Islam in Black America: Identity, Liberation, and Difference in African-American Islamic Thought

Many of the most prominent figures in African-American Islam have been dismissed as Muslim heretics and cultists. Focusing on the works of five of these notable figures--Edward W. Blyden, Noble Drew Ali, Elijah Muhammad, Malcolm X, and Wallace D. Muhammad--author Edward E. Curtis IV examines the origin and development of modern African-American Islamic thought. Curtis notes that intellectual tensions in African-American Islam parallel those of Islam throughout its history--most notably, whether Islam is a religion for a particular group of people or whether it is a religion for all people. In the African-American context, such tensions reflect the struggle for black liberation and the continuing reconstruction of black identity. Ultimately, Curtis argues, the interplay of particular and universal interpretations of the faith can allow African-American Islam a vision that embraces both a specific group of people and all people.

Author: Edward E. Curtis IV
Publisher: State University of New York Press
Published: 04/23/2002
Pages: 186
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.65lbs
Size: 9.20h x 6.06w x 0.47d
ISBN: 9780791453704

Review Citation(s):
Choice 02/01/2003 pg. 998

About the Author
Edward E. Curtis IV is Assistant Professor of Religious Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

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