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Su'ad Abdul Khabeer

@doctasuad

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semi-prominent negro intellectual; author: Muslim Cool; curator: @umisarchive ; 4eva supporter: @sapelosquare ; contact: doctasuad.com

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It’s hard to believe it’s been 10 years since my 1st book, Muslim Cool, was introduced to the world! And in those 10 years, it has been read by students and scholars and everyday people from Chicago to Brazil to the UK to Doha! I am so grateful that I have been able to have that kind of impact with my work, and that, it’s made such an impact that NYU press, decided to republish the book with a new preface that I wrote, which talks about what has changed and what has stayed the same since the publication of the previous edition. So get you your new copy. Available TODAY everywhere books are sold! And shout out to everyone who has read the book, taught the book, told somebody about the book, this moment includes you too!

Whenever I’ve signed a book I always offer this message: We gonna be alright, Pa’lante!

10 years later: We STILL gonna be alright, Pa’lante! by @doctasuad

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3 months ago

1996. Omdurman #sudan Me with the Canadian activist Khadijah Haffajee (Allah have mercy on her), a Panamanian Muslim activist (in red and gold), Sis. Habibah Muhammad, who founded one of the older Islamic schools in NY Al-Madrasa Al-Islamiya, a sis from Jersey (in black) and our Sudani host.

I had just graduated from high school and through my father got invited to this international Muslim women’s conference being hosted in Sudan. This picture was at a reception where I drank this red drink that was just like sorrel but was called karkade and my diasporic consciousness was reaffirmed :) (just noticed Sis Habibah is holding the glass)

We were guests of the state* so we rode in a motorcade. I remember them clearing the streets for our bus, military demonstrations by women soldiers, sitting in a UN style room as part of the US delegation, nodding off at Hasan Turabi’s house (I was so tired that day!) and debating feminism with Margot Badran (yes, at the ripe old age of 18 lol). I also remember every Sudanese person I met was beautiful. I am actually named after a Sudanese woman (I am trying to find her story), maybe some of the beauty rubbed off on me :)

I wonder where my host is now. I don’t remember her name but I am sure wherever she is on this side or the other side (of the living) she wants freedom from war and exploitation and unfettered self-determination for her people and I do too.

*I DEFINITELY had no real sense of the politics there at the time, I just remember thinking that they were like me, Muslim and Black and were trying to preserve their sovereignty by @doctasuad

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10 months ago

Today is my birthday! And this year I celebrate how far I’ve come by sharing my latest work of art: The Divorce Suite

The Divorce Suite is a chapbook of poetry and art-making born of one of the most painful and life-changing experiences: #divorce . It narrates my journey with divorce, a journey marked by sadness and beauty, ritual, and communal care. I was married for 16 years and so the kind of uprooting divorce brings made me rethink how I relate to so much in life. So while the work was initiated by my divorce it reflects deeply into many relationships—with parents, with friends, with God, and with self.

I have written and am sharing my journey publicly because I’m an artist who makes beautiful things out of pain to open up important conversations. With The Divorce Suite I dare to name and transform the pain of separation into something healing, sacred, and shared.

I am publishing independently and limited edition signed copies go on sale June 25 drop “suite” in the comments to be the first to get yours!

I Invite you to pick up a copy and join the conversation.

Filming and Editing: @malikahcreates
Guitar: @tazeen.ayub
Book Design Collaborator: @fourevereve

A Love Supreme

Looking in the mirror
bucket naked
outside and in,
I tilt my head
to the right to examine
then left to explore
twist to check the back
then center to face
and at every angle
I’m beautiful,
SO beautiful,
a marvel really.
Those eyes
that smile
those thighs
Girl!, that mind
Oh! that heart!
A marvel really,
made for love songs
Wait, I hear the rhythm
slow dub, deep base
the melody makes my hips swing
and the strings!
strumming
intricate ripples up my spine
I sing along with myself
to myself
about myself
sweet somethings
in my ear:
Isn’t she
so amazing
If this world were mine
I’d give you everything
Nothing can keep me from
loving you
I love you
need you
Honey,
I’m in love wit you
Love wit you. by @doctasuad

