RELIGION NEWS SERVICE
Oral history project preserves stories of black Muslim seniors amid pandemic
Friday April 17, 2020 | Aysha Khan
As the coronavirus outbreak takes a disproportionately deadly toll on seniors and African Americans, a new oral history initiative aims to train black Muslim youth to document their elderly community members’ stories. The Wisdom of the Elders Project is a “long-overdue” effort to capture black Muslim seniors’ “past, present and uncertain future” before it is too late, coordinator Asha Noor said.
“Our mission is to disrupt the narratives which say our elders are disposable or a burden, rather than what they are, which is carriers of our truth and protectors of our legacy,” Noor said.
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CHICAGO TRIBUNE
Before data showed showed Chicago blacks dying at higher rates, communities of color knew recovery from COVID-19 would be slow
Friday April 10, 2020 | Nausheen Husain and Cecilia Reyes
"Spurred by his concerns about Mounia, and as he found out about more confirmed coronavirus cases in people the family knew, [Tariq] El-Amin, the imam of a South Chicago mosque, later joined the National Black Muslim Covid Coalition, which long before local coronavirus infection data was available, explained to its community what many already knew: Stubborn disparities meant the pandemic would affect black communities more. Margari Hill, a co-founder of the National Black Muslim Covid Coalition, listed ways structural racism hits black and brown communities even before a pandemic comes into play: bias in medical care; targeting by the criminal justice system; neighborhoods that don’t have fresh food access; and a reliance on public transportation."
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MIDDLE EAST EYE
Black Muslims in US fear they could be 'disproportionately impacted' by coronavirus
Tuesday April 7, 2020 | Vanessa Taylor
Dr Kameelah Rashad, the co-director and founder of the Muslim Wellness Foundation, told Middle East Eye that decades of unequal healthcare access and research that is racially biased, could result in Black Muslims witnessing an alarming rate of deaths in their communities. Last month, the Muslim Wellness Foundation (MWF) and Muslim Anti-Racism Collaborative (MuslimARC) launched the National Black Muslim Covid Coalition to help the community contain the disease. "From my vantage point, there was not the sufficient inclusion of Black Muslim concerns," Rashad said.
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THE PHILADELPHIA TRIBUNE
The 'National Black Muslim COVID Coalition' hosts online conference to address health during pandemic
Tuesday April 2, 2020 | Samaria Bailey
“This is a way for us to begin to discuss what is needed for our community to tackle this pandemic,” said Kameelah Mu’Min Rashad, Co-founder of the Coalition. “One of the things I’ve noticed is that misinformation about the coronavirus seems to be spreading as quickly as the virus itself. During this global pandemic, it’s essential we think about our unique experiences, our faith, our cultural resilience - all of this plays a role in how this moment will impact us. Our goal is to disseminate accurate information and share best practices.”
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RADIO/LIVE INTERVIEWS
Judicial Madness & Injustice: Jimmie C. Gardner's Journey of Faith and Exoneration
WURD900AM/96.1FM - Sat April 25, 2020 | 5-6pmEST
Special guest: Brother Jimmie C. Gardner wrongfully imprisoned for 27 years and released 4 years ago this month – April 1, 2016. Raised as a Christian, Mr. Gardner accepted Islam in 1994. He will share his story of faith and exoneration, his efforts to lift up the stories of other incarcerated citizens, and his thoughts about the rights of Muslim prisoners during Ramadan and the impact of COVID on incarcerated individuals.
Host: Dr. Kameelah Rashad
Guest: Jimmie C. Gardner, Board Member, Georgia Innocence Project
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Leadership & Vision: What Does It Mean To Move The Needle Forward?
Black Glue Podcast with host/producer Imam Tariq El-Amin - Fri April 17, 2020
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Our guest is Dr. Kameelah Rashad, founder of Muslim Wellness Foundation and Black Muslim Psychology Conference, and Sr. Margari Hill, co-founder and Executive Director of Muslim ARC (Antiracism Collaborative). They are also the two co-founders of the Black Muslim COVID Coalition, which came into being as a result of the disproportionate impact (and the lack of coordinated response to) COVID-19 has had on Black Americans in general and Black Muslims in particular. Our conversation begins by looking at what has shaped the work of each of these leaders. We also examine some of the existing challenges related to race, as well as gender, present in their work. And finally, we talk about the inherited struggle of Blackness and what it means to move the needle forward?
Host: Tariq I. El-Amin
Guests:
Sr. Margari Hill
Dr. Kameelah Rashad
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The Plague of Social Isolation & Loneliness: Impact of COVID-19 on Our Elders
WURD900AM/96.1FM - Sat April 4, 2020 | 5-6pmEST
On March 11, the World Health Organization declared the Coronavirus outbreak a global pandemic. Much of the coverage of COVID-19 relief to Black/African-American, including Black Muslim elders and seniors focuses on their risk and needs such as food delivery, supplies, and access. These efforts, while beneficial, do not address the needs associated with the isolation and despair that is being caused by social distancing, as well as how they uniquely impact the elderly population. Asha Noor and Dr. Safiyya Shabazz, organizing members of the National Black Muslim COVID Coalition, provide an overview of physical and mental health related risks for elders, as well as tips and recommendations which can be used to empower elders and our communities to reduce isolation and increase our collective knowledge, wisdom and perspective in this time of crisis.
Host: Dr. Kameelah Rashad, Founder & President of Muslim Wellness Foundation | Founding co-Director, National Black Muslim COVID Coalition
Guests:
Dr. Safiyya Shabazz | Owner & Medical Director - Fountain Medical Associates, PC
Asha Noor | Coordinating Director, Communities United for Status and Protection
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Black Muslims Coping Amidst A Pandemic
WURD900AM/96.1FM - Sat March 28, 2020 | 5-6pmEST
COVID-19 is a public health crisis due to the rapidly spreading, highly contagious novel coronavirus. This disease is straining already inadequate health care systems across the country and the world, disrupting our communal faith practices, and drastically cutting household incomes. To address the need for effective planning, preparedness, and organizing during this global pandemic, the Muslim Wellness Foundation, Inc. and Muslim ARC - Muslim Anti-Racism Collaborative have launched the National Black Muslim COVID Coalition (National BMCC). National BMCC organizer members Dr. Kameelah Rashad Founder & President, Muslim Wellness Foundation, Margari Hill, Executive Director, Muslim Anti-Racism Collaborative, Dr. Safiyya Shabazz, Owner and Medical Director, Fountain Medical Associates, PC, and Imam Abdul-Malik Merchant, Chaplain, Tufts University shared more information about this bold initiative on WURD Radio - the only African-American owned and operated talk radio station in the state of Pennsylvania, and one of few in the country.
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"...And He who eases the suffering or distress of his brother (or sister) from the distress of the world, God will ease for him (her) difficulties from the sufferings of the Hereafter."
-Prophet Muhammad (saw)