Dream Storytelling Interviews

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  Oral History Interview with Dawud Clark on March 14, 2021

  Dream Storytelling Project Team

  Oral history interview with Dawud Clark conducted by Abdul-Zahir Sadid on March 14, 2021. Interview written by Dr. Alisa Perkins (Research Director) and Abdul-Zahir Sadid. Dawud Clark was born in 1959 in Germany while his father was stationed there as part of his military service. After Clark’s family returned to the US in the 1960s, they settled in Detroit, where his father worked for Ford Motor Company and his mother pursued a career as a teacher. After graduating from Murray-Wright High School, Clark earned his EMT license from Wayne County Community College. He then obtained a Philosophy of Law degree from Grand Valley State University and subsequently worked as a paralegal. Clark was exposed to Islam in college, and his identity as a Muslim became central to his life when he was incarcerated. Within prison, Clark became active in protecting prisoner’s rights, particularly Muslims’ ability to maintain halal diets and to access Islamic education. In 2018, Clark joined the Muslim Center Mosque and Community Center. He began volunteering in the mosque’s kitchen and working as a security guard for the mosque. Aside from his activities at the Muslim Center, Clark volunteers with the neighborhood revitalization organization Dream of Detroit, where he employs his skills in carpentry, plumbing and other aspects of housing rehabilitation. Clark played a chief role in renovating Project Homecoming, a transitional home for returning citizens. He currently serves as the House Manager for the home. In the interview, Clark reflects on his motivation to help build up the community, housing density, and economic life in the neighborhood around the Muslim Center and his continued advocacy for prisoner’s rights and the well-being of formerly incarcerated citizens.

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  Oral History Interview with Imam Khalil Markham (Cornell J. Markham) on June 19, 2021

  Dream Storytelling Project Team

  Summary in progress.

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  Oral History Interview with Jermaine Carey on February 13, 2021

  Dream Storytelling Project Team

  Oral history interview with Jermaine Carey conducted by Naimah Siddiq on February 13, 2021. Interview written by Dr. Alisa Perkins (Research Director) and Naimah Siddiq. Jermaine Carey was born in Detroit, Michigan on February 5, 1980 into a Muslim family. His father, who was also born in Detroit, was an Assistant Minister in the Nation of Islam’s Temple No. 8 in Highland Park under Minister John Muhammad. Carey’s mother also played an active role in building and supporting the local Muslim community. As a child growing up in East Detroit, Carey enrolled in the NOI’s Fruit of Islam (FOI) training and attended Islamic parochial school at Masjid Al-Nur for part of his education. Growing up, he and his family attended a range of mosques in the area including Muhammad Mosque #1, Al-Ikhlas Islamic Center, the Muslim Center Mosque and Community Center, Masjid Al-Haqq, and Masjid Al-Nur. As an adult, Carey has continued his parents’ legacy of leadership and involvement in the Muslim community. He plays an active role in mentoring Muslim youth and has served as the coordinator/director for the mosque-based Youth Leadership Initiative. Notably, Carey leads an ongoing initiative to supply resources to those affected by the Flint water crisis. In coordination with the Muslim community, he annually raises funds for, and delivers bottled water to Flint residents in need. As a member of the Ansar Collective, Carey works in concert with other Muslim male leaders who coordinate local grassroots activism, help educate the community, and bring people together. Carey is one of the founders of a podcast called “Good Vibes with the Good Brothers.” Through this podcast, Carey and the other hosts highlight Black Muslim experiences by inviting prominent artists, activists, scholars, and leaders affiliated with the Black Muslim community to engage in dialogue about their work. In particular, the podcast also allows Carey to spread knowledge about the contributions of local Muslims to Detroit’s hip-hop culture, a topic which this interview addresses in depth. In the interview, Carey discusses the meaning and importance that serving the Muslim community has held for him over the course of his life, his continued devotion to mentoring Muslim youth, and his hopes that the younger generation of young Muslims will become increasingly involved in building and maintaining the community.

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  Oral History Interview with Judge Aliyah Sabree on March 20, 2021

  Dream Storytelling Project Team

  Summary in progress.

