Diversifying Narratives of the Ummah: Black Muslim Women's Experiences
[Thesis]
Khan, Humama
Phelps, Rosemary
University of Georgia
2020
133 p.
Ph.D.
University of Georgia
2020
This study seeks to explore the lived experiences of Black Muslim women in the United States. Black Muslim Women are an overlooked subgroup within the Muslim community. To create a foundation for present and future research, it is important to gain knowledge of the unique experiences of Black Muslim women. The research questions for this study were: ;What are the common gendered experiences of Black Muslim women specific to the Black Muslim Diasporic community? ;;What are the common experiences at the intersection of race, gender, and religion of Black Muslim women in the larger Muslim community in the U.S.? ;;What are the common experiences of Black Muslim women within the larger NonMuslim U.S. society?; Qualitative interviews were conducted with twelve Black Muslim women residing in the U.S. exploring their experiences through a Black Feminist Thought framework. Findings of the study indicate the following three conclusions. First, Black Muslim women within their Diasporic community share experiences of occupying a socialized place that affords them less than equal positions in their homes and communities which engenders a sisterhood and acquisition of knowledge which empowers them. The second conclusion is that the women share the common experiences of isolation, otherness, and sexism within the larger Muslim community, while carrying an understanding of their marginality that affords them this tangential acceptance, mediated by unity in a shared faith and self-determination. The third conclusion is that Black Muslim women share the common experiences of isolation, hostility, and racism in their U.S. existence as Muslim women and find that these common experiences create a consciousness that cultivates an intersectional and humanitarian advocacy as an act of resistance. The findings identified through this study have implications for clinical practice and future research with Black Muslim women. In addition to recommendations for research and practice, continued efforts towards collaboration and cohesion for Muslim communities and the U.S. were proposed.