Sherman Jackson has delivered a powerful piece on the history and current situation of religion in the Blackamerican community. Jackson dispels some myths as to why Islam has found such popularity in the Black community. He also provides poignant insight into the nature of how Islam has come to operate in the West. Alternative choices are outlined and provided to the Black community in reconciling with their uniquely Black and Western heritage. I cannot recommend the book enough. A must read for anyone who has religious, social or anthro-social interests.

Dr Jackson write a remarkable summary of the condition of Islam in America, specifically as it relates to the Blackamerican (a term he justifies using early in the book) and Immigrant Muslims. For academics and laypeople, the insights he draws from his research and his own experience as a Blackamerican Muslim are eye-opening, especially as he relates the challenge of indigenizing Islam in America.

He concludes the book with a chapter on Sufism, Muslim spirituality, and the Blackamerican struggle. While I disagree with some of his conclusions, he nonetheless offers Blackamerican Muslims a natural entry point into Sufism, a part of Islam that is greatly maligned in some Muslim circles.

Overall, a must read for Muslim Americans, immigrant, white and black!