Unmasking the Master Narrative: Exclusionary Practices and the Enslaved African Muslims Omar ibn Said, Bilali Muhammad, and Abdulrahman Ibrahima Sori

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the exclusionary practices encountered by enslaved African Muslims in the antebellum United States, with an emphasis on how these practices shaped their lives. The significance of this study is that it sheds light on the challenges faced by individuals such as Omar ibn Said, Bilali Muhammad, and Abdulrahman Ibrahima Sori, offering insights into the workings of historical power structures. The guiding research question is: “In what ways did exclusionary practices impact the lives of the enslaved Muslims under study?” Utilizing a decolonial framework, inspired by the works of Walter Mignolo and Anibal Quijano, the study engages with concepts including the ‘master narrative’, ‘coloniality of power’, and ‘exclusionary practices’ to assess the legacy of oppression. The study contributes to the scholarship by providing a focused analysis of the experiences of enslaved Muslims, a topic that has received limited attention in historical and archival research. The conclusion will synthesize the discussion on exclusionary practices and the ‘master narrative’, reinforcing their importance in historical analysis.