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  Oral History Interview with Malia Kai Salaam on July 17, 2021

  Dream Storytelling Project Team

  Summary in progress

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  Oral History Interview with Mansur Blackman on January 23, 2021

  Dream Storytelling Project Team

  Oral history interview with Mansur Blackman conducted by Samayyah Cook on January 23, 2021. Interview written by Dr. Alisa Perkins (Research Director) and Samayyah Cook. Mansur Blackman was born in Indianapolis, Indiana in 1990. His mother was born in Philadelphia and his father was born in Queens, New York. Blackman was raised in a Muslim family, as his mother and father each embraced Islam before meeting each other. His mother, Mumina Blackman, helped found an Islamic parochial school called the MTI School of Knowledge in Indianapolis, which Blackman attended. Growing up, he frequented Masjid Al-Fajr in Indianapolis with his family. After high school, Blackman graduated from the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology with a degree in Electrical Engineering. Soon after, he was recruited by the Ford Motor Graduates Program and moved to Michigan to pursue a career at the Ford Motor Company. Blackman eventually returned to the University of Michigan to obtain his Master’s degree in Computer Engineering. He now works as a Systems Engineer for Ford. In Detroit, Blackman attended various mosques, including the Muslim Center Mosque and Community Center, the American Muslim Center, and the Islamic Center of Detroit (ICD). After he joined Dream of Detroit, Blackman and his family relocated to the organization’s neighborhood to be part of its intentional community. He currently serves as Housing Chair, helping coordinate the Dream of Detroit’s housing and neighborhood rehabilitation efforts. In the interview, Blackman discusses similarities between his childhood in the close-knit Indianapolis Muslim community and the warm atmosphere of the Muslim Center and Dream of Detroit. He elaborates on his role as Housing Chair for Dream of Detroit, describing the many projects the organization undertakes and his vision for the neighborhood’s future.

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  Oral History Interview with Minister Troy Muhammad on February 20, 2021

  Dream Storytelling Project Team

  Oral history interview with Minister Troy Muhammad conducted by Munimah Ahmad on February 20, 2021. Interview written by Dr. Alisa Perkins (Research Director) and Munimah Ahmad. Minister Troy Muhammad was born in Detroit, Michigan in 1970 and raised in a Christian household by his grandmother, who was originally from Georgia. When he was seventeen years old, Minister Muhammad encountered the teachings of Minister Louis Farrakhan while incarcerated. This encounter led him to embrace Islam, join the Nation of Islam, and begin a lifetime of service to others. Since his release, Minister Muhammad has taken on several important leadership positions in the community. As a supervisor for truck drivers, Minister Muhammad facilitated the hiring of more than 200 formerly incarcerated men, helping to ensure their stability and combat the stigma of incarceration. He also worked at Goodwill Industries, motivated by the opportunity to help young people secure jobs and educational opportunities. He currently works at Wayne Metro Community Action Agency, helping provide housing to people in need. Minister Muhammad holds the distinction of serving as State Representative for Minister Louis Farrakhan and as Minister of Muhammad Mosque #1. As part of his role as mosque leader, Minister Muhammad helps organize the many different social services, education, and advocacy programs that the mosque offers to the community. In his interview, Minister Muhammad outlines the long history of the Nation of Islam in Detroit and how Muhammad Mosque #1 continues its legacy of moral leadership, service, and giving, while advancing the Nation of Islam's historical role as a significant source of support for people in prison. Over several years, Minister Muhammad has played a major role in organizing Saviours' Day in Detroit, helping to successfully draw thousands to the city from across the country. In the interview, Minister Muhammad reflects on Saviours' Day and its importance as an event that brings together the local and national Muslim community and promotes outreach and fellowship among many diverse groups in Detroit.

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  Oral History Interview with Na‘im Muslim Sabir on January 9, 2021

  Dream Storytelling Project Team

  Oral history interview with Na‘im Muslim Sabir conducted by Zayd Walid on January 9, 2021. Interview written by Dr. Alisa Perkins (Research Director) and Zayd Walid. Na‘im Muslim Sabir was born and raised in Somerville, Pennsylvania in 1938. Both of Sabir’s parents were born and raised in Hogansville, Georgia. Sabir grew up on his family’s farm. As an adult, Sabir moved north, first to Cleveland, Ohio, and then to Detroit in search of better employment opportunities and an alternative to the racist environments that he had experienced. Sabir first came to Detroit in 1967 and has resided in Detroit since then. Sabir converted to Islam in 1973 through the Nation of Islam and joined Temple No. 1. A few years later, Sabir became part of the Imam Warith Deen Mohammed Community. In his interview, Sabir discusses his many years of activism, business-ownership, and community development that were inspired first by the Honorable Elijah Muhammad’s do-for-self teaching, and then by Imam Warith Deen Mohammed’s legacy of self and community empowerment. In his interview, Sabir’s details how he helped establish C.R.I.T.E.R.I.O.N. Urban Farms, a non-profit initiative located nearby Historic Masjid Wali Muhammad. As president of C.R.I.T.E.R.I.O.N Urban Farms, Sabir helps provide Detroit residents with the opportunity to purchase a plot, while offering support and education for them in farming, animal husbandry, bee-keeping, and marketing. Sabir outlines plans for the urban farm’s continued growth.

