Omar Bah is a Former African Refugee Running for the US Congress on a Platform of Humanitarianism

Omar Bah with his wife, Teddi.

Omar Bah lives in Rhode Island and is the Founder of the Refugee Dream Center, a place of resources and opportunities offering a hand up as opposed to a handout. Omar is also a former journalist who endured captivity and torture before escaping from his homeland in Africa. Now, an accomplished trauma counselor, author, and a visible advocate for creating sustainable opportunities for fellow refugees, Omar is putting his US citizenship to work aiming it directly into service at the level where voices get heard. He is running for a Congressional seat for a district in Rhode Island.

Omar shares his frightening account of captivity, his transition to the place he calls home now, and fulfilling his own dream as a humanitarian and servant leader with Frontrunners Innovate Producer and Host Mary Kurek. Joining Mary are co-hosts: Former US Congressman and Ambassador, Richard Swett, and Political Consultant and Researcher, Michael Rowan, partners in Climate Prosperity Enterprise Solutions.

Meet Omar Bah. (42-minute video)

Omar Bah’s Short Bio:

Africa's Hell on Earth: The Ordeal of An African Journalist by [Omar Bah] Dr. Omar Bah is the Founder and Executive Director of the Refugee Dream Center. He is a torture survivor, former journalist, and refugee from The Gambia. Bah is also the author of the book, Africa’s Hell on Earth: The Ordeal of an African Journalist. He holds a bachelor’s degree in communications studies with a minor in political science; a master’s degree in Public Administration; and master’s in Counselling Psychology in Global Mental Health and a doctorate in Organizational & Leadership Psychology from William James College. Bah has also completed trauma treatment certification at the Harvard Medical School through the Harvard Program in Refugee Trauma (HPRT).

He is currently an adjunct professor of clinical psychology at William James College. He also teaches Global Mental Health Fundamentals at Harvard Medical School’s Program in Refugee Trauma.

Dr. Bah mentors approximately 150 refugee youth in leadership and community building each year. His organization serves more than 2000 refugee individuals in case management and English learning and reaches hundreds more families in health promotion activities. Bah has developed training material for trauma-informed care, cultural intelligence in working with immigrant and refugee cultural populations, and survivor-leadership, which he has delivered across the country. In January 2022, Dr. Bah was the first Democrat to announce his candidacy for Rhode Island’s 2nd Congressional District seat.