Beyond Stereotypes: Black Muslim Representation

“The media’s the most powerful entity on Earth. They have the power to make the innocent guilty and to make the guilty innocent, and that’s power.” — Malik El-Shabazz (Malcolm X)

Each February, we honor Black History Month as a collective opportunity to reflect on the brilliance, resilience, and complexity of the Black experience. The stories we tell and consume can profoundly shape our sense of self and well-being. Indeed, my latest research, “Black Muslims in Canada: The Intersectional Trauma of Racism and Islamophobia,” highlights how critical narratives around perception and representation are central to mental health.

Discrimination Is Traumatizing

In our study, we found that Black Muslims exhibited notably higher levels of trauma compared to their Black Christian and non-religious counterparts—driven largely by more frequent encounters with both everyday and major discrimination. Anti-Islamic sentiments are perpetuated by the negative portrayal of Muslims in the media and popular culture (Hopner et al., 2023). Despite facing comparable racial microaggressions as other Black Canadians, Black Muslims found these experiences quite toxic, underscoring how repeated exposure to intersectional prejudice can wear down even the strongest individuals. Black Muslim women, in particular, faced a higher burden of discrimination, reflecting the overlapping biases of both racism and Islamophobia coupled with sexism.

Prejudice is maintained by larger systems.

Source: Mangostar / Shutterstock

Often, these inequities are perpetuated by larger systems. For example, the government of Quebec contributes to the marginalization of Muslim women through legislation such as Bills 21 and 62. Bill 21, known as the “Laicity Act,” prohibits certain public sector employees from wearing religious symbols on duty, aiming to enforce state secularism. Bill 62 focuses on face coverings, prohibiting individuals from receiving or providing public services with covered faces, potentially affecting Muslim women who wear veils.

Canadian-born Muslim women who wear the hijab reported challenges in maintaining their identity as a result of stereotyping, and this is a difficulty that persists even in municipalities where such discrimination is not codified. Additionally, Black Muslim women have spoken of their particular experiences of discrimination due to their Black identity and their sense of invisibility even within the Muslim community.

New Narratives Needed

Yet, amid these sobering realities, I’m heartened by the stories of resistance and hope that abound in our communities—stories that often begin with a simple desire to be seen. Consider the journey of Rahma Mohamed, a Black Muslim woman who immigrated to Canada from Somalia when she was 8 years old. She learned to read by age 10 but struggled to envision herself in the pages of the books she devoured.

Fueled by a longing for representation for her own children, Mohamed scoured bookstores for characters who shared both their African heritage and Muslim faith, only to come up short. Undeterred, she decided to write the books she wished she could have read as a child:

In a CBC interview, she shared, “I wished to find that diversity, and not finding it is what prompted me to actually go ahead and write the story.”

Her decision to craft narratives featuring Black Muslim characters was more than a personal project—it was a testament to resilience. She spoke of the negative stereotypes that shadow many Black Muslims, such as false notions that Muslims were always “radical and violent.” Her hijab was considered a symbol of an oppressive ideology “that needed to be irradiated.” And, as Somali, she was known to be part of “a nation of perpetual conflict and rootless pirates.”

She went on to explain how these misconceptions—often entrenched in media representations—are far from overt, instead woven subtly into everyday messages. As Malcolm X cogently observed decades ago, the stories we consume can shape not just public opinion but also our collective and individual psyches. Writing “positive and affirming stories featuring Black Muslims is to help future generations overcome years of hurt and trauma, believing the negative stereotypes that are being told by others.”

Positive Messages Create Strong Communities

Mohamed’s experience and inspiring work dovetails perfectly with one of our study’s key findings: Religious participation—and, by extension, a strong cultural identity—can serve as a protective factor against trauma. When people are grounded in communities that validate their faith, history, and shared experiences, they are better equipped to weather an unjust onslaught of hate or discrimination. Literature, art, and communal storytelling can function similarly by reinforcing healthy self-concepts and a sense of belonging.

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As we celebrate Black History Month, let’s remember that Black history is vast and multidimensional, enriched by the cultural, spiritual, and linguistic diversity of all people of African heritage. By purposefully including Black Muslim narratives, we shed light on the reality of intersectionality—how racism, Islamophobia, and often sexism can compound and intensify marginalization.

Further, we can honor Black Muslims who are actively shaping future narratives—from Malcolm X’s enduring advocacy for civil rights to everyday people like Rahma Mohamed, who writes children’s books that reflect the richness of Black Muslim life. Their work and stories reflect the many ways communities can resist erasure and reaffirm identity in the face of prejudice.

Black History Month Is for Everyone

Finally, each of us can play a part in nurturing a more inclusive community, locally and globally—whether by supporting Black causes, pushing for media representation that accurately reflects our diverse communities, or fostering open, supportive religious spaces. Strengthening the protective factors in our families, faith institutions, and neighborhoods ultimately helps combat the type of trauma documented in our research.

I urge us all to celebrate the range and depth of Black identities during Black History Month and every day of the year. This includes the voices of Black Muslims who bravely stand at the intersection of multiple vulnerabilities and yet still manage to turn pain into purpose. In doing so, we create a future where every person can see themselves reflected and respected.