#053: Islam & the Blackamerican: Reflections on Race, Religion & Identity w/ Dr. Sherman Jackson

Path & Present w/Baraka Blue

Dr. Sherman Jackson is the King Faisal Chair of Islamic Thought and Culture, and Professor of Religion and American Studies and Ethnicity at the University of Southern California (USC). In this conversation, recorded February 2020, Dr. Jackson reflects on his seminal work, "Islam and the Blackamerican" nearly 20 years after it was written. He gives an overview of the central thesis in the book and then reflects on developments in the subsequent decades. We discuss changing demographics in the American Muslim community, immigration, 9/11, the backdrop of white supremacy, and Islamic tradition in context. We also touch on similarities and differences between Black and White trajectories to Islam, Hip-Hop, counter culture, and the dimension of social critique inherent in the phenomenon of conversion.