Our Mission
To support Sudanese-American Fur families with the education, resources, and community connections they need to thrive in the United States.
About Us
Who the Fur are.
The Fur are an ethnic group from Darfur in western Sudan. Today, many Fur families live across the United States, and Fur Union is the nonprofit that supports them.
The Fur are the largest ethnic group in Darfur, a region in western Sudan. The name Darfur means “home of the Fur.” The community is primarily Muslim and traditionally agricultural, and speaks the Fur language alongside Arabic.
Beginning in the 1990s, Fur families started arriving in the United States as refugees from the conflict in Darfur. Today, there are Fur communities in cities like Portland (Maine), Omaha, Richmond, Houston, and Atlanta.
Fur Union was founded to support these families. We help newly arrived households settle in, offer language classes for kids, support students through school and college, and host community events.
What Guides Us
What we believe.
Our Vision
A strong, connected Fur community in America — where our language and culture are passed on, and our families have what they need to succeed.
Our Values
Community, family, faith, and respect for where we come from.
- Community
- Family
- Faith
- Heritage
- Welcome
- Respect
Our story
It started around a kitchen table.
Fur Union began in 2020 in Atlanta, when a small group of community members met to talk about how to better support Fur families across the country. Local mutual-aid networks had been around for years, but there was no national organization.
Today, Fur Union works with families in more than a dozen U.S. cities. We help newcomers find housing and schools, run weekend language classes, support students through high school and college, and host cultural events.
We try to keep things simple: listen to families, partner with local groups already doing good work, and focus on what actually helps.
Staff & Program Leads
The hands and hearts behind the work.
A small staff and a network of volunteers from across the Fur community.
For governance and oversight, see our Board of Directors →
ALFADEL MUSA HAROUN
THE PRESIDENT
ADAM AHMED IDRISS AHMED
THE VICE PRESIDENT
BABIKER ABDALLA
GENERAL SECRETARY
Abdeen adam Muhammad Ali
Secretary of the Legislative Council
ATIF MAHMOUD
BOARD OF DIRECTOR
Timeline
From the Sultanate of Darfur to a new American home.
- 1650–1916
The Sultanate of Darfur
The Fur sultans ruled an Islamic kingdom in western Sudan for nearly three centuries, centered in the Jebel Marra mountains.
- 1990s
First Fur families arrive in the U.S.
Refugees from Darfur begin settling in cities like Portland (Maine), Omaha, and Richmond.
- 2010s
Community groups form
Local Fur families start mutual-aid groups, Saturday schools, and cultural associations across several states.
- 2020
Fur Union is founded
A group of community members in Atlanta come together to form a nonprofit that can serve Fur families nationally.
- 2024
Programs grow
Fur Union now supports families in over a dozen U.S. cities through language classes, newcomer support, and youth programs.