IHSI Diversity Committee Monthly Resources
Each month, the IHSI Diversity Committee shares recommended reading and resources with the rest of IHSI staff. Curating and sharing these resources gives our team an opportunity to educate ourselves on various topics related to diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice.
Over the past couple of years, we have found that our team appreciates the ability to learn more about a subject they knew very little about or even may not have been aware of.
As an institute devoted to promoting all forms of health, we want to share these resources more broadly with our campus and community stakeholders. We hope that you will find them as useful as we have.
Muslim American Heritage Month
Fatima Ahmed, Assistant Research Biostatistician with IHSI’s Biostatistics, Epidemiology, Research and Design team shared resources to highlight Muslim American Heritage Month as well as a couple of resources pertaining to how the rise in Islamophobia has led to a mental health crisis within the Muslim Community.
Muslim Americans have been making contributions to American culture and society since its inception. Of the 10 million enslaved Africans brought to North America on cargo ships, scholars estimate that at least 10 percent were of Muslim origin. In December 2021, Governor J.B. Pritzker issued a proclamation to recognize January as Muslim-American Heritage Month in Illinois. This proclamation characterizes Muslim American Heritage Month as an opportunity for Illinois residents to learn more and honor Muslim Americans through celebrations of cultural arts, community discourse, and further public recognition of Muslim artists, teachers, entrepreneurs, athletes, and leaders from all sectors. While January is over, we hope you will take a few moments to learn more about Muslims in America.
If you have 5 minutes, please take some time to learn more about the history and contributions of Muslim Americans. The Muslim American Heritage Celebration website highlights notable Muslims and Muslim communities in the US, as well as well as many of their significant contributions to American society, culture, commerce, and innovation. They also provide a curriculum to introduce fifth through ninth grade students to the history and contributions of Muslim Americans.
If you have another 5 minutes, learn more about Muhammad Ali. Among the most notable Muslim Americans is Muhammad Ali, who was born January 17, 1942. Beyond being recognized as one of the greatest boxers of all time, Ali was also a renowned humanitarian who became active in the anti-war and civil rights movements after converting to Islam at the age of 22.
If you have 10 minutes, learn more about the rise in Islamophobia that has occurred since October 7, 2023, when the crisis in Gaza first escalated. Even prior to the genocide in Gaza, Muslims were mostly likely to report experiencing religious discrimination.
If you have 10 more minutes, learn more about the impact of suicide on the Muslim community compared to other faith groups in the United States. While religion is generally considered to be a protective factor for many, the situation is more complex for Muslim in the United States. In the US, Muslims are a minoritized group who are vulnerable to religious discrimination. The crisis is exacerbated by the stigma around mental health in the Muslim community that prevents some Muslim Americans from accessing mental health services as frequently as other groups may.