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  Oral History Interview with Nickie Graves Henderson on June 22, 2021 and July 13, 2021

  Dream Storytelling Project Team

  All video segments are in the same file. Oral history interview with Nickie D. Graves Henderson (formerly Nikki D. Graves Shakoor) conducted by Zainab Yousif-Ahmad on June 22, 2021 and July 13, 2021. Interview written by Dr. Alisa Perkins (Research Director) and Zainab Yousif-Ahmad. Nickie D. Graves Henderson was born in Detroit, Michigan on June 7, 1948 to parents who hailed from Arkansas and moved to Michigan in the 1930s as part of the Great Migration. As a teenager, Henderson gained admission to the prestigious Cass Technical High School in downtown Detroit, graduating at sixteen years old. Henderson worked as a telephone operator at Michigan Bell and attended Wayne County Community College. As a young adult, Henderson reverted from Christianity to Islam. She attended Historic Masjid Wali Muhammad and taught at the mosque-affiliated Sister Clara Muhammad School. In 1987, she graduated from Sienna Heights College with a Bachelor’s degree in Applied Science. With the support of a National Urban Fellowship award, she then attended City University of New York (CUNY) where she graduated with a Master’s in Public Administration. Henderson then moved to Cleveland, Ohio to work for the Department of Human Services, where she creatively responded to the needs of unhoused people. Returning to Detroit, she worked at the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation, where she integrated African-American history into the museum’s exhibits. In 1981, Henderson founded the League of Muslim Women (LMW) alongside six other women: Dr. Cheryl El-Amin, Tahira Hassanein Khalid, Sharifa Hud, Sahirah Muhammad, Dr. Viola Vaughn, and Georgia Wahid. Henderson served as the LMW’s president for its first ten years, when the organization primarily focused on providing Islamic social services to Detroit residents in need. The organization inspired the development of the International League of Muslim (ILWM), which currently has chapters nationwide and an international presence. In its first ten years, with Henderson as president, the League of Muslim Women in Detroit established several residential housing facilities for Muslim seniors and women in need, collected and distributed winter clothing, set up a food pantry and soup kitchen, and organized fundraisers including modest fashion shows, skating parties, and annual dinners. The LMW also established an educational exchange program to promote mutual learning between teenagers from Togo, West Africa and the United States. Henderson pursued doctoral studies at the University of Maryland College Park in Washington DC. She currently works as history project director at the Tinner Hill Heritage Foundation in Falls Church, where she helps preserve the legacy of African Americans in the area. In this interview, Henderson reflects on the challenges and joys of establishing the League of Muslim Women, and the enduring friendships among its founders. Henderson also details her long and successful career trajectory, focusing on her current efforts to elevate African-American history.

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  Oral History Interview with Sabreen Sharrief on October 13, 2020

  Dream Storytelling Project Team

  Oral history interview with Sabreen Sharrief conducted by Zainab Yousif-Ahmad on October 13, 2020. Interview written by Dr. Alisa Perkins (Research Director) and Zainab Yousif-Ahmad. Sabreen Sharrief was born in 1948 in the metro Detroit city of Inkster, Michigan, into a family that originally hailed from Jackson, Mississippi. Sharrief’s great-grandfather was an early educator for enslaved African-American children, teaching at an institution that would later become Jackson’s Tougaloo College. In 1947, Sharrief’s father established Big Four Black and White Cabs Co in Inkster, which is currently in its fourth generation of family ownership. After graduating from Inkster High School, Sharrief began attending nursing school. Sharrief reverted from Christianity to Islam in 1972 and began attending Temple No. 1. Several years later, she transitioned to Sunni Islam under the leadership of Imam Warith Deen Mohammed. In 2010, Sharrief retired from a fifty-year-long career in nursing and moved back to her familial home in Mississippi. There, she serves on the governing board of her mosque, and, for more than ten years, has volunteered with the mosque’s prison outreach, ministering to female inmates in Mississippi. Additionally, Sharrief volunteers at the International Museum of Muslim Cultures in Jackson, Mississippi. In the interview, Sharrief fondly remembers growing up in Inkster, reflecting on the city’s close-knit African-American community and Black-owned businesses. She elaborates on how she encourages the incarcerated women she works with to gain strength and self-esteem through religious study and self-love. Further, Sharrief discusses her work as a tour guide for the International Museum of Muslim cultures, which allows her to offer public education about historically under-represented societies.

