American Muslim Students during the Cold War

Through the 1970s, the Muslim Students’Association (MSA) was the only Muslim organization in the United States that boasted a national reach, with campus chapters in every geographic region. Embracing a revivalist and activist program, MSA members created Muslim spaces on campus, as well as mosques, schools, financial trusts, and non-profit organizations off-campus in order to reinvigorate religious practice among American Muslims and to improve the public image of Islam. In this lecture, Justine Howe, Assistant Professor of Religious Studies, explores how the MSA shaped U.S. religious politics as its members navigated the challenges and opportunities of Cold War America. An informal lunch will be served.