UNITE: I am Black and I am Muslim Part 1

African Americans consist of 40 percent of the total Muslim population of the United States today. The term “Black Muslims,” coined by Dr. C. Eric Lincoln in 1956 to refer specifically to the Nation of Islam, this label that blurs the complex picture of Muslim groups in this community. Most African-American Muslims identify themselves with the worldwide Muslim ummah, adopting the beliefs and practices of “mainstream” Islam, whether as Sunni Muslims, Shi’i Muslims, or, if they reject such distinctions altogether, as “Muslim Americans.” The indigenous history of Islam is a fascinating, complex, and uniquely American story. This presentation highlighted the needs and realities of Black Muslim students at American River College.