Black History

Black History Month is not simply a time for African-Americans to take pride in and to educate others about their history and achievements. It is also a time for Muslims to educate themselves.

You may have witnessed a moment, an event or a discovery that would change the future of a community. This event or discovery would have to be something exceptional and dramatic to write a new chapter in the books of history.

The organized struggle of North American Muslims begins over seven centuries ago, with the civil rights movement led by multitudes of enslaved Muslim Africans. The spirit and movement continues today.

Rosa Parks was a woman of quiet strength and dignity who displayed incredible courage in the bastion of racial hatred in segregated America in the 1950s---Montgomery, Alabama---to spark a movement for change that liberated both the oppressed and the oppressors.

In Islamic history and tradition, Ethiopia (Abyssinia or Al-Habasha) is known as the "Haven of the First Migration or Hijra." For Muslims, Ethiopia is synonymous with freedom from persecution and emancipation from fear.

Although Senegal is neither a large nor a strategically located country, it has nonetheless played a prominent role in African politics since its independence. As a black nation that is more than 90% Muslim, Senegal has been a diplomatic and cultural bridge between the Islamic and black African worlds.

Black History Month is one of the best times to provide the Islamic perspective on Africa and to discuss the contributions of African Muslims. Here are 10 great ideas you can use during this month to increase awareness of Islam while discussing a current topic.