From the early days of exploration, to immigration and slavery to independence to abolition, from the Civil Rights Movement to the current movement for Black Lives, Black Muslim history is defined by centuries of pioneering presence, resilience and struggle for racial, religious, and social justice. Black Muslims represent one-third of the American Muslim community, lead in rooting and growing Islam in America, and have borne the brunt of racial injustice and racism throughout our country’s history.
As a group, they experience a range of challenges due to anti-Black racism and Islamophobia. Muslims who identify as Black experience the same systemic racism that all Black Americans face in their day-to-day lives, in addition to the religious discrimination faced by many Americans who are Muslim. Muslims are often racialized as Arab or South Asian, rendering Black Muslims less visible, leaving them out of the conversation, and creating a dearth of information about their experiences. This collection of research and resources exists to highlight Black Muslim experiences that are too often ignored.
From the early days of exploration, to immigration and slavery to independence to abolition, from the Civil Rights Movement to the current movement for Black Lives, Black Muslim history is defined by centuries of pioneering presence, resilience and struggle for racial, religious, and social justice. Black Muslims represent one-third of the American Muslim community, lead in rooting and growing Islam in America, and have borne the brunt of racial injustice and racism throughout our country’s history.
As a group, they experience a range of challenges due to anti-Black racism and Islamophobia. Muslims who identify as Black experience the same systemic racism that all Black Americans face in their day-to-day lives, in addition to the religious discrimination faced by many Americans who are Muslim. Muslims are often racialized as Arab or South Asian, rendering Black Muslims less visible, leaving them out of the conversation, and creating a dearth of information about their experiences. This collection of research and resources exists to highlight Black Muslim experiences that are too often ignored.
Muslims who are Black experience the same systemic racism that all Black Americans face, in addition to the religious discrimination faced by many American Muslims. According to ISPU research, 66% of Black Muslims and 75% of Black Americans in the general public report experiencing racial discrimination.
Many Black Muslims—including youth—face ethnic and racial discrimination from within the American Muslim community. How can predominately South Asian and Arab American mosques create more inclusive environments for Black Muslim youth?
According to ISPU research, one third of Black Muslims have experienced racism from within their own faith community. This ISPU | Yaqeen toolkit uses ISPU data on discrimination to explore strategies for combating racism inside Muslim communities.
Learn more about Black Muslim experiences by reading a book from our Muslim American Experience Bibliography.
Explore more books on Black Muslims in the U.S. in our Muslim American Experience Bibliography.
In this webinar from ISPU and the National Black Muslim COVID Coalition, a panel of experts discussed the current state of the COVID-19 pandemic in Black Muslim communities, the factors that contribute to the current crisis, and the holistic approach that is needed to move toward healing.
In this webinar, experts Imam Dawud Walid and Dr. Jamillah Karim discuss how to create inclusive environments for African American youth at South Asian- and Arab-majority mosques.
Precious Rasheeda Muhammad—author, award-winning speaker, and a presenter at ISPU’s media convenings—speaks movingly about Black Muslims and their centuries-long ties to the making of America in this presentation.
Watch Nicole Najmah Abraham’s story of breaking into the fashion design industry in New York City, despite not seeing Black Muslim women doing the work she wanted to be doing.
Explore personal narratives from ISPU’s Muslims for American Progress project, highlighting Black Muslims from Michigan and New York City.
These ISPU Scholars research, write, and present on various aspects of race and ethnicity, including issue areas such as identity, health and social development, and organizational development.
These ISPU Scholars research, write, and present on various aspects of race and ethnicity, including issue areas such as identity, health and social development, and organizational development.
These resources may be helpful, though ISPU does not claim responsibility for the content.
The Black Islam Syllabus, developed and curated by Dr. Kayla Renée Wheeler, is an extensive list of scholarly research and writings, movies, poetry, TV shows, websites, essays, and hashtags that provides those interested in learning more about Islam with resources on Black Muslims.
The Dream Storytelling Project, also known as the Detroit Muslim Storytelling Project, is an oral history initiative launched in 2020 by the neighborhood revitalization association Dream of Detroit. ISPU Scholar Dr. Alisa Perkins serves as Project Manager and Research Director on the project. Dr. Perkins is also an advisor on At Their Feet: The Stories and Advice of American Muslim Elders, directed by Imam Abdullah El-Amin and guided by his daughter Zarinah El-Amin, which aims at capturing the stories of American Muslim elders in the Detroit and wider national Muslim community.
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