Join artist Nsenga Knight in conversation with scholar Umar Sheikh Tahir for a discussion on historic and contemporary decolonization struggles. This program is presented in conjunction with Knight’s exhibition Close to Home, currently on view at the Queens Museum. The conversation will explore pivotal moments of resistance and activism from the 1960s to the present, focusing on Africa, the Caribbean, Palestine, and other regions that have played central roles in global decolonization movements.
The discussion will examine how both formal and informal networks shaped these movements, guiding critical thought and inspiring collective actions for justice, the effects of which are still reverberating today. Drawing connections between current decolonization efforts in Africa, its diaspora, Palestine, and related regions, the conversation will highlight how core Islamic principles have informed and supported struggles for independence, sovereignty, and self-determination.
Knight and the presenters will also focus on the influence of these movements on the emergence of the Black Muslim community in the United States, emphasizing the spiritual and intellectual cross-pollination that has guided these interconnected struggles. Figures such as Malcolm X will be discussed, with a particular focus on how leaders from different continents built spiritual foundations and liberatory tactics that continue to impact today’s justice movements.
The program will include a screening of Hisham Aidi’s documentary film Malcolm X and the Sudanese (2020), which tells the story of Sudanese economist Ahmed Osman’s profound role in Malcolm X’s life and death — drawing him to Sunni Islam, organizing his hajj to Mecca, and even speaking at his funeral. Malcolm X and the Sudanese tells the story of their friendship and provides a fascinating window into Malcolm X’s connection to Sudan.
Listen to a Recording of the Discussion
