By Being Black and Muslim is tough; it just feels as if you’re always out of the equation.
That’s why Black History Month is not only a reminder for us that we should do better for our Black Muslim brothers and sisters, but also an acknowledgment of their Black excellence.
The bias against Black skin and Islam, as well as some people’s ignorant unwillingness to accept intersectional identities, has been the reason why Black Muslims have been suffering for centuries.
They’ve lost rights and been subjected to systemic and institutional discrimination and abuse. They’ve lost lost opportunities to build the same generational wealth that those who have benefitted from exploiting them and their labor have profited — and to continue to profit — from.
“’We’re for democracy and everyone here is equal, and you know, you’re free to do whatever you want, but that’s not necessarily the case,” said Malikah Shabazz, a Muslim American coordinator and producer, who recently passed away, Allah yer7ama. Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un.
In honor of Black History Month, watch Shabazz as she speaks about how it’s like being Black and Muslim, especially with the massive surge of Islamophobia.