Making Space for Black Muslim Women
Minneapolis has been home for me for more than 30 years. I moved here from Chicago in 1991, the year of the infamous Halloween blizzard. That was my introduction to Minnesota, and somehow I still decided to stay!
A year after moving, I married my husband, Imam Makram El-Amin. Through him, I got connected with the Muslim community, and I felt loved, safe, and secure right away. I felt like I could show up as I am while learning and asking questions. For two years, I studied the religion, learned what Islam stands for, and thought about what it would mean for me to become Muslim. In 1994, I took my Shahada, the Islamic statement of faith. Since then, I’ve continued to cherish my faith and ground everything that I do in Islam. My decisions and actions are always based on the beauty of my faith.
As a Black Muslim woman, it’s been important to me to find spaces that embrace my multiple identities. And if those spaces don’t exist, I’ll do what I can to create them.
When my daughter was young, she wanted to join Girl Scouts, but there wasn’t a troop that felt welcoming to her—so what did Sharon do? She pulled in other families, she took the Girl Scouts curriculum and transformed it into a Muslim program. We grounded it in Islam, and we taught our young sisters life skills to help them recognize who they are and how to own their voices.
The Girl Scouts troop showed me that Black Muslim girls and young women needed more opportunities to study Islam. I researched and took Islamic studies courses to make sure that I was grounded in my knowledge. Then, alongside other sisters at Masjid An-Nur, we taught young students about the teachings of the prophets (peace be upon them), salat (daily prayer), and the Arabic language. I also made sure to highlight the history of women’s contributions to Islam. That history is often overlooked, but we know that women are the ones who are organizing the community, asking questions, and making progress happen.
The sisterhood among Muslim women is part of what first drew me to Islam, and as I got more involved in the community, I wanted to make sure that women had opportunities to gather and deepen our faith. As a social butterfly, I always loved spending time with my sisters, and I started hosting women’s retreats at Masjid An-Nur. Every year, we would come together at a hotel or a campsite, and we would talk about the issues that were affecting our community. We created a learning circle, brought in guest speakers and presenters, and even hosted a modest fashion show!
After all this involvement, I was given the title of Social Coordinator at Masjid An-Nur. We started Family Day to bring parents and children together as well as a monthly hot meal program to serve anyone in the local community. I have fond memories of spending all day cooking in the kitchen with the other women, bonding and making our mark on the community together. We want to welcome everyone into our space at the masjid and demonstrate that Muslims are people who serve others and give back.
I fell in love with the community that we created at Masjid An-Nur, where Black Muslim women and girls were celebrated and cherished. But as my children continued in school, I noticed that the Minneapolis education system didn’t provide the same welcoming space. In 2018, educational and political leaders were boasting that the graduation rate for Black students and students of color had risen, but I knew that many of the students graduating were not properly prepared for life after high school. Students in my neighborhood and friends of my children were telling me that they were afraid, that they had no plans and did not know what was next for them after graduation. We had failed them—vocational trade or continuing education at local colleges had been completely overlooked.
Black and brown students were being pushed through the system as quickly as possible. Administrators and teachers had bought into stereotypes about Black families—that fathers are always missing, that a parent is always in jail, that someone is always struggling with alcoholism or addiction—and those stereotypes were lowering the academic expectations for our children. I had one teacher say to me, “I don’t give homework because I know it’s not going to come back.”
The expectations and outcomes for Black and brown students were so low that I couldn’t just sit around knowing that these problems persisted in our education system.
I decided at the last minute to run in the 2018 Minneapolis Board of Education at-large seat. At the time, I didn’t know much about the political process, and our communities didn’t understand the importance of the school board. Even folks who are highly educated and civically savvy weren’t voting all the way down their ballots, and I found myself doing a lot of education about what the school board does and how its members are elected. Even though I lost that race, I raised awareness of the role that the school board plays in determining the educational outcomes of our children and our communities.
In 2020, I ran for the Minneapolis Board of Education District 2 seat, which is my Northside neighborhood and my home. I ran a grassroots campaign, got out and talked to my neighbors, asked questions—and I won that race. Since then, I’ve seen racism and white privilege in action. I’ve seen how families are left out of decision-making; how educators are left out of decision-making. I’ve seen how decisions are made based on friendships and favors instead of considering what is best for students. It gets heavy, finding myself fighting for the same things that my ancestors fought for and lost their lives over. It gets lonely, being the only Black Muslim woman from the Northside in the room. My goal is that we attract more community members to occupy seats on this board and serve in other arenas of the educational and political system in Minnesota.
While serving on the school board, I championed for Eid to be recognized as a religious holiday and was unanimously supported by my colleagues. For years, my children and other Muslim children have had to choose between attending Eid prayer or school activities. This year, Eid is recognized on the MPS calendar for the first time! My grandchildren, your children, our families do not have to choose. Eid will be observed as a paid religious holiday for staff when it falls on a weekday, which is a huge win for us as Muslims in Minneapolis. That is HERstory! Allahu Akbar (God is greatest).
Being the first Black Muslim woman elected to the school board in 2020 and elected as the Chair of the Board in 2023 is another victory for our community. I represent our children, educators, and families. Students will always be at the core of any and all decisions I make.
When it gets difficult, I find motivation and hope in my faith. I remind myself that Allah (swt) would never put a burden on me greater than I can bear. My daily prayer is that He guides me and leads my words and my actions.
I find myself thinking about the legacy of powerful Muslim women who overcame challenges and our ancestors and pioneers who fought for future generations to make life better for us. I have a duty to continue to carry the baton and make it better for those who come after me.
For me, Black history is every day. I have always taught my children about our history as a people whenever or wherever that moment presented itself. We don’t have to limit ourselves to this month or to the same historical figures we all know—there’s so much more to uncover and to celebrate. Black people have touched just about everything in this world. I am proud to be a Black Muslim woman here in America!
Sharon El-Amin currently serves as Chair of the Minneapolis Board of Education, Executive Director of McKinley Community Center, and Owner of Your Vote Our Future. She lives, works, and worships in the heart of the North Minneapolis neighborhoods.
Sharon and her husband have been married for 30 years, and they have three children and several grandchildren. Minneapolis has been Sharon's home for 32 years, and she has been serving the community for over two decades. She is a proud Muslim and a member of Masjid An-Nur in North Minneapolis.
Sharon has earned a number of awards and recognitions, including the Start Up Business of the Year 2002, 2010 Small Business of the Year, 2010 Longevity & Sustained Impact Award, and the 2010 Nothing Ventured Nothing Gained Nominee at Women Venture.