The Nation of Islam’s Economic Program, 1934-1975

In the following article, historian Nafeesa Muhammad describes the often lauded but understudied economic program of the Nation of Islam (NOI). Here she focuses on the economic development plans put in place under the NOI’s longtime leader, Elijah Muhammad and their impact on African American … Read MoreThe Nation of Islam’s Economic Program, 1934-1975

Second Sudanese Civil War (1983-2005)

The Second Sudanese Civil War was an intense 22-year conflict between the central government in Khartoum and the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA).  The war started in southern Sudan but spread to other places including the Nuba mountains and the Blue Nile region. Two million … Read MoreSecond Sudanese Civil War (1983-2005)

Aquil Abdullah (1973- )

Born Aquilibn Michael X. Shumate in Washington, D.C. on June 20, 1973, Aquil Abdullah would transcend racial barriers in sports and challenge religious and political bigotry. When he was six years old, his father converted to Islam and changed the family’s last name to Abdullah.  Abdullah attended Woodrow Wilson High … Read MoreAquil Abdullah (1973- )

Adama Barrow
(1965- )

Adama Barrow is a Gambian politician and real estate developer who is the third and current president of Gambia. Barrow defeated Yahya Jammeh in the 2016 Gambian presidential election, but because the incumbent president initially refused to recognize the victory, Barrow was inaugurated at the … Read MoreAdama Barrow
(1965- )

Raphael Abraham Frank Mensah (1924-1990s)

Raphael Abraham Frank Mensah (1924-1990s), a schoolmaster and theologian, played a foundational role in bringing Mormonism to Ghana. Born in 1924 in Winneba, Gold Coast, as the British colony of Ghana was then called, he was the eldest of five children, three sons and two … Read MoreRaphael Abraham Frank Mensah (1924-1990s)

Ali Al’amin Mazrui (1933-2014)

Ali Al’amin Mazrui was a Kenyan intellectual in the fields of political science, African studies, and Islamic studies. The father of the African Liberalism ideology (an economic perspective on Africa critical of western powers and Marxism/Socialism) was an often controversial figure due largely to his … Read MoreAli Al’amin Mazrui (1933-2014)