(COLUMBUS, OHIO, 2/1/2022) – The Ohio Chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Ohio) welcomes Black History Month with a new series spotlighting notable Black Muslims in America on CAIR-Ohio platforms throughout the month of February.
“Enduring Legacy: Black Muslims in America” celebrates not only the trailblazers of our past, but also the changemakers of today.
Black Muslims constitute one-fifth of the American Muslim community and were the first racial and ethnic group of Muslims in the Americas. As we honor and commemorate Black history in the U.S., CAIR-Ohio declares loudly and proudly: Black history is American history. Black history is Islamic history.
Stay tuned to your weekly CAIR-Ohio email newsletter and follow CAIR-Ohio on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter to engage with the series.
While celebrating and reflecting on this enduring legacy, we cannot ignore the realities of racial inequity today. Black lives taken from us by police brutality; Black lives unfairly targeted by the criminal justice system; voter suppression; efforts to dismiss racism and censor history taught in our classrooms.
These are just a few of many racial justice issues that plague our nation, but that we as advocates, activists, allies, and Muslims can do something about. At CAIR-Ohio, we continue to fight for civil rights and justice for all.
See our spotlights below:
Our first spotlight in this series celebrating trailblazers of our past and changemakers of today is Congresswoman Ilhan Omar. Serving Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District, Rep. Omar is the first Black Muslim woman and first African refugee elected to Congress. She is also the first woman of color to represent Minnesota.
Born in Somalia, Rep. Omar and her family fled the country’s civil war when she was eight. The family spent four years in a refugee camp in Kenya before coming to the United States in 1990s. Since being sworn into office in January 2019, Rep. Omar has advocated for religious freedom, immigration reform, and other social justice causes.