About Miracle in America

What is the Miracle in America Project?

Miracle in America is a national grassroots project whose goal is to capture and share the rich stories of African American Muslims and their journey to Islam. These stories will be told by African American Muslims who have lived and practiced the religion in the U.S. and thus are part of Islam's living history in the West. Through regional events that will be organized to help capture these stories, Miracle in America will culminate in a multi-part documentary series as well as an oral history repository and podcast. The documentary will feature intriguing narratives by African American Muslims, contributing scholars, historians and community leaders. Insha'Allah, others will know, for generations to come, how Islam and the guidance in the Qur'an has transformed the lives of millions of Americans and has thus produced modern day miracles. Muslims are not terrorists, nor extremists, but are ordinary AND extraordinary people who believe in The Creator of the Universe and strive to adhere to a life of peaceful submission to His will.

Why is This Project important?

African American Muslims are the largest ethnic group of Muslims in the United States. Their stories are rich and relevant to American history and therefore must be told. Miracle in America gives African American Muslims the self-defined and self-determined opportunity to tell their own stories about the personal growth and transformation their souls have undergone as a result of becoming Muslim. Unlike previous notable films and documentaries such as the Ali movie, Spike Lee's Malcolm X, and other films that have told some of the African American Muslims' experiences through famous people, Miracle in America is told by African American Muslims themselves. It gives them an outlet to talk about their dynamic experiences, and thus provides corroboration, validation, and honor to their significant and historical contributions to American history and culture.

The stories of African American Muslims are full of intriguing, unique and valuable experiences. It is time for the history of African American Muslims to be documented. Our stories must be told. It is an experience that, through struggle and triumph, has had a great effect on the African American community in particular, but also on America as a country. Indeed it has caused miraculous individual and collective transformation.

I know what a documentary is, but, what is an "oral history" Project?

Oral history is the systematic collection of living people's testimony about their own experiences. We all have stories to tell about our livesstories we have lived from the inside out. We organize the memories of our lives into these stories, and it is through oral history that these stories are collected. Historians recognize that the everyday memories of everyday people, not just the rich and famous, have historical importance. If we do not collect and preserve our memories—our stories—then one day they will disappear and be forgotten. In collecting oral history, we have a sense of catching and holding something valuable from the receding tide of the past. Oral history gives one a sense of accomplishment.

The means of collecting oral history can vary from taking notes by hand to recording audio and video.

Where do you get your funding?

Miracle in America is privately-funded by its members. We are in the process of identifying other funding sources and writing proposals to gain additional funding for the project as it progresses.

Who are the Producers of Miracle in America?

The Miracle in America project is spearheaded by a husband and wife team, Nashid Abdul-Khaaliq and his wife Akanke Abdul-Khaaliq, both African American Muslims. Akanke initiated the idea for Miracle in America in 1998 and has since held it close to her heart—seeing it as her "life's work", a mission assigned to her by Allah, Most High. They are excited that, with Allah's help and the help of Muslims and others who believe in the significance of this project, the great task of bringing Miracle in America to fruition is finally being implemented.

Akanke has a degree in Film and Television from Georgia State University with a minor in Anthropology. She accepted Islam in 1992 after studying the Qur'an and being deeply moved by its clarity and the answers it provided. She took her shahadah (declaration of faith) at the Atlanta Masjid of Al-Islam. This historic community incubated Akanke's sustained development and growth over the years, and today she sees herself as an idealist—a student with many teachers who embraces the ideal of Muslim sister/brotherhood—united under tawheed (belief in the Oneness of GOD) and the guidance of Qur'an and sunnah (the way of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him).

Since 1990, Akanke has been an independent television producer of progressive television projects, with a strong commitment to community-based programming. From 1991 to 1996 she produced the popular live talk shows, The Africentric Agenda and Creating Empowerment, which aired on local cable networks in Atlanta. In addition to her credits as a television producer she has hosted several television programs including Conversations, Inner Views, and Faith and Good Works. She has also appeared in short films, corporate videos, and has worked as on-screen and voice talent in television and radio. In 2004 she founded 7adinkras Creative Media, a network of women artists focused on documentary production.

Nashid is a writer whose writings about Islam, Middle East issues and 9/11 have been read by thousands on the Internet as well as published in numerous magazines and newspapers. He also co-produced "Nite Beat", an Internet radio show hosted by Lewis News in Washington State reaching an audience of more than 400,000 people weekly. This 2-hour weekly program, which started in January 2006 and ran for more than one year, featured interviews with Muslim scholars and Imams whose aim was to dispel the demonization, misinformation and wrong portrayal of Al-Islam and Muslims. He also was the owner of Al-Amin radio station, an Islamic Internet radio station devoted to Dawah and correcting media misinformation. Nashid joined the Nation of Islam in 1973 and later made the transformation to orthodox Islam following the leadership of Imam Warith Deen Mohammed.

Nashid has a Bachelor of Science degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He has had extensive Information Technology experiences working for IBM, ARAMCO in Saudi Arabia and running his own computer-consulting firm, Computer Solutions Incorporated (CSI), in Houston. At IBM, one of his responsibilities was spearheading the development and implementation of a video and satellite education center. In that capacity he produced video training films.

There is also a core group of diverse Muslims who are working with them to help implement this project.