Our vision is for Sapelo Square to be a source of expert content on Black Muslims and the issues that impact their lives as Black people and as Muslims. We are rooted in the experiences of the African diaspora as lived primarily but not exclusively in the US. Black Muslims will always be at the center of our work—our histories, experiences, challenges and contributions.
We pair our quest for expertise with a parallel commitment to accessibility and relevance. We believe that content about Black Muslims should be accessible to Black Muslims and the broader public and should also be relevant to their experiences. We aspire to share, curate and produce content that pushes our audience to think in imaginative ways, which drives action and influences innovative change that brings the world that much closer to universal justice and liberation.
Sapelo Square is a digital media and education collective that celebrates, but also thinks deeply, inquisitively and with some rigor about the experiences of Black Muslims in the United States, to create new understandings of who we are, what we have done, and why that matters.
We do this by creating and curating content developed to increase public awareness and action on key issues facing Black Muslims and communities of color in the United States through thought leadership and resources for research on Black Muslims. Additionally, we amplify the work of Black Muslim scholars, creatives, activists, and emerging authors, play the role of convener for social justice forums and provide educational opportunities that target Black Muslims.
On Our Name
We take the name “Sapelo” from one of the first communities of African Muslims in the United States founded in the early 1800s. On Sapelo Island, off the coast of Georgia, enslaved African Muslims struggled to hold onto their Islamic roots amidst the dehumanizing institution of slavery. Like the celebrated Congo Square of New Orleans, we take the name “square” in reference to the town square as a community space and a cultural hub for African-descended people.