Description
Book SynopsisWhy has Islam spread among Blackamericans but not among white Americans or Hispanics? Thus far, no one has offered a convincing answer to this question. The assumption has been that there is an African connection, but the historical record does not bear this out. In Islam and the Blackamerican, Sherman Jackson offers a trenchant examination of the career of Islam among Blackamericans.
Trade ReviewDestined to become a fixture in any course dealing with Islam in America, Jackson's treatment of the subject offers many helpful insights while giving a voice to often-ignored Blackamerican Muslims. ...his work will contribute to the lively and growing debate over the place of Islam in America and the role of Blackamerican Muslims in the contemporary American religious scene. * The Virginia Quarterly Review *
No one has ever analyzed the actual dynamics of Blackamerican Muslims with more acute insight, or more palpable good will, than Sherman Jackson. For both black and white Americans, Jackson sets forth a vision of Islam that is at once holistic and pragmatic: a source of inner strength, a builder of human character, and a bridge to salvation. This book is required reading for anyone who has ever pondered how the long span of Muslim history connects to the Blackamerican stake in an ongoing and enabling Islamic identity. * Bruce Lawrence, author of New Faiths, Old Fears: Muslims and Other Asian Immigrants in American Religious Life *
No author is better positioned than Sherman Jackson to write Islam and the Blackamerican. A prominent scholar of Islam and major Muslim leader, Jackson draws on his impeccable scholarship and experience, providing a perspective on the past and charting a future course for Blackamerican Muslims. * John L. Esposito, author of What Everyone Needs to Know about Islam *
This seminal examination of Blackamerican Islam is an excellent theoretical seating for and analysis of various communities since the beginning of the twentieth century. What makes this text groundbreaking is that it stands the tradition of the only real religion among African Americans is Christianity on its head. For almost all of the 20th century, Black Christian scholars have claimed hegemony over what is said about religion in the black community without mentioning the influences of Islam or even its increasing adherence. Well, Sherman Jackson has forced a new conversation with a skilled and sophisticated investigation from the point of view of a Blackamerican Islamic scholar. Things will never be the same again in the scholarship around black religion. * Aminah Beverly McCloud, author of African American Islam *
A must read for anyone interested in an important and challenging interpretation of Islam and African Americans. * James H. Cone, author of Martin & Malcolm & America: A Dream or a Nightmare *
Table of ContentsIntroduction 1. Islam and Black Religion 2. The Third Resurrection and the Ghost of Edward Wilmot Blyden 3. Black Orientalism 4. Between Blackamerica, Immigrant Islam, and the Dominant Culture 5. Blackamerican Islam Between Religion, Nationalism, and Spirituality Notes Index