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  Oral History Interview with Sameerah Saadiq on March 27, 2021

  Dream Storytelling Project Team

  Summary in progress

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  Oral History Interview with Shaykh AbdulKarim Yayha on April 10, 2021

  Dream Storytelling Project Team

  Oral history interview with Shaykh AbdulKarim Yayha conducted by Zayd Walid on April 10, 2021. Interview written by Dr. Alisa Perkins (Research Director) and Zayd Walid. Shaykh AbdulKarim Yayha was born and raised in Berkeley, California, graduating from Berkeley High School in 1990. Shaykh Yayha embraced Islam when he was seventeen years old, after reading “The Autobiography of Malcolm X.” Shaykh Yayha studied Islamic sciences in Syria and Yemen. At Dar al-Mustafa in Tarim, Yemen, he learned directly from Habib Umar bin Hafiz and later served as a translator for this prominent scholar. Shaykh Yayha is the founder of Dar Al-Rahma (DAR), a center for Islamic worship, study, and service in Detroit. At DAR, Shaykh Yayha teaches classes and leads community organization efforts. Dar Al-Rahma supports the surrounding community by providing food and services for those in need and engaging in neighborhood revitalization. Shaykh Yayha is also an active membership in the Ansar Collective, a coalition of African American Muslim men who coordinate community service efforts in and around Detroit. In the interview, Shaykh Yayha details how he came to embrace Islam and his journeys seeking knowledge over the course of his life. He also discusses the importance of strengthening interracial and inter-ethnic ties among members of the Muslim community in Detroit, and key roles played by charity and service in religious devotion.

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  Oral History Interview with Taqwa Hasan on March 6, 2021

  Dream Storytelling Project Team

  Oral history interview with Taqwa Hasan conducted by Ayesha Cook on March 6, 2020. Interview written by Dr. Alisa Perkins (Research Director) and Ayesha Cook. Taqwa Hasan was born on November 29, 1980 in Inkster, Michigan, to parents born in New York and Ann Arbor, Michigan. Both of Hasan's parents are important leaders in the Muslim community. Hasan's mother, Nafeesa Mahdi, served for many years as a principal at Al-Ikhlas Training Academy, and her father, Rafiq Mahdi, contributed to many local initiatives. Hasan moved to Detroit with her family while attending high school at Al-Ikhlas Training Academy. She grew up attending various mosques including one in Inkster mosque Historic Masjid Wali Muhammad. In the interview, Hasan reflects upon Al-Ikhlas Training Academy's role in her development, detailing her appreciation for the family environment it provided, along with the opportunity to study the Arabic language, pursue Islamic studies, and be surrounded by a moral community. After graduating high school, Hasan studied fashion merchandising at Wayne State University. This helped her start her own handcrafted accessories business called the Black Box Collection. Carrying on her parents' legacy of community-building, Hasan founded and leads the Raja Group, which provides Muslim girls and young women a space for learning, mentorship, and discussion. In partnership with her sisters, Hasan also founded the Social Loft, a unique women's co-working space located in Hamtramck, Michigan. Additionally, Hasan and her family created the Nisar Award to honor individuals who have had a significant impact on the community. In the interview, Hasan discusses the importance of community-building in her own life and her family's life, and especially the need to promote Muslim women's sisterhood and cooperation across the generations.

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  Oral History Interview with Tariq Touré on February 27, 2021

  Dream Storytelling Project Team

  Oral history interview with Tariq Touré, conducted by Abdul-Zahir Sadid on February 27, 2021. Interview written by Dr. Alisa Perkins (Research Director) and Abdul-Zahir Sadid. Tariq Touré was born on January 20, 1988 in West Baltimore, Maryland, into a family that was active in local Muslim community-building. In the early 1970s, Tariq’s father was one of the founders of Masjid As-Saffat in Maryland, which is known as one of the oldest Sunni mosques in the state. Growing up, Touré attended an Islamic parochial school affiliated with his family’s mosque and also attended public schools. Early on, Touré discovered his talent for sports and earned a football scholarship. He obtained his undergraduate degree at Bowie State University and a Master’s degree from Howard University, specializing in housing policy, social welfare policy, and community administration. After graduating, Touré served as a caseworker at a men’s transitional shelter where he helped unhoused people and people returning from prisons. He then became a community engagement director at a mental health facility where he worked one-on-one with young children. Touré works with Islamic Relief USA, where he takes part in a range of charitable initiatives. In addition to his social service career, Touré is a prominent poet who has published several highly regarded volumes, including Black Seeds and Two Parts Oxygen. He is also the author of the acclaimed children’s book, David’s Dollar, which illustrates the importance of keeping wealth circulating within local African- American communities. In the interview, Touré reflects on the significant ways that his community helped support and encourage him through the process of writing and releasing David’s Dollar. Within the last few years, Touré moved to Detroit, where he became actively involved in the neighborhood revitalization organization Dream of Detroit. In the interview, Touré discusses his childhood, his career, and his growth as an artist. He also reflects on how his academic study of social welfare policy and his life experiences have expanded his understanding of the positive impact that a welcoming community and supportive neighborhood can have in the lives of individuals.

