Course Details

Who are American Muslims and what is Islam in the United States? This class explores the largely unknown history of Islam and Muslims in the United States and reveals how it is central to understanding who we are as Americans. Students will learn about the continual presence and significance of Islam and Muslims in the U.S., from Columbus’ “discovery” of the New World to the founding of the nation; through the Civil War, the World Wars, and the War on Terror; from settler colonialism and U.S. Empire to slavery; from slave revolts to Black nationalism, immigration to assimilation; to contemporary struggles for justice, including the current movement to free Palestine. We will also examine the construction and evolution of Islamophobia and anti-Muslim racism, from early America to the present.