The Complicated Experience of Being Black and Muslim in the US

January 6, 2017 / Newsy

“Muslims in America are diverse, but Black Muslims are largely left out of the conversation.”

What’s it like being Black and Muslim in the United States? Oftentimes, it includes being invisible to others. So check out these perspectives from Black Muslims sharing about their experiences in their own words.

This video from Newsy is a good reminder of what we lose when biases and assumptions keep us from connecting with each other as unique individuals.

With Love,
The Editors at Everyday Feminism

Click for the Transcript

Ameerah Sanders: I’m tired of having to explain Islam to people. I’m tired of having to explain why Black Lives Matter to people. I’m not going to it here and be like, “Muslims don’t kill people. We’re nice,” because I’ve been doing that my whole life and I still get the same BS.

Melissa: Muslims in America are diverse, but Black Muslims are largely left out of the conversation.

Speaker 3: “Black” is not believing me when I say I’m Black and at the mosque when it’s time to pray sisters slide their feet away from mine.

Melissa: It’s estimated that Black Muslims make up as much as one-third of all Muslims in the US. An about 40% of American-born Muslims are Black, more than any other race.

The Muslim population in the US overall is pretty small but growing.

Ameerah: There are a lot of people that are kind of so ingrained in their culture and biases that interacting with Black Muslims is something they don’t usually do.

Malikah Shabazz, Malcolm X’s daughter: We’re for democracy and everyone here is equal and you’re free to do whatever you want, but that’s not necessarily the case.

Melissa: Even many American-based Muslim advocacy groups inadvertently focus on immigrants and Arab Muslims living in the US.

Ameerah: The Black Muslims that I’ve spoken to have felt like Muslims of other races don’t want to engage with Black Muslims. I would say we have a lot to work on in terms of race and getting over cultural boundaries.

Melissa: When it comes to identity, almost half of American Muslims see themselves as Muslim first, American second. That’s pretty common for other religious groups in the US.

Mohammed Hussein: Not only be a Muslim but being a Muslim American, being Somali, being Black, being young; that’s a lot of identities that you have to reconcile.

Ameerah: Although Islam and being African-American are a very big part of my identity, I think we need to stop and realize that that’s not all that there is to me. People get so hung up on what they think they know that they fail to see the whole person. Honestly, that’s probably the biggest thing that’s a loss on both sides.

Melissa: For Newsy, I’m Melissa Prax.

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