Khalil Gibran Muhammad
(born April 27, 1972)
is an American academic. He is a professor at
Harvard Kennedy School
The Harvard Kennedy School (HKS), officially the John F. Kennedy School of Government, is the school of public policy and government of Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The school offers master's degrees in public policy, public ...
and the
Radcliffe Institute. He is the former director of the
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, a
Harlem
Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded roughly by the Hudson River on the west; the Harlem River and 155th Street on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and Central Park North on the south. The greater Ha ...
-based branch of the
New York Public Library system, a research facility dedicated to the history of the
African diaspora.
Prior to joining the Schomburg Center in 2010, Muhammad was an associate professor of history at
Indiana University Bloomington
Indiana University Bloomington (IU Bloomington, Indiana University, IU, or simply Indiana) is a public research university in Bloomington, Indiana. It is the flagship campus of Indiana University and, with over 40,000 students, its largest ca ...
.
Early life and education
Muhammad grew up in
South Side, Chicago, a working- and middle-class community that was predominantly
segregated.
He attended Kenwood Academy in Hyde Park. He is the son of
Pulitzer Prize-winning ''
New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' photographer
Ozier Muhammad
Ozier Muhammad is an American photojournalist who has been on the staff of ''The New York Times'' since 1992. He has also worked for ''Ebony Magazine'', ''The Charlotte Observer'', and ''Newsday''. He earned a B.A. in 1972 in photography from Col ...
and Dr. Kimberly Muhammad-Earl, a teacher and administrator at the
Chicago Board of Education.
His paternal great-grandfather is
Elijah Muhammad
Elijah Muhammad (born Elijah Robert Poole; October 7, 1897 – February 25, 1975) was an African American religious leader, black separatist, and self-proclaimed Messenger of Allah, who led the Nation of Islam (NOI) from 1934 until his deat ...
, an
African-American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ensl ...
religious
Religion is usually defined as a social- cultural system of designated behaviors and practices, morals, beliefs, worldviews, texts, sanctified places, prophecies, ethics, or organizations, that generally relates humanity to supernatur ...
leader, who led the
Nation of Islam (NOI) from 1934 until his death in 1975 when Muhammad was years old.
In 1993, he graduated from the
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania (also known as Penn or UPenn) is a private research university in Philadelphia. It is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and is ranked among the highest-regarded universitie ...
with a
bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...
in
economics
Economics () is the social science that studies the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services.
Economics focuses on the behaviour and interactions of economic agents and how economies work. Microeconomics analyzes ...
. During college, Muhammad became a member of the Delta Eta chapter of
Kappa Alpha Psi
Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. () is a historically African American fraternity. Since the fraternity's founding on January 5, 1911 at Indiana University Bloomington, the fraternity has never restricted membership on the basis of color, creed ...
fraternity.
In 2004, Muhammad received his Ph.D. in American history from
Rutgers University
Rutgers University (; RU), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a public land-grant research university consisting of four campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's College, and was ...
, specializing in 20th century and African-American history. In 2013, Muhammad was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from
The New School
The New School is a private research university in New York City. It was founded in 1919 as The New School for Social Research with an original mission dedicated to academic freedom and intellectual inquiry and a home for progressive thinkers. ...
.
Career
After graduation from college, he worked as a public accountant at the financial advisory firm
Deloitte & Touche LLP
Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited (), commonly referred to as Deloitte, is an international professional services network headquartered in London, England. Deloitte is the largest professional services network by revenue and number of profession ...
for three years. Initially planning a career in business, influenced by
Rodney King case
Rodney Glen King (April 2, 1965June 17, 2012) was an African American man who was a victim of police brutality. On March 3, 1991, he was beaten by Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officers during his arrest after a pursuit for driving whi ...
and
O J Simpson murder case, Muhammad decided to shift to history and academia.
From 2003 to 2005, Muhammad worked as a postdoctoral Fellow at the
Vera Institute of Justice
The Vera Institute of Justice, founded in 1961, is an independent nonprofit national research and policy organization in the United States. Based primarily in New York City, Vera also has offices in Washington, DC, and describes its goal as "to t ...
, a nonprofit criminal justice reform agency in New York City.
In 2005, he joined the faculty of
Indiana University Bloomington
Indiana University Bloomington (IU Bloomington, Indiana University, IU, or simply Indiana) is a public research university in Bloomington, Indiana. It is the flagship campus of Indiana University and, with over 40,000 students, its largest ca ...
as professor of American history, African American and African diaspora studies and American studies.
From 2010 until 2015, he served as director of the
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture.
He succeeded long-time director,
Howard Dodson.
In December 2015, it was announced that Muhammad would leave his position at the Schomburg to teach at
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of high ...
. At Harvard he is professor of history, race and public policy at the
Harvard Kennedy School
The Harvard Kennedy School (HKS), officially the John F. Kennedy School of Government, is the school of public policy and government of Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The school offers master's degrees in public policy, public ...
, and holds a dual appointment at
Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study
The Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University—also known as the Harvard Radcliffe Institute—is a part of Harvard University that fosters interdisciplinary research across the humanities, sciences, social sciences, arts, a ...
.
