Scholars, Doctors, and Mothers: Celebrating Black Muslim Women's Excellence
The year was 2006, I was a newlywed, and I found myself staring at a positive pregnancy test. I was overflowing with joy, but unfortunately, my joy was cut short with worry. Lots of worry. Just the previous week I had received a letter congratulating me on my acceptance into podiatric medical school. I was going to be a doctor…or was I?
As I sat there staring at my positive pregnancy test and my acceptance letter, I wondered if I could actually do both.
Is it possible to be a good mother and a good doctor? Do I have what it takes to accomplish both lofty goals? Has anyone like me ever done it before?
Stereotypes, while you know they are not true, still have a way of infecting your thinking. Black women have lived with the stereotype of being poor and uneducated since the era of segregation. Under segregation, Black women were only allowed to work in low-wage jobs, mainly in the domestic capacity as cooks, maids, and nannies. But the truth is that Black women have excelled at the highest levels in everything from business to science and mathematics. Despite countless obstacles in the education system, Black women continue outpacing their male counterparts and earning more bachelor’s and master’s degrees.
Muslim women, regardless of race or ethnicity, have also been negatively stereotyped. They are often portrayed and perceived as uneducated, oppressed, and not capable of anything beyond domestic duties. Although being a homemaker and raising a family is seen as something beautiful and honorable in Islam, Muslim women also have a long and rich history of excelling at high levels of scholarship, activism, and have made great contributions to their communities and the world. In fact, researchers have rediscovered over 12,000 women scholars who laid the foundation for Islamic scholarship and education.
Throughout my life as a Black Muslim woman, I've heard lots of different messages regarding women and higher education. “A woman’s place is in her home,” is a phrase I've heard many times. On the other hand, many women have told me: “Focus on your career first, then you can go and build your family later.” I knew so many stories of women who decided to wait on their career goals once they started having children. I wasn't ready to just give up on my own goals, and I also didn't want to wait another decade to become a mother. I decided I was not going to choose between my family and my career. I was going to show women who may come after me—especially Black Muslim women like me—that it is possible to do both, if that is what she wants. Perhaps my effort on this journey would do more than just make my dreams come true. Perhaps it will show other women with the same goals that their dreams also can come true.
Forget about stereotypes for a moment. Let me paint a picture of the women I saw growing up. First, there was my mother. She was the embodiment of everything that is meant when people think of a great mother—hardworking, caring, and present for her family. On top of being a great mother, she owned her own business. She was an early childhood educator and ran her own daycare. Then, there was my pediatrician. She was a Muslim Pakistani woman named Dr. Khan. As the first Muslim woman I knew who was a doctor, she was my first inspiration as a child to dream of becoming a doctor. Whenever someone asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I would think of her and say a doctor. Finally, there was my dentist. I don't remember her name, but I remember her face. She was a tall African American woman who didn’t look much different from one of my aunts. She dispelled any negative myth in my mind about Black women and served as living proof that I could pursue whatever goals I wanted.
As I look back on my childhood role models, I see how my mother, my pediatrician, and my dentist were all part of my own personal HERstory as a Black Muslim woman, part of my roots and my dreams.
So, I did pursue and accomplish my academic and career goals while raising my daughters alongside my husband, with the support of our families. I am now the mother of four daughters, and I am a practicing podiatric medical doctor. I want my daughters to know and to see that whatever their goals are, they come from a long line of high-achieving Black Muslim women who follow their dreams and honor their values. In addition to teaching my own daughters, I mentor other young girls at Pearls of Hope. I am pleased to see more and more Muslim girls and girls of color setting and realizing their goals at a very high level. I hope this trend continues until one day Muslim women and women of color are known for our scholarship, our motherhood, our prestige, and all of the other accomplishments that we represent.
To me, Black HERstory is not only honoring our past but also looking forward to our future, when the leaders of today become the inspiration for tomorrow.
My hope is that future history reflects the achievements of Black Muslim women scholars, doctors, mothers, aunties, and leaders.