From Roots to Rap: Islam in America

FROM ROOTS TO RAP: ISLAM IN AMERICA

The purpose of this course is to provide students with a general overview of scholarship, related to and on Islam and America, from its earliest influences to modern times. We will trace the historical origins of the religion in America and survey contemporary Muslim growth in America, particularly within the African-American community. We will also seek to understand how various traditions in the religion have grown and been adapted to suit to American tastes, and how the religion has developed in America.

No prior course work is required to take RS199, but a commitment and a willingness to undertake a demanding course are essential. The course is structured as a seminar and students are required to complete an intensive amount of reading each week. Students are expected to have completed the readings each week and the class will primarily focus on analysis of the weekly assignments.

The class meets Tuesdays evenings at 7-9pm. The class is available pass/no credit.

REQUIRED BOOKS

(available at the Stanford Bookstore and Green Reserve)

Students are to choose four books from the eight below, one from each column (for example Austin or Diouf, Alford or Haley, etc.) in addition to reading Malcolm X’s Autobiography, as well as the required reader and additional handouts. Yvonne Haddad’s book is recommended but not required.

Malcolm X and Haley, Alex. The Autobiography of Malcolm X.

Course Reader

Turner, Richard Brent. Islam in the African American Experience (optional)

Austin, Allan D. African Muslims in Antebellum America: Transatlantic Stories and Spiritual Struggles.

-or-

Diouf, Sylvianne, Servants of Allah: African Muslims Enslaved in the Americas.

Alford, Terry. Prince Among Slaves.

-or-

Haley, Alex. Roots.

Lincoln, C. Eric. The Black Muslims in America.

-or-

Evanzz, Karl. The Messenger: The Rise and Fall of Elijah Muhammad

Smith, Jane I. Islam in America.

-or-

Nyang , Sulayman S. Islam in the United States of America

Haddad, Yvonne Yazbeck, Esposito, Joel, et al. Muslims on the Americanization Path? (recommended)

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

Attend all lectures; complete all required readings; participate in seminars; submit required reading responses by Monday 9am before each seminar. Reading summaries can be emailed to hussein@stanfordalumni.org.

Submit one final paper (from a choice of questions given out in week six, or an approved topic of your choice) that integrates readings, discussions and primary materials. Papers are due 5/27.

Students will be required to make one 30-minute presentation based on readings, outside research, and original analysis. These presentations will summarize the salient points of the readings, analyze the merit of arguments presented by the authors, and serve as a spark for in-class discussions.

All written work must be printed, double-spaced, 12 point font, with one inch margins; all written work must be submitted on the due date, by the time deadline. Late papers will be downgraded a full grade per day and will not be accepted after one day. Extensions and incompletes will not be granted EXCEPT in the case of medical or family emergencies (in these cases, please contact the instructors as soon as possible).

Attendance at all class meetings is required. Prior arrangements should be made with the instructors in the event that a class must be missed.

The course web page will include a syllabus with extra information as it comes up. The breakdown of the class assignments is as follows:

Weekly reading summaries 10%

Presentation, TBD 20%

Participation 20%

Final paper, due 5/27 50%

DATES, TOPICS, ASSIGNMENTS

Readings from the course reader are marked CR.

4/3: INTRODUCTION: WHAT IS ISLAM?

Esposito, Joel. Islam, the Straight Path. pp. 2 – 33 (CR)

Kennedy, N. Brent. The Melungeons, pp. 97 – 103 (CR)

Handout from Horizons

4/10: AFRICAN MUSLIMS IN SLAVERY

Westerlund, David. Islam Outside the Arab World. pp. 420 – 442 (CR)

Curtin, Philip. Africa Remembered. pp. 17 – 59, 145 – 169, 199 – 216 (CR)

Judy, Ronald. (Dis)forming the American Canon. pp. 209 – 273 (CR)