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  Oral History Interview with Tasneem Joseph on January 30, 2021

  Dream Storytelling Project Team

  Oral history interview with Tasneem Joseph conducted by Ayesha Cook on January 30, 2021. Interview written by Dr. Alisa Perkins (Research Director) and Ayesha Cook. Tasneem Joseph was born in Detroit, Michigan, on July 2, 1989, to Muslim parents who hailed from Michigan and Tennessee. From a young age, Joseph’s parents encouraged her to study Islam and to nurture her creativity. Growing up, Joseph read many books about Islam from her family’s extensive library and attended Masjid An-Nur in Highland Park. She also developed skills in crafting jewelry, poetry, and photography. Later on, she continued to hone her skills as an artist, while engaging with other Michigan Muslim institutions and initiatives such as The Muslim Center Mosque and Community Center, Masjid al-Haqq, Wayne State University Islamic Center of Detroit, Masjid Al-Tawheed, Historic Masjid Wali Muhammad, and the Muslim Enrichment Project. Joseph became the first artist-in-residence at the Indus Detroit, an establishment that is part of a network of Michigan Muslim-run community organizations. As an artist, Joseph serves the Muslim community in many ways, for example by photographing events for Dream of Detroit, The Muslim Center Mosque and Community Center, and other Muslim institutions. Now, as a member of the Tijaniyyah community, Joseph actively seeks out opportunities to further her education in Islamic Sciences, Arabic language study, and Qur’an memorization. In the interview, Joseph describes how she has continued to maintain ties to various Islamic study and worship groups during the COVID-19 pandemic through online gatherings. Joseph also elaborates on her long-term creative mission to celebrate the Detroit Muslim community through her art, while promoting a better public understanding of Muslim Americans.

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  Oral History Interview with Teresa G. Clarington on March 28, 2021

  Dream Storytelling Project Team

  Oral history interview with Teresa G. Clarington, conducted by Naimah Siddiq on March 28, 2021. Interview written by Dr. Alisa Perkins and Naimah Siddiq. Teresa Clarington was born in Detroit, Michigan to parents who hailed from Florida and Georgia. Her father, Reverend Dr. Isaac Clarington, was a pastor in the African Methodist Episcopal Church who migrated to Detroit to work in the auto industry and later became an entrepreneur, religious leader, and world traveler. After graduating from Central High School in 1973, Clarington enrolled in Shaw College to study nursing. She also pursued higher education at Marygrove College and Wayne State University. Clarington worked in various aspects of customer service, and then opened her own printing business. Clarington has been a member of the Greater Quinn A.M.E. Church for fifty-eight years and volunteers with the church to distribute resources to those in need. Additionally, Clarington serves as president for the Longfellow Block Club in west Detroit. In this capacity, Clarington acts as a liaison between neighborhood residents and municipal officials, while collaborating with organizations like Dream of Detroit on neighborhood revitalization. Relatedly, Clarington also serves as a board member for Life Remodeled, an organization devoted to improving Detroit neighborhoods across the city by targeting people and areas that need it the most. In the interview, Clarington discusses both positive and negative aspects of growing up in Detroit in the 1960s. Notably, she details her memories of the 1967 Detroit uprising, when the police and National Guard were deployed in her neighborhood. Clarington also describes her experiences working with her church and other organizations to improve the lives of fellow city residents, while discussing her dreams for a rejuvenated Detroit that equitably meets the needs of all its citizens.

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  Oral History Interview with Ameedah W. Abdullah (Iola E. Corbett) on July 14, 2020

  Dream Storytelling Project Team

  Oral history interview with Ameedah Abdullah (Iola E. Corbett) conducted by Hadia Zahid on July 14, 2020. Interview written by Dr. Alisa Perkins (Research Director) and Hadia Zahid. Ameedah W. Abdullah was born in 1945 in Detroit, Michigan, to parents who hailed from Mississippi. Abdullah was raised in a Muslim family. Her parents joined the Nation of Islam in 1953 when Abdullah was eight years old. Around that time, the family began attending Temple No. 1 in Detroit and Abdullah switched from public school to the University of Islam. As a young girl, Abdullah attended the Muslim Girls Training and General Civilization Class where she honed her cooking and other homemaking skills. Abdullah's parents were prominent business owners in Detroit’s African American Muslim community. Abdullah's father, Mumin Abdullah, managed and cut hair at the family’s barbershop. Her mother, Geneva Wakeelah Abdullah, managed and helped cook at the family’s Shabazz Restaurant, where Abdullah also served customers. Many influential leaders dined at the restaurant, including Malcolm X. Abdullah remembers serving milk and bean pie to Malcolm X and fondly recalls how he did not judge her for using the money from his tips to play her favorite songs from the restaurant’s jukebox. On one occasion in her teenage years, Malcolm X honored Abdullah by inviting her to speak at a convention about growing up in the Nation of Islam. Abdullah details this experience in her interview. As a young adult, Abdullah embraced Sunni Islam under the leadership of Imam Warith Deen Mohammed. As a life-long member of Historic Masjid Wali Muhammad, Abdullah serves on its board and volunteers at the mosque’s kitchen and office. In the interview, Abdullah elaborates on the significance of her long-term involvement and service at Historic Masjid Wali Muhammad and other Detroit Muslim institutions. She reflects on her family’s early involvement with the Nation of Islam. She also details what it was like to attend the Muslim Girls Training and General Civilization Class along with other young Muslim girls, and the strong friendships she established there which endure to this day.

