Biography
Dr. Kameelah Mu’Min Rashad is the Founding President of Muslim Wellness Foundation (MWF), a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting healing and emotional well-being in the American Muslim community. Through MWF, Dr. Mu’Min Rashad has established the Omar ibn Said Institute for Black Muslim Studies & Research, and the annual Black Muslim Psychology Conference. Dr. Mu’Min Rashad is a Visiting Assistant Professor of Psychology and Muslim Studies at Chicago Theological Seminary (CTS) and CTS' Project Director for the InterAct on Race Project: Engaging Diverse Faith Communities in Anti-Racist Work. She is also Visiting Faculty at Bayan Islamic Graduate School. Dr. Rashad teaches the following courses: Self-Care and Self- Development for Spiritual Care Providers, Intentional Community Building in/through the Black Muslim Imagination, the Psychology of Christian Hegemony and Religious Oppression in the United States, and Black Muslim Psychology, Activism & Healing.
Dr. Mu’Min Rashad graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a BA in Psychology and MEd in Psychological Services. She holds a second Masters in Restorative Practices & Youth Counseling (MRP) from the International Institute for Restorative Practices. Dr. Rashad completed her doctorate in Clinical Psychology at Chestnut Hill College in Philadelphia, PA.
Crossroads Community Stories Fellow Project
The People's Effort to Return to Allah: The Formation, Dissolution and Reconfiguarion of the Dar-ul-Islam Movement in the United States
The Dar-ul-Islam Movement (also called “the Dar”) was established in 1962 by three African American converts to Islam: Imam Yahya Abdul-Karim, Rijab Mahmoud and Ishaq Abdus-Shaheed. It has been called “one of the first and most significant grassroots movements established by African-American, orthodox (Sunni) Muslims in America.” At its height, the Dar included a network of 30-40 mosques across the country, mainly in predominantly African American urban hubs, including New York City (Brooklyn), Atlanta, Chicago, Cleveland, Baltimore, and Los Angeles. Using archival research, in-depth oral history interviews and a Black Muslim centered appreciative inquiry process, the People’s Effort project aims to correct the gap in the documented history and presence of this movement and expand the literature on Black religion in the United States and African American Muslim communities. This project will also center the exploration of racial-religious identity development, gender, agency and the unique role of African American Muslim women in community building. Lastly, this project will also contribute greatly to the vision of the Crossroads Project to “call for deeper public understanding of and scholarly engagement with Black religious histories and cultures…” and highlight “the diverse landscape of Black religions, reflecting the voices and leadership of those not featured in traditional accounts.”