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Black Pilgrimage to Islam
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From
The term black Muslim generally conjures up images of the Nation of Islam and Elijah Muhammad. But the appeal of Islam dates back to slavery, when many Africans retained their religion, defying attempts to Christianize them. Dannin traces the evolution of the practice of Islam by blacks in the U.S. from slavery through the more orthodox, globalized Islam. The first half of the book recounts the history of Islam among American blacks, the linkage to secret lodge societies, and the rise of black nationalism. Islamic missionaries brought more formal pedagogy but often stirred conflict with their disregard for the historic context of Islam in an oppressed black America. In his conversion to orthodox Islam, El-Hajj Malik Shabazz, better known as Malcolm X, elevated the status of Islam as a powerful alternative to the spiritual monopoly of Christianity in liberating black Americans from the strictures of racism. The second half of this fascinating book recounts individual experiences of conversion and the difficulties of being a double minority in terms of race and religion. Vanessa Bush
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Review
"an important and ground-breaking book"-- Journal of African American History
"I highly recommend this text for those interested in Islam in America, black religion, and American religious ethnography."-- The Journal of Religion
"[An] effort to promote cross-cultural understanding and to give an image and voice to thousands of African Americans. He succeeds admirably. Among the book's greatest strengths are the Muslims' testimonies of conversion, presented in their own words."--Sonsyrea Tate,The Washington Post Book World
"Fascinating"--Booklist
27/09/2007
This book is a must read for understanding Islam as it has been practiced and embraced by descendants of African slaves in America. Get out your dictionary, highlighter and laptop as it will inspire you to learn, blog and think.
10/11/2003
Fifteen years of research have gone into the most comprehensive, candid and well-written social history of African American Islam to date. The author's experience as a journalist and, more recently, teacher of urban anthropology at New York University show as he brings facts and personalities to life. From the working-class and depressed urban neighborhoods to college campuses, community organizations and prisons, Dan-nin investigates the surprising range of expressions that Islam has taken, all the while inquiring how Islam has aided people seeking to overcome a legacy of slavery and ra-cial oppression. His travels, conversations and readings show that the Nation of Islam, which commands a disproportionate share of national media attention, is but a thread in a much larger design, which is itself a rich element in the social tapestry of the United States. DD
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