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  Oral History Interview with Carolyn Wanzo on September 2, 2020

  Dream Storytelling Project Team

  Oral history interview with Carolyn Wanzo conducted by Ismaeel Dhul-Qarnayn on September 2, 2020. Interview written by Ismaeel Dhul-Qarnayn and Dr. Alisa Perkins (Research Director). Wanzo was born in 1945 in Detroit, Michigan, to parents who had moved to Detroit from Selma, Alabama. Wanzo was raised as a Baptist, and has fond memories of singing in the church choir with her siblings. After graduating from Cass Technical High School, Wanzo attended Wayne State University, double majoring in psychology and sociology. As a Phi Beta Kappa graduate, she then obtained a Master’s degree in social work from Wayne State University. From there, Wanzo served as one of the few African American social workers at Taylor Public Schools in metro Detroit. Over the course of her life, Wanzo pursued many other social work positions, including those where she helped coordinate housing and education opportunities for adults in need. Wanzo was married to Melvin “Mel” Wanzo (1930-2005), a prominent Detroit-based Muslim jazz musician who was an associate of Malcolm X. Mel Wanzo played for the Count Basie Orchestra and The Glenn Miller Orchestra, and collaborated with greats such as Art Blakey and Duke Ellington. In the interview, Wanzo stresses the importance that Mel Wanzo placed on mentoring younger musicians, especially those studying jazz at Wayne State University. In 2003, Wanzo and her husband created the Carolyn and Mel Wanzo Endowment at Wayne State to support students majoring or minoring in Jazz Studies. In the interview, Wanzo discusses what she has learned from a lifetime of education, dedication, and leadership in the field of social work. Wanzo also explores what it was like to travel the world with her husband on musical tours. She reflects the role that Islam played in Mel Wanzo’s life, detailing how his Muslim identity and values inspired his philanthropy. She also discusses how Mel Wanzo and other African American Muslims delivered powerful social and political messages through jazz.

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  Oral History Interview with Catherine Ziyad on October 25, 2020

  Dream Storytelling Project Team

  Oral history interview with Catherine Ziyad conducted by Ayesha Cook on October 25, 2020. Interview written by Dr. Alisa Perkins (Research Director) and Ayesha Cook. Catherine Ziyad was born in Detroit, Michigan in 1953 to parents who were born in Arkansas and migrated North as part of the Great Migration. In her early years, Ziyad lived in the historical Black Bottom, and the Baptist Church played a significant role in her upbringing. In 1973, Ziyad came to Islam through the Nation of Islam’s Temple No, 1. Several years later, she embraced Sunni Islam through the teachings of Imam Warith Deen Mohammed. Ziyad has enjoyed a varied and notable career, earning her master’s degree in Social Work from Wayne State University. Some of Ziyad’s specializations include trauma-informed counseling, grief counseling, substance abuse counseling, family counseling, and juvenile justice. Along with several other social work positions, she worked at Black Family Development Inc. for twenty-two years and is currently employed at the integrated behavioral health agency Team Wellness Center. In the interview, Ziyad stresses the importance of recognizing African American women’s leadership in social work and other professional fields. She also discussed the significant way that Islam and Muslim institutions have supported her as a wife, mother, and social worker. As one of its founding members, Ziyad elaborates upon the various ways that she has contributed to the Muslim Center over the years as a teacher, youth mentor, and member of its governing body.

