Oral Histories
Every story preserved becomes part of the history future generations inherit.
Across the United States Muslim Americans have been building communities, shaping public culture, and standing up for human dignity for generations. CME’s curated collection of oral history interviews brings you face-to-face with the individuals who lived those histories. Through candid, unscripted conversations, you will hear firsthand how faith, family, community, migration, work, and public life have shaped individual experiences across generations. Together, these accounts preserve histories that might otherwise go undocumented while expanding our understanding of the many ways Muslim Americans have shaped, and continue to shape, the American story.
Our first three collections are:
Collection 1: Black Muslim Women’s Narratives
Collection 2: Muslim Entrepreneurship and Cultural Life
Collection 3: Muslim Civic Engagement and Public Service
Black Muslim Women’s Narratives
This collection illuminates the experiences of Black Muslim women, revealing how race, gender, faith, and community intersect across their lives as educators, artists, community anchors, and institutional leaders. We wish to thank the Humanities Institute at ASU for providing Seed funds to initiate this project.
Structured to grow over time, this collection provides an open framework to welcome future interviews with Black Muslim women whose personal journeys expand our understanding of American religious and civic history.
Oral History Interview with Jameela Pugh, April 10, 2026
Oral History Interview with Bayyinah Muhammad, June 10, 2026
Content Coming Soon
Muslim Entrepreneurship and Cultural Life
How do business and creative enterprise intersect with faith, heritage, identity, and community space-making? This collection explores how Muslim business leaders draw on personal values and cultural expression to establish dynamic public enterprises that serve the broader community.
Designed as an open collection that will expand with new additions, highlighting how Muslim business owners construct physical and digital spaces that foster hospitality, express identity, and connect local communities to broader global conversations.
Oral History Interview with Akram Abdallah, May 19, 2026
Oral History Interview with Maher Nawaf Arekat, Nov 6th 2024
Muslim Civic Engagement and Public Service
Across local neighborhoods and regional institutions, Muslim Americans have advocated for civil rights, protected civil liberties, built interfaith partnerships, and participated in public life in many forms. This civic engagement has a long history in the United States. This collection examines the varied ways individuals have contributed to public service, from establishing early gathering places to leading civic outreach and policy reform.