Author
Muhammad is the author of ''The Condemnation of Blackness: Race, Crime, and the Making of Modern Urban America,'' published by
Harvard University Press
Harvard University Press (HUP) is a publishing house established on January 13, 1913, as a division of Harvard University, and focused on academic publishing. It is a member of the Association of American University Presses. After the retir ...
. ''The Condemnation of Blackness'' won the
American Studies Association
The American Studies Association (ASA) is a scholarly organization founded in 1951. It is the oldest scholarly organization devoted to the interdisciplinary study of U.S. culture and history. The ASA works to promote meaningful dialogue about t ...
John Hope Franklin Publication Prize, which is awarded annually to the best published book in American studies.
As an academic, Muhammad is at the forefront of scholarship on the enduring link between
race and crime in the United States
In the United States, the relationship between race and crime has been a topic of public controversy and scholarly debate for more than a century. Crime rates vary significantly between racial groups.
Academic research indicates that the over-re ...
that has shaped and limited opportunities for African Americans. His research interests include the racial politics of criminal law, policing, juvenile delinquency and punishment, as well as immigration and social reform.
Muhammad is working on his second book, ''Disappearing Acts: The End of White Criminality in the Age of Jim Crow'', which traces the historical roots of the changing demographics of crime and punishment so evident today.
His writing has been featured in ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
'', ''The Nation,'' ''
The New Yorker
''The New Yorker'' is an American weekly magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. Founded as a weekly in 1925, the magazine is published 47 times annually, with five of these issues ...
'', ''
The Washington Post
''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
'', ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'', and ''
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
''The Atlanta Journal-Constitution'' is the only major daily newspaper in the metropolitan area of Atlanta, Georgia. It is the flagship publication of Cox Enterprises. The ''Atlanta Journal-Constitution'' is the result of the merger between ...
'', as well as on ''
Moyers & Company'',
MSNBC
MSNBC (originally the Microsoft National Broadcasting Company) is an American news-based pay television cable channel. It is owned by NBCUniversala subsidiary of Comcast. Headquartered in New York City, it provides news coverage and politi ...
,
C-SPAN,
NPR
National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other ...
,
Pacifica Radio, and
Radio One.
Professional affiliations and honors
Muhammad has been an associate editor of ''
The Journal of American History
''The Journal of American History'' is the official academic journal of the Organization of American Historians. It covers the field of American history and was established in 1914 as the ''Mississippi Valley Historical Review'', the official j ...
'',
and was recently appointed to the editorial board of ''
Transition Magazine
''Transition Magazine'' was established in 1961 by Rajat Neogy as ''Transition Magazine: An International Review''. It was published from 1961 to 1976 in various countries on the African continent, and since 1991 in the United States. In recent y ...
'', published by th
W.E.B. Du Bois Instituteat
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of high ...
. He has served or currently serves on the
New York City Council's Task Force to Combat Gun Violence, the
United States National Research Council
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (also known as NASEM or the National Academies) are the collective scientific national academy of the United States. The name is used interchangeably in two senses: (1) as an umbrel ...
's Committee on the Causes and Consequences of High Rates of Incarceration, and the board of the
Barnes Foundation
The Barnes Foundation is an art collection and educational institution promoting the appreciation of art and horticulture. Originally in Merion, the art collection moved in 2012 to a new building on Benjamin Franklin Parkway in Philadelphia, Penn ...
.
In 2011, ''
Crain's New York Business
Crain Communications Inc is an American multi-industry publishing conglomerate based in Detroit, Michigan, United States, with 13 non-US subsidiaries.
History
Gustavus Dedman (G.D.) Crain, Jr. ( Gustavus Demetrious Crain, Jr.; 1885–1973), pre ...
'' chose Muhammad as one of its notable 40 Under 40.
In 2012, he was listed as #49 on the Root 100.
He regularly appears on the ''
Melissa Harris-Perry show''.
Personal life
Muhammad has been married to Stephanie Lawson-Muhammad since 1998.
Together they have three children.
He was named after the
Lebanese-American artist, poet, and writer of the
New York Pen League
The Mahjar ( ar, المهجر, translit=al-mahjar, one of its more literal meanings being "the Arab diaspora") was a literary movement started by Arabic-speaking writers who had emigrated to America from Ottoman-ruled Lebanon, Syria and Palestine ...
,
Khalil Gibran
Gibran Khalil Gibran ( ar, جُبْرَان خَلِيل جُبْرَان, , , or , ; January 6, 1883 – April 10, 1931), usually referred to in English as Kahlil Gibran (pronounced ), was a Lebanese-American writer, poet and visual artist ...
.
Selected works and publications
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References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Muhammad, Khalil Gibran
Living people
University of Pennsylvania alumni
Rutgers University alumni
Indiana University faculty
Harvard Kennedy School faculty
Harvard University faculty
Harvard University Department of History faculty
Writers from Chicago
21st-century American historians
21st-century American male writers
21st-century African-American academics
21st-century American academics
Elijah Muhammad family
1972 births
Historians from Illinois
American male non-fiction writers
21st-century African-American writers
20th-century African-American academics
20th-century American academics
African-American male writers