The history of the United States is far more complex and storied than commonly understood or conveyed in standard U.S. History textbooks or courses of study. Often overlooked in most renderings of U.S. history are the histories of Muslims in America. American Muslims: A History Revealed addresses that knowledge gap by exploring significant moments in U.S. history through the lived experiences of American Muslims as told through archival sources, historic sites, and scholarly research.
7 p.m. to 9 p.m. | Friday, May 23 | MCC Conference Room | Join in person or watch virtually at mcceastbay.org/live
Adnan Dawood, a longtime MCC congregation member, will moderate the discussion. We will watch two episodes of this PBS series in the community: Little Mosque on the Prairie and How Islam Influenced Black Americans in 1920s Chicago.
As the Muslim holy month of Ramadan ends, we’re excited to share American Muslims: A History Revealed, a powerful PBS series that uncovers 200 years of Muslim American history. From enslaved African Muslims to pioneering, diverse immigrant communities, this series offers vital stories perfect for reflection. It is hosted by Amna Nawaz from PBS.
This PBS series moves beyond inclusion by exploring the histories of Muslims whose lives have been well documented in the archives. Rather than attempting to fit Muslim stories into an already established American historical narrative, the series seeks to expand the frame of that narrative to reveal that America has always been much more than any singular, narrow story about it. Further, the stories here are not intended to be a chronicle of accomplishments or contributions, of what Muslims have “given” to America, but how Muslims as Americans have transformed America as much as they have been transformed. These are not just stories of how Muslims become American, but of America’s becoming, an ongoing process that includes everyone, not just American Muslims. The episodes in this series thus offer a way to expand, deepen, pluralize, and complicate commonly held ideas about the stories of Muslims in America, and more significantly, of America itself.
- – Watch the entire series at https://maestro.tv/picturemotion/american-muslims
- – Discussion guide: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1JxwrZ7taljwW4ej4Flf8VVs7EZ6nvJNA/view
Questions? events@mcceastbay.org