“My Islam be Black”: resisting erasure, silence, and marginality at the intersection of race and religion

Abstract

Abstract This study explores practices of digitally mediated critique and resistance at the intersection of race and religion. Drawing on theories of intersectionality, silence, erasure, and marginality, I analyze discourses from three online communities focused on Black Muslim experiences within the US. Against the backdrop of systemic anti-Black racism and Islamophobia, my analysis highlights themes related to the (re)centering of Black Muslim experiences to resist the invisibility resulting from dominant assumptions about Muslim identity. Based on these findings, I argue interrogations of unity play an important role in challenging such invisibility. I discuss the implications these findings have for theorizing the intra-categorical complexity inherent in marginalized groups and conclude by identifying future work to advance our understanding of this complexity in global contexts.