Abstract
The presence of Islam in America is now a well-recognized reality, especially since the September 11 terrorists attack. The presence of Islam in the African American community has long been a recognized reality. African Americans knew of Islam from the Nation of Islam and its ubiquitous paper salesmen in the 1970s, the Black hero Malcolm X, the number of Black celebrities who converted to Islam, and the fact that most African Americans know a family member, friend, or neighbor who had converted. Nevertheless, understanding the phenomena of Islam among African Americans and the general society is just beginning. In particular, the masjid, which is the center of the Muslim’s collective existence, is little understood.