Gomez, Michael. “Muslims in Early America”, Journal of Southern History LX (Nov 1994), pp. 671-710 (available at http://www.stanford.edu/group/relstud199/gomez.pdf)

Austin/Diouf readings TBD

4/17: AFRICAN MUSLIMS IN SLAVERY

Haney, Marsha. Islam and Protestant African American Churches. pp. 39 – 74

Alford, Terry. pg 3-112 (Chapters 1-5)

Haley, Alex. chapters 1-16, 33-47, 51-56, 60-61, 64-66, 74-76, 118-120

Austin, Allan. pp. 65-83, 129-156 (85-113 optional)

Diouf, Sylvianne, Chapter 3 (pp. 71-106) optional reading: Chapter 2 (pp. 49-70)

4/24: EMERGENCE OF BLACK NATIONALISM AND CIVIL RIGHTS

Haley, Alex. Malcolm X (Autobiography). pp. 193 – 268, 323 – 369 (CR)

Wolfe, Michael. One Thousand Roads to Mecca. pp. 486 – 489 (CR)

Baraka, Imamu and Baraka, Amira. Four Black Revolutionary Plays. pp. 33 – 56 (CR)

Lincoln, C. Eric. The Black Muslims in America. pp. 35 – 194, 232 – 250 (CR)

Haney, Marsha. Islam and Protestant African American Churches. pp. 75 – 101 (CR)

Cleaver, Eldridge. Soul on Ice. pp. 72 – 84 (CR)

Keppel, Giles and Milner, Susan. Allah in the West. pp. 35 – 43 (CR)

Al-Amin, Jamil. Revolution by the Book: The Rap is Live. pp. (prologue) vii – xviii (CR)

Haddad, Yvonne. Mission to America. pp. 79 – 104 (CR)

Early, Gerald. The Muhammad Ali Reader. pp. 27 – 40 (CR)

Turner, Richard Brent. “The Ahmadiyya Mission to Blacks in the United States in the 1920’s”, The Journal of Religious Thought, 44:2, pp. 50-66 (handout)

Evanzz, Karl. required Preface, chapters 1-5, 9-11, 14, Pg. 157

Lincoln, Eric. Required chapters 4-6, optional chapters 2-3.

5/1: AFRICAN AMERICAN ISLAM AFTER MALCOLM

Haney, Marsha. Islam and Protestant African American Churches. pp. 103 – 127 (CR)

Al-Amin, Jamil. Revolution by the Book: The Rap is Live. pp. 117 – 133 (CR)

Haddad, Yvonne. The Muslims of America. pp. 136 – 156 (CR)

Keppel, Giles and Milner, Susan. Allah in the West. pp. 41 – 78, 130 – 135 (CR)

Metcalf, Barbara. Making Muslim Space. pp. 65 – 73, 131 – 146 (CR)

Waugh, Ealre. Muslim Families in North America. pp. 213 – 231 (CR)

Waugh, E.A. The Muslim Community in North America. pp. 234 – 255 (CR)

Selections from American Jihad: Islam After Malcolm X, pp. TBD (handout)

5/8: IMMIGRANT ISLAM

Smith, Jane. Islam in America. pp. 50 – 75 (CR)

Haddad, Yvonne. Muslim Families in North America. pp. 6 – 31, 256 – 308 (CR)

Haddad, Yvonne. The Muslims of America. pp. 11 – 24 (CR)

Smith/Nyang, TBD

Handout

5/15: MUSLIM CONVERTS

Wolfe, Michael. One Thousand Roads to Mecca. pp. 523 – 549 (CR)

Waugh, E.A. The Muslim Community in North America. pp. 93 – 110 (CR)

Lang, Jeffrey. Struggling to Surrender. pp. TBD (handout)

Amway, Carol. Daughters of Another Path: Experiences of American Women Choosing Islam. pp. TBD (handout)

From Roots to Rap: Islam in America

Spring 2001 3 units