'Forgotten Roots' traveling exhibit highlights overlooked history of Black Muslims in America

The White Plains High School Media Center briefly became a museum on Wednesday as a traveling exhibit shone a light on stories about Black Muslims in America.

Titled “Forgotten Roots: Early Black Muslims in American History,” the exhibit — presented in partnership with the American Muslim Women’s Association — focused on the experiences and contributions of that segment of the population from the nation’s earliest days to the present.

All junior U.S. history classes at WPHS toured the 39-panel exhibit, engaging with primary images, narratives and timelines that challenged common assumptions about who shaped American history.

“I liked it a lot, it’s very informative,” said 11th-grader Vienna Solano, who attended the exhibit as part of her AP History class. “Muslim Americans and Muslim immigrants have a great impact on America.”

She said the exhibit “connects to things in our everyday lives, like R&B and boxing, so I feel like a lot of students can relate,” adding that the exhibit helps counter stereotypes about Black Muslims, who are known for their rich history and contributions to civil rights.

“It shows how much they’ve contributed and how much support they’ve given Americans,” Vienna said.

Students were asked to complete written reflections examining the roles Muslims played in early American history, the significance of mosques, early Islamic organizations, and the contributions of Muslim women. They also analyzed figures connected to civil rights, the military, sports, politics and ethnic communities.

“I really liked it because you see more of the history, and this isn’t really known,” said junior Alicia Diaz, for whom the exhibit was eye-opening.
“You don’t really hear about Islam when we talk about slavery. You hear about Christianization, but not that many enslaved Africans were Muslim — some became free and were community leaders,” Alicia said. “It really broadens your mind, especially with all the prejudice going on right now.”

Another junior, Alexander Perez, said the exhibit helped put historical struggles into context.

“It’s very informative,” he said. “I get to learn about what Muslims faced when they first got to the U.S. and how they struggled.”

The exhibit was organized by Amir Muhammad, who said it was created to address gaps in the historical narrative.

“This museum covers Muslims in America from the 1300s — from West Africa — to the slave trade, the Spanish Inquisition, and then Muslims up to today,” Mr. Muhammad said. “We focus on early Africans who were brought here. Many could read and write, some were plantation managers. We also show Muslims who came from different countries and contributed to American history. We’ve identified at least 21 countries.”

Mr. Muhammad said his own family history helped inspire the project. While researching his Gullah Geechee roots along the Georgia coast, he discovered Islamic traditions passed down through generations.

“I felt there was a need to tell our story, because our story was not being told,” he said. “Muslims fought in all American wars. In the Revolutionary War we found six people with Islamic names. In the Civil War, over 292. These are hidden stories.”

The American Muslim Women’s Association helps bring the exhibit to schools nationwide, Muhammad said, and student reactions have been overwhelmingly positive. “It exposes them — and teachers — to things they didn’t know,” he said.

From an instructional standpoint, district leaders said the exhibit aligned closely with curricular goals.

Emory Davis, coordinator of Social Studies for grades 7–12, said the department was proud to host the exhibit in partnership with AMWA.

“This exhibit challenges a common misconception in the American narrative: that Muslim history in the United States is peripheral,” he said. “Instead, students explored a deeper, more accurate story, one in which Muslims have been present in America since its earliest days and have contributed in meaningful ways to our nation’s development.”

He added that the experience reflected the department’s broader mission.

“The goal of the Social Studies Department is the belief that Social Studies must do more than recount familiar names and events,” Mr. Davis said. “It must elevate voices that have too often been overlooked and help students understand that history belongs to everyone.”

The department also expressed gratitude to Mr. Muhammad and his wife, Habiba, who traveled from Washington, D.C., to engage directly with students and staff.

“Their presence reinforced a powerful message: that students’ identities matter, that representation matters and that learning history through multiple perspectives strengthens our entire community,” Mr. Davis said.

The American Muslim Women’s Association, based in Briarcliff Manor, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to education, visibility and community engagement, with a mission to build bridges between Judaism, Christianity and Islam.