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On January 31, 2009, the Chicago-based Inner City Muslim Action Network
(IMAN) played host to New York City's
first Community Café. The theme of the evening was "Living the
Legacy," a reference to the American Muslim community’s intellectual,
spiritual and artistic heritage in NYC including in particular civil rights
leader Malcolm X.
The Community Café was held at the historic Malcolm X and Betty Shabazz
Memorial and Education
Center, which was
formerly known as the Audubon Ballroom. The center is a venue that has for
years served as a space to explore the African American Muslim experience and
to connect the city's African American Muslim community to New York City's diverse ethnic and religious
landscape.
Performers ranged from local artists, such as the New York Gnawa Ensemble,
to hip hop star Brother Ali.
Begun in the heart of Chicago
by the city's young Muslim creative community six years ago, Community Café is
an important space that gives American Muslims a forum to explore their community's
emerging cultural aesthetic and utilize artistic expression as a tool for
empowerment and positive social change.
While a post 9/11 environment often situates the American Muslim community
in the context of extremism and foreign political quandaries, American Muslims
are making strides in their own cities and communities by weaving artistic
expression informed by their religious and cultural contexts into America's
social and cultural fabrics.
Posted on January 29, 2009
*Updated Feb. 2, 2009
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