Oral History Interview with Jermaine Carey on February 13, 2021
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Interviewee
Carey, Jermaine
Interviewer(s)
Siddiq, Naimah; Perkins, Dr. Alisa (Research Director)
Description
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.
Date of Interview
2-13-2021
Location of Interview
Detroit, MI (Muslim Center Mosque and Community Center)
Keywords
A.W.O.L. (Afrocentric Wicked Old-School Lyricists), Imam Luqman Abdullah, African-American history, African-American Muslims, Imam Nadir Ahmad, Jabril Abdul-Nur Ahmad, Al-Ikhlas Islamic Center, Al-Ikhlas Training Academy, Ansar Collective, Arabic language education, Awesome Drey, Black Muslim experience, C.I.G.M. Media Group Inc., Piper Carter, Charity, Community activism, Community building, Companions of the Prophet, COVID-19 pandemic, Culture shock, Dar Al-Rahma, Detroit, Detroit hip-hop scene, Ismaeel Dhul-Quarnayn, Do for self, East Side Detroit, Imam Abdullah Bey El-Amin, El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz, Shaykh Ustadh Evanz, Ubaydullah, Fasting, Lupe Fiasco, Flint water crisis, Friday prayer service, Fruit of Islam (FOI) training, Fundraising, Gentrification, Hazel Gomez, Highland Park, Good Vibes with the Good Brothers, Tee Grizzley, Imam Abdul-Malik Hanafi, Hip-hop culture, Historic Masjid Wali Muhammad, Homeschooling, Iftar, Intergenerational poverty, Intergenerational relations, Islam, Islam in America, Islamic parochial school, Islamic Relief USA, Tasneem Joseph, Journalist 103, Juneteenth, Shaykh Ibrahim Cisse Kafani, Imam Saleem Khalid, Ghostface Killah, Youssef Kromah, Malcolm X, Maurice Malone, Masjid Al-Haqq, Masjid Al-Nur, Hassan Mausi, MC Smiley, Michigan, Muhammad Mosque #1, Minister John Muhammad, The Honorable Elijah Muhammad, Mujahid, Khalil MuMinun, Muslim Americans, Muslim Center Mosque and Community Center, Muslims, Dr. Halim Naeem, Nation of Islam, Shaykh Hamza Perez, Nadirah Pierre, Podcast, Racial segregation, Dr. Malik Raheem, Abdul-Jalil Rashawd, Omar Regan, Royce Da 5'9", S.O.A. (Servants of Allah), Judge Aliyah Sabree, Wayne County Treasurer Eric Sabree, Seifallah Shakur, Paula Smiley, The Hip Hop Shop, Tariq Touré, Temple No. 8, Troy, Volunteerism, Imam Dawud Walid, Water distribution, Water scarcity, Wyoming Street, Shaykh AbdulKarim Yayha, YG, Youth coordinator, Youth counseling, Youth leadership, Youth Leadership Initiative, YouTube
Disciplines
African American Studies | Africana Studies | American Studies | Civic and Community Engagement | Digital Humanities | Inequality and Stratification | Islamic Studies | Nonprofit Administration and Management | Politics and Social Change | Race and Ethnicity | Religion | Urban Studies and Planning
Language
ENG
Document Type
Interview
Rights Statement
Dream of Detroit Interviews were made possible by funding from the Pillars Grant and Whiting Foundation. Content is for educational purposes only and non-reproducible; interviews are not to be duplicated, but may be linked through ScholarWorks with appropriate attribution. Please direct any questions about copyright to scholarworks@wmich.edu.
Funder
Pillars Fund and Whiting Foundation
Grant
Dream of Detroit
Length of Video
1:40:13
Recommended Citation
Dream Storytelling Project Team, "Oral History Interview with Jermaine Carey on February 13, 2021" (2021). Dream Storytelling Interviews. 41.
https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/dream-storytelling-interviews/41
Notes
Interview conducted by Naimah Siddiq at the Muslim Center Mosque and Community Center. Interview written by Dr. Alisa Perkins (Research Director) and Naimah Siddiq. Interview recorded under the direction of Supervising Producer Malikah Shabazz and Assistant Supervisor Abdul-Zahir Sadid. Videography by Zayd Walid. Video Edited by: Zola Crow. Transcribed by: Zarin Farooq. Transcription edited by: Dr. Alisa Perkins. Metadata prepared by: Melissa Paduk. Metadata edited by: Dr. Alisa Perkins and Sophia Wimberley.