Lapel pin for the Muslim Girls Training-General Civilization Class, 1968-1975

Since its inception, in the spirit of Carter G. Woodson, Sapelo Square has commemorated Black History Month with daily Black Muslim History facts. This year, Sapelo Square is exploring the Muslim collection at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC). During Black History Month, we will display a different object each day from the collection, showing how the objects help tell the rich histories of Muslims of African descent in the United States. View the entire series at our dedicated Black History Month 2021 page.

Nation of Islam (NOI) member Hafeezah Muhammad Bahar wore this lapel pin for the Muslim Girls Training-General Civilization Class (MGT-GCC) from 1968-1975. MGT-GCC is the name given to the training received by all the NOI’s female members, who were taught religious instruction, housekeeping, cooking, nutrition, personal and family wellness, household finance, and self-defense. The pin features the standard Qur’anic opening phrase “Bismillah” in English, “In the Name of Allah,” as well as the NOI’s flag. Parallel to the all-male Fruit of Islam (FOI), the MGT-GCC was also organized along a military structure, and provided opportunities for the development of women’s religious and organizational leadership and business development.