As America marks Black History Month, Black Muslims in Detroit are using the month to honor the past, present, and future contributions of Black Muslims globally.

“Happy #BlackHistoryMonth! Join us and our partners to honor the past, present, and future contributions of Black Muslims globally,” the Muslim Anti-Racism Collaborative, commonly called MuslimARC, wrote on Twitter.

“Throughout the month we’ll share our info posts, as well as those from aligned Black Muslim-led initiatives using the hashtag #BlackMuslim2020.”

MuslimARC is a racial justice education organization with a vision that focuses on education and liberation.

The organization works to create spaces for learning and developing racial equity, connect people across multi-ethnic networks, and cultivate solutions for racial equity.

Rich History

Started in 2014, ARC is considered to be one of the biggest faith-based human rights education Muslim organizations in the US. The group works on several projects of educating and training Muslims regardless of their ethnic backgrounds on racial justice.

This year is the 6th anniversary of our #BeingBlackAndMuslim Hashtag conversation. “Throughout the month, we are sharing throwbacks and uplifting the work of our partners,” MuslimARC added.

Back in 2014, the hashtag trended on Twitter not only in the United States but globally as responses showcased black Muslims’ pride and joy in their culture and experiences.

According to the Pew Research Center, black Muslims make up a fifth of US Muslims.

African American Muslim history extends from the enslavement of Muslim Africans and into the Twentieth-Century Black Muslim Movement.

White Christian slaveowners stripped African Muslims of their faith and forced mass conversions. During the Black Muslim Movement, numerous African Americans reembraced the religion of their forefathers.

Seeking to preserve the legacy of the African American Muslim experience Sapelo Square partnered with Paper in February 2018 and launched Preserving the Legacy, a portrait and interview series, to capture and conserve Black Muslim Life in the US.