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  Oral History Interview with Davine El-Amin on July 30, 2020

  Dream Storytelling Project Team

  Oral history interview with Davine El-Amin conducted by India Madison on July 30, 2020. Interview written by Dr. Alisa Perkins (Research Director) and India Madison. Davine El-Amin was born on October 2, 1972 in Detroit, Michigan. She was raised in Detroit as part of a family that included both Muslim and Christian members. El-Amin has enjoyed a long and successful career as an electrician. She began working for the Ford Motor Company in 1994, where she currently remains serving as a journey-woman electrician. She has played an important role in UAW leadership over the years and teaches classes at the Center of Labor and Community Studies at the University of Michigan-Dearborn. El-Amin began her involvement with the Muslim Center Mosque and Community Center in 2008. She joined the mosque’s governing body in 2014, and currently serves as the Majalis Ashura secretary. In this capacity, she has helped oversee major fundraising efforts and also plays a significant role in coordinating the mosque’s high-capacity soup kitchen. In the interview, El-Amin discusses how she overcame challenges she confronted as a woman in traditionally male-dominated fields to excel as an electrician and in labor relations. She also examines the important contributions that the Muslim Center has made in her life and to the well-being of the community.

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  Oral History Interview with Dorothy Shakoor on December 19, 2020

  Dream Storytelling Project Team

  Oral history interview with Dorothy Shakoor conducted by Naimah Siddiq on December 19, 2020. Interview written by Dr. Alisa Perkins (Research Director) and Naimah Siddiq. Dorothy Shakoor was born in Selma, Alabama in 1937 to parents who hailed from Perry County, Alabama. She was raised as part of a large Baptist Christian family and was one of fourteen children. In her earliest years, Shakoor’s family was part of a farming community in Alabama. Later in her upbringing, she moved to Connecticut with her family. Shakoor joined the Nation of Islam while living in Connecticut after being invited to their services by a friend. In 1973, she moved to Detroit to start a life with her husband. After moving to Detroit, Shakoor joined Temple No. 1, where she attended the Muslim Girls Training Program and participated in classes to learn about cooking, sewing, and embroidery. Shakoor has been an active member of Historic Masjid Wali Muhammad for many decades. She has volunteered as Chair of the Service Committee and as a member of the Bereavement Committee. Shakoor is most known for her many years of service in the kitchen and food pantry at Historic Masjid Wali Muhammad. Notably, she has helped lead efforts to prepare successful fundraising dinners at the mosque on Fridays. In the interview, Shakoor reflects on the similarities between the Baptist Christianity of her upbringing and the values she came to embrace as a Muslim. She provides details on her many years of service to Detroit’s Muslim community, and also discusses the generational differences that she has witnessed in the Muslim community.

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  Oral History Interview with Dr. Naajiah Muhammad on August 11, 2020

  Dream Storytelling Project Team

  Oral history interview with Dr. Naajiah Muhammad conducted by Zainab Yousif-Ahmad on August 11, 2020. Interview written by Dr. Alisa Perkins (Research Director) and Zainab Yousif-Ahmad. Dr. Naajiah Muhammad was born on August 16, 1958 in Detroit, Michigan. Her father was born in Springfield, Illinois, and her mother was born in Oklahoma. Both her parents migrated to Michigan in the 1940s. At the age of nine, Dr. Muhammad’s grandmother introduced her to herbal medicine and to her family’s Choctaw and Cherokee heritage. She was raised as an Episcopalian Christian and embraced Islam as a young adult after being introduced to the religion by her sister. In the interview, Dr. Muhammad discussed the importance of several different mentors and teachers who guided her study of Islam and the Arabic language throughout her life. She also discusses her enduring connection to the Muslim Center Mosque and Community Center. Dr. Muhammad has been a successful entreprenuer for many years. Her first business was jewelry making which she continues to this day. In her interview, Dr. Muhammad discusses how her own health challenges and dissatisfaction with mainstream healthcare motivated her to go back to school and pursue a career in alternative medicine. Currently, Dr. Muhammad works as a naturopathic doctor and teaches classes in holistic medicine. She encourages her patients from different faiths to combine healing and prayer. Dr. Muhammad presents monthly about the connection between Islam and healing at Muslimah University, a women’s learning circle, and also runs a series called Health Smart Kids, which promotes peer education among young people through creative video production. Throughout the interview, Dr. Muhammad emphasizes the importance of facing challenges and overcoming the limiting ideas of others to excel and thrive.

