Donna Auston, a doctoral candidate in Anthropology, started the hashtag #BlackMuslimRamadan on July 8th.
Auston told BuzzFeed she started the hashtag in order to increase visibility and exert a greater level of control over the American Muslim narrative, where black Muslims are rarely included. Auston also said she launched the hashtag because “celebrating the beauty and richness of black life and cultural expression is absolutely essential,” in light of #blacklivesmatter and attacks on black religious centers in Charleston and elsewhere.
Read the rest of the Buzzfeed article here.
altM editor Margari Hill responded to Auston’s call:
When Donna Auston sent out the call for Black Muslim Ramadan, I happily answered her call by tweeting to netizens of the African Diaspora, from the United States, the UK, Canada, the Caribbean, South and Central America, and of course, the African continent. The pictures ranged from historical photos dating to the early 20th century, children in all shades of brown, and Muslims worshipping, celebrating, sharing their favorite meals, and loving life. Reading the Hashtag has been enlightening and affirming, learning about the history of the first Muslims in the Americas and current vibrant communities. The Hashtag still continues as people share their Ramadan experiences and their thoughts through eid.
