With My Face to the Rising Sun: Islam and the Construction of Afro-Christian Tradition in the United States

Islam, according to Lincoln and Mamiya, represents an important challenge to 20th century African American Christianity (the Black Church). However, Islam may have also played a role in facilitating the formation of African-American Christianity during slavery. Therefore, it is important to explore speculatively the historical impact of the 10–18% of Africans who were Muslims and who landed alive and as slaves in North America/the United States. More specifically I will examine their role in the negotiation of religious diversity that occurred among African slaves in the construction of culture, community, and, by extension, religious tradition. This paper will explore (1) the cultural toolkit of African Muslims and its possible expression in areas of African-American Christian tradition, (2) assess those areas where Muslim influence is known and evident—for instance in the Sea Islands, and (3) point to the areas where oral tradition, practice, and political activism underscore the potential for identifying Muslim contributions. This paper will also acknowledge the difficulty in making assertions about Muslim influence while at the same time suggesting areas of further research in the African American Christian tradition.