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  Oral History Interview with Eric Sabree on July 19, 2020

  Dream Storytelling Project Team

  Oral history interview with Eric Sabree, conducted by Samayyah Cook on July 19, 2020, with addendum conducted by Dr. Alisa Perkins on July 19, 2020. Interview written by Dr. Alisa Perkins (Research Director) and Samayyah Cook. Eric Sabree was born in Chicago on June 14, 1954, and moved to Detroit with his family while still an infant. He was raised as a Christian, attending Catholic Central High School while also enrolled in night classes at Cass Technical High School. In 1977, Sabree graduated from Michigan State University with a degree in Building Construction Management. With this background, Sabree was employed for twenty years as an Inspector Supervisor for the City of Detroit. Wishing to change his career focus to public service, Sabree again enrolled at MSU, this time to pursue a law degree. Following his graduation in 1996, Sabree worked as an attorney and then as a deputy in the Wayne County Treasurer’s office. Sabree was later appointed and then elected as the Wayne County Treasurer and has served in this capacity since 2016. Sabree reverted to Islam soon after graduating from high school and became an active member of Historic Masjid Wali Muhammad, using his skills in construction and plumbing to assist with mosque repairs. In the 1980s, Sabree and his wife were among the founding members of the Muslim Center Mosque and Community Center. Sabree was actively involved in prison ministry for twenty-seven years, teaching inmates about Islam and offered them counseling about self-improvement. In the interview, Sabree outlines the Detroit Muslim community’s long history with prison activism. He discusses the current need for reform so that more city and community resources are directed to reducing recidivism rates and supporting returning citizens. In the interview, Sabree also reflects on the important role that the Muslim Center played for himself and his wife Badriyyah in raising their children, commenting on the importance of mosque-based social and community interactions in allowing believers to deepen their faith.

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  Oral History Interview with Hajjah Tamra El-Amin on October 3, 2020 and January 2, 2021

  Dream Storytelling Project Team

  All video segments are in the same file. Oral history interview with Hajjah Tamra El-Amin. The first segment of the interview was conducted by Samayyah Cook on October 3, 2020, and the second segment was conducted by Ayesha Cook on January 2, 2021. Interview written by Dr. Alisa Perkins (Research Director), Samayyah Cook, and Ayesha Cook. Hajjah Tamra El-Amin was born in Tampa, Florida in December 1951 to parents who hailed from Alabama and Florida. She moved to Detroit, Michigan with her family in the late 1950s. Hajjah El-Amin was raised in a strong faith community, with family members belonging to both the Methodist and Baptist traditions. Hajjah El-Amin reverted to Islam when she was seventeen years old after being introduced to the religion by family members. After graduating high school, she pursued higher education and worked as a registered dental hygienist. In 1985, Hajjah El-Amin was one of the founding members of the Muslim Center Mosque and Community Center. Over many years, Hajjah El-Amin volunteered with Imam Abdullah Bey El-Amin to help with the Muslim Center’s janaza services. Inspired by these experience, she obtained a degree in mortuary science from Gupton-Jones College for Funeral Service in Decatur, Georgia and launched her successful career as a mortician. Hajjah El-Amin currently serves on the Muslim Center’s Executive Board. In 1994, she began teaching the Muslim Center’s Hajj and Umrah classes which continue to be well-attended. In the interview, Hajjah El-Amin discusses her aspirations to open her own funeral home to serve the Muslim community, and the importance of business-ownership for local African American Muslims. She also elaborates on her work teaching Hajj classes, her experiences completing the Hajj three times, and the importance of Hajj as a foundational and transformational experience.

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  Oral History Interview with Hanifa Rahman on July 21, 2020

  Dream Storytelling Project Team

  Oral history interview with Hanifa Rahman conducted by Zoie Bills on July 21, 2020. Interview written by Dr. Alisa Perkins (Research Director) and Zoie Bills. Hanifa Rahman was born on September 1st, 1956 in Detroit to a family with roots in the Southern Baptist tradition. Rahman’s parents were born in Virginia and Georgia, and moved to Detroit in the mid-1950s, motivated partly by a desire to leave behind the racism they experienced in the South. Encouraged by her father to find her own religious path, Rahman converted to Islam when she was twenty-nine years old. She became an active member of the Muslim Center Mosque and Community Center, where she has served as the soup kitchen manager for more than ten years. In this capacity, Rahman prepares food, supervises inventory, and creates menus, providing nourishing meals to members of the surrounding community. Rahman frequently volunteers at the annual Day of Dignity, where she works with other Muslim Center members to distribute new clothes and other resources to people in need. Rahman is an expert in urban gardening and maintains her own garden, Making Shade Farms, on five acres of land connected to her home. Here, Rahman cultivates various vegetables, fruits, and herbs while also raising chickens and a goat. She also maintains beehives, earning her the nickname “Queen Bee.” Rahman contributes to the community by offering fresh produce from her garden to her neighbors and others in need, especially the elderly, and teaching gardening classes. In the interview, Rahman reflects on the importance of food sovereignty in Detroit and the potential of urban farming and organizations such as Keep Growing Detroit to help achieve this goal. She also discusses how, by participating in urban farming, Detroit residents can develop a sense of pride and an understanding of the community they live in while also developing skills to provide healthy and nutritious food for themselves and their families.