counseling, peer support, and 24/7 crisis resources.

Advocates for graduate and professional students to receive fair stipends, health care access, child care, and research opportunities.

Supports campus-safety investments emphasizing prevention, restorative practices, and anti-bias training.

- Supports expanded mental-health and wellness services, including accessible counseling, peer support, and 24/7 crisis resources.
- Advocates for graduate and professional students to receive fair stipends, health care access, child care, and research opportunities.
- Supports campus-safety investments emphasizing prevention, restorative practices, and anti-bias training.

Advocates for faculty retention through competitive salaries and modern infrastructure.

- Advocates for faculty retention through competitive salaries and modern infrastructure.

Campus Support and Success

Improve student retention and graduation rates. Strengthen academic advising and early intervention programs.

Advocates for affordable tuition, debt reduction, and increased state funding for higher education.

Supports expanded financial aid and scholarships for first-generation, low-income, and nontraditional students.

Supports protecting civil rights and civil liberties for students, faculty, staff, and administrators to maintain academic freedom and expression.

Plans to strengthen academic advising and early-intervention programs to improve student retention and graduation rates.

Supports elevating diverse voices in university leadership and governance decisions.

Supports collaborations between Wayne State, local schools, small businesses, and civic organizations.

- Advocates for affordable tuition, debt reduction, and increased state funding for higher education.
- Supports expanded financial aid and scholarships for first-generation, low-income, and nontraditional students.
- Supports protecting civil rights and civil liberties for students, faculty, staff, and administrators to maintain academic freedom and expression.
- Plans to strengthen academic advising and early-intervention programs to improve student retention and graduation rates.
- Supports elevating diverse voices in university leadership and governance decisions.
- Supports collaborations between Wayne State, local schools, small businesses, and civic organizations.