Why is Black History Month Important in the 21st Century?
Written by Ismael Lea South
Director of The Salam Project
Black History Month is a great celebration pioneered by Carter G. Woodson in the 1920s to educate Black communities about the important accomplishments, achievements and discoveries of Black people in history that are not celebrated in mainstream society. We also utilise BHM to celebrate trailblazers, innovators, freedom fighters and activists who served various Black communities around the world.
Due to eugenics, the transatlantic slave trade and colonialism, many important Black community contributions have been whitewashed. This set the foundation for consistent demonisation, dehumanisation and deprecation of Black communities.
Unfortunately, most Muslim countries in Asia and the Arabian peninsula have been seriously affected by the Eurocentric supremacy mindset. Not only that, but pre-Islamic folktales, ignorant preconceived ideas and devilish mythology that paint Black communities in a negative light. Therefore, many Muslims who descend from the Arabian peninsula and Asia have inherited severe anti-Blackness. The reports I get from Black Muslims throughout the UK on the discrimination that Black Muslims go through can be soul-destroying but we understand that it stems from deep-rooted ignorance. When we organise arbitration and mediation, it makes our work worthwhile.
Retrospectively, this has had a troublesome impact with Black Muslim communities in America, Europe, Africa and the Caribbean in tackling these issues.
Due to having a great mentor in Muhammad Khaja Mutakabbir in London UK, he guided me to the importance of being a Muslim and having an understanding of our cultural identity/heritage.
The Muslims of African and Afro Caribbean heritage who never had the mentoring and teaching I got from Muhammad Khaja (who mentored thousands of African and Afro Caribbean Muslims in the UK) developed self-hatred of their own culture and attempted to be Asians or Arabs. Through independent research, I discovered that most were not aware of their rich African Islamic heritage which goes back centuries and they internalised the ‘slave-centric Black Muslim’ lessons from Imams or Shaykhs.
Not only that, those who were orthodox Muslims, being culturally aware of Black history, cultural identity and raising the awareness of injustice of Black communities around the world were labelled as the Nation of Islam.
Unfortunately the knowledge of Black history of most Imams, Shaykhs and scholars from Asian/Arabian peninsula communities doesn’t go beyond Bilal (RA) and Malcolm X. Thankfully, academics like Shaykh Dr. Abdullah Hakim Quick, Dr. Khalid Al Tariq Al Mansour and Dr. Sulayman S. Nyang brought the rich Islamic Black history in Islam to the forefront.
Dr Shaykh Abdullah Hakim Quick’s book Deeper Roots explores the less informed about the rich Islamic history of the Americas including the Caribbean.
Professor Sulayman S Nyang was an esteemed professor at Howard University in Washington DC. Has authored 2 masterpieces. These are ‘Religious Plurality in Africa’ and ‘Islam, Christianity and African Identity’.
Dr. Khalid Tariq Al Mansour authored an epic book titled, ‘The Seven African Arabian Wonders the World’ which was an amazing and insightful read among our peers.
We can’t forget the exemplary scholarly foundation works done by academics like Dr. Ivan Van Sertima, Cheikh Anta Diop and JA Rogers among many others who have written comprehensive works on unknown Black history in worldwide civilisations in the 1970s and 1980s. Their scholarly papers and books have inspired generations around the world.
When I embraced Islam in the mid 1990’s, I was flabbergasted with the level of ignorance of born Muslims in Africa.
Everyone knew Malcolm X and Bilal (RA) which is nice or we would hear an occasional story about a Black slave who done good for Islam. It never seemed to go beyond that. I never heard anything about scholarship, trailblazers or major achievements of Black Muslims by any of these Imams or Shaykhs.
I was fortunate to have Muhammad Khaja Abdul Mutakabbir who was well-read in African Islamic history, civil rights issues (in the UK and the USA) and social/racial injustice around me.
A List of Black Excellence
From an Islamic perspective, there are numerous activists, scholars and leaders from the African American community who have been a shining light for Black Muslims around the world in recent years. Being in the UK, I have seen these gems of people inspiring my peers in the UK and beyond. They deserve recognition and I will only name a few who have inspired myself and my close peers in the UK.
Imam Warith Deen Muhammad who was a theologian, scholar and community leader who inherited the Nation of Islam in the 1970s after the death of Elijah Muhammad. With hard work, he transformed the movement towards mainstream Islam. He renamed the organisation, the American Muslim Mission. From the AMM numerous institutions have been built.
Imam Siraj Wahhaj is an inspirational Imam who not only has been fighting against the drug baron’s in Brooklyn New York but has been teaching Islam in inner city communities for decades. His Masjid Al Taqwa had helped to mediate numerous community initiatives and projects. He led a community campaign to shut down over 16 ‘crack houses’ to close down.
Imam Taalib of Harlem New York who is the spiritual leader of Islamic Brotherhood Including the mosque. Many say that this mosque is descended from Muslim Mosque Inc. of Malik El Hajj Shabazz. (Malcolm X) My respect for Imam Taalib increased when Dr Ben Yosef Ben Jochannan, a well-respected African history writer who has written numerous works about Arab slavery in Africa prayed Friday prayers at his Mosque. Imam Taalib showed him love, respect and humility. Imam Taalib has consistently utilised his credibility to highlight numerous important milestones in African Americans’ Muslim history and contributions to the world.
Imam Zaid Shakir is another African American scholar of merit who is also the co-founder of the ever pioneering, Zaytuna Institute College in California and the chairman of the Muslim Alliance of North America (MANA). This is a cutting edge umbrella organisation of American Muslim organisations that promotes unity, mediation and outreach in communities.
Dr Suad Abdul Khadeer, is an academic and professor at the University of Michigan. Her work includes building a study of race, religion and popular culture in the 21st century. She consistently works in challenging racism in mainstream society and anti-Blackness in the Arab peninsula or Asian communities.
Rukayat Yakub is an Ustadha who studied in Mauritania to the spiritual and intellectual hubs of Senegal. Now a dedicated educator and publisher in New Jersey, her inspiring publications promotes positive African Islamic scholars of excellence and integrity for children in all communities.
Professor Intisar Rabb, a Baltimore native who is now the Director of Islamic Legal Studies at Harvard University. She is a game changer through her initiative ‘SHARIASource’ which is a digital initiative dispelling sexist, misogynistic and ignorant misinterpretations of Islam. This has become a great resource to various communities around the Western world.
Shaykh Abdur Rashied Matthews, the co-founder of Masjid Al Hafeez in South Chicago is not only a Mosque to pray in, but an innovative community centre that consistently thrives in community engagement, anti-youth crime projects and Interfaith projects. His prison outreach projects in Chicago are very well received.
Professor Sherman Abdul Hakim Jackson who is a professor of Religion, American Studies and Ethnicity. A well respected scholar whose exemplary works amplifies the concerns of race relations and social consciousness. His book, “Islam and the Black American” is a must read masterpiece. Even though he was raised in Philadelphia, he is now the co-founder of the American Learning Institute for Muslims in California.
Since the episodes of George Floyd and BLM have exploded to the world, the Muslim communities globally are now understanding the role and relevance of Black History Month. There is nothing wrong in recognising your culture or heritage and that doesn’t mean that you are prejudiced against others if you do.
It’s important for Black Muslims to recognise their heritage in Africa and in the diaspora. At the same time, Muslims of Asian and Arabian peninsula origin need to understand that Islam doesn’t only exist in their heritage but among Black communities too.
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Please visit www.launchgood.com/BlackHistoryMonth to see all the exciting events, webinars, grants, awards that we had at LaunchGood this month!
