REL 237
Islam in the United States: Race, Religion, Politics Fall 2025
Division II D Difference, Power, and Equity
Cross-listed AMST 237 / AAS 237 / AFR 237

Malcolm X–whose 100th birth year is being commemorated this year–is one of the most iconic yet controversial figures in the black freedom struggle. He is also arguably the most prominent and influential Muslim in the history of the United States. His story and legacy powerfully illustrate the complex intersections of Muslim identity, political resistance, and national belonging. From the early period of “Black Muslim” movements represented by Malcolm X, to the current “War on Terror” era, American Muslims have faced a complex intersection of exclusions. Taking Malcolm X as our point of departure, this course examines how American Muslims have navigated these multiple layers of marginalization. In so doing, we consider how broader socio-political contexts inform Muslims’ competing visions of Islam, and we unpack the complex relations between religion, race, and politics. This also allows us to reflect on urgent yet challenging questions regarding national identity and security, collective belonging, the politics of difference, and the imperatives of solidarity. Throughout the course, we will be engaging with historical and anthropological material, autobiographies, documentaries, films, historical primary-source documents, music videos, and social media. The course fosters critical thinking about diversity by challenging assumptions of who Muslims are, what being American means, and what Islam is. It also focuses on the politics of managing and navigating difference, as well as the complex interaction of different dimensions of diversity, from religion to ideology, race, nationality, ethnicity, culture, gender, and language.