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a year ago

So the thing about archives is you often find yourself in them, literally, of course @umisarchive is my mother’s/family archive, but it was still a surprise for me to find this recording of myself. The full audio is about 9 mins. Teaching is definitely in the blood, Umi was a teacher and my grandma too although as a child I didn’t want to really be a teacher, but clearly wanted to play one on 📺😂while my audience is primarily imaginary students the babbling you hear in the background is my sister @dravery2017 which means I was probably 10 or 11 so this is from ‘88/89. I went to look up the book I was reading and it is an ESL book which makes sense because my mother taught junior high ESL for probably half of her career as a public school teacher. Edwidge Dandicat was one of her students!
It’s quite validating to hear this too. I’ve always been teaching “the truth to the young black youth!” And the accent, evidence of my bonafide Brooklyn origins! by @doctasuad

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a day ago

What’s a conversation Muslims avoid but we NEED to have? 🎤👀

This sister brought up singleness and the need for our community to actively support Muslims seeking marriage. Saying “be patient” is one thing but what resources and real support are we offering?

Faith and action go together. How can we show up for our single brothers and sisters? ⬇️

#letsaskmuslims #muslimcommunity #muslimmarriage taken in Atlanta, Georgia by @doctasuad

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5 days ago

I spent the last three evenings at the movies! It was definitely a first and it was definitely for good reason: I was at the movies for what is a really remarkable film: Your Mother, Your Mother, Your Mother. On Thursday, the eve of the ninth anniversary of my mother‘s passing I went alone. On Friday, @curry_crayola , who I’ve known for a min, asked me to moderate an impromptu Q&A after a screening - to which my response was - say less. I watched again Saturday night at amidst beloved community members (shout out to the organizers @islamiccommunityspace ) There’s so much I want to say about this film and I will in a longer written form but for this post, I just want to lift up my experience of the audiences, people who saw themselves in the characters like a young Black Muslim woman from Atlanta, who says she too had a daddy who did not play about his family, and the actress, Shakirah DeMesier, who played the mother who spoke with such pride about being in the film (and complimented my moderation 💅🏽) And the questions of faith and grace and hypocrisy the film brings to the fore. Oh and all tears shed. Each night, I saw audiences be deeply moved by this film.

Like I said, my longer thoughts soon come, but for now, I still got four words: Go See The Movie by @doctasuad

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8 days ago

Your Mother. Your Mother. Your Mother.
Ya Umi. Ya Umi. Ya Umi.
Yo Mama. Yo Mama. Yo Mama.

Full review soon come by @doctasuad

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10 days ago

Hey ATL! Join me and some other scholars pushing boundaries this Friday! I’ll be doing a scene from my latest one-woman show Umi Says #linkinbio by @doctasuad

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19 days ago

by @doctasuad

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23 days ago

#backtoschool #blackislam #freepalestine🇵🇸 by @doctasuad

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a month ago

Kinda chic: making community-building a priority. 💚

Because hyper-independence was never supposed to be the goal.

I want the kind of life where we check on each other, celebrate each other, share resources, show up when things get hard, and build something that feels bigger than any one person.

Community doesn’t mean having no boundaries or depending on everybody for everything. It means intentionally creating relationships where care, support, accountability, and reciprocity are part of the culture.

Very into bringing the village back. 😂 #wellnesswithdravery taken in Atlanta, Georgia by @doctasuad

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2 months ago

I woke up this morning and remembered it was 1st of August! The beginning of #blackaugust I went down memory lane to this podcast episode I did with Sapelo Square to remind me of all the important things in our history that happened in August and some things I’ve learned since! You can hear the episode by going to sapelosquare.com.

What other events important to Black #liberation happen this month? How are you commemorating Black August? by @doctasuad

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2 months ago