Aisha al-Adawiya
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Aisha al-Adawiya | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1944 (age 81–82) |
| Other names | Sister Aisha |
| Occupations | Human rights activist, community organizer |
| Known for | Founder of Women In Islam, Inc. |
Aisha al-Adawiya, also known as Sister Aisha, is an interfaith-based activist and founder of Women in Islam, an organization that advocates for Islamic women. She worked for the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture for over 30 years.
Al-Adawiya was born and raised in Alabama.[1] She describes the American South during the 1940s and 1950s as "very segregated, and very unequal" but says she was sheltered from this growing up by her family and other people within her community.[2]
Nation of Islam
So just imagine, here's a young girl, walking into a barbershop that's owned by the Nation. It was classroom time. I was completely open to everything, and they wanted to expose and teach me to what they were doing. They were trying to uplift the community.
After graduating high school in the early 1960s, al-Adawiya moved to Harlem in New York City to pursue a career as a jazz vocalist.[3] al-Adawiya was exposed to the Nation of Islam while seeking a haircut, and entered a barbershop owned by Nation of Islam members. She cites this experience as introducing her to Elijah Muhammad, Pan-Africanism, and Black power.[2] [1]
Inspired by Malcolm X's message of "justice as spiritual calling", she soon converted to Islam.[4] al-Adawiya was also close with Malcolm X's wife and later widow, Betty Shabazz.[3]