RESOURCE: A People's History of Muslims in the United States

[Ryan Goble]

A People's History of Muslims in the United States 

What school textbooks and the media miss 

By Alison Kysia, Zinn Education Project Program Associate 

 

Muslims in people's history include: Muhammed Ali b. Said, Nagi Daifallah, and Linda Sarsour.

When I teach history related to Islam or Muslims in the United States, I begin by asking students what names they associate with these terms. The list is consistent year after year: Malcolm X, Elijah Muhammad, and Muhammad Ali.

 

All of these individuals have affected U.S. history in significant ways. If we take a step back and look at the messages these figures communicate about Muslims in U.S. history, we see a story dominated by men and by the Nation of Islam. Although important, focusing solely on these stories leaves us with a skewed view of Muslims in U.S. history. Even these examples are a stretch. Most of my students reference 9/11 as the first time they heard of Muslims. Continue reading.