From a historical perspective, religion has consistently been an important component of daily living for individuals of African descent (Feagin & Feagin, 1999; Lincoln, 1995; Nobles, 1991). Throughout African American history in the United States, religion has played an important role as a preserver of African American heritage, an agent of reform, and an arena by which African Americans can develop and assert personal and organizational leadership skills that may be discouraged elsewhere (Billingsley, 1992; Lincoln & Mamiya, 1990; Mattis & Jagers, 2001; Pipes, 1988; Taylor et al., 1999). While millions of African Americans have embraced Christianity, with the Barna group (2009) reporting that 92% of African Americans sampled identified themselves as Christians, many other African Americans have turned to the Islamic faith. Of the approximately 7 to 8 million Muslims in the United States (Rassool, 2000), it has been estimated that 30–40% are African American (Cooper, 1999; Lumumba, 2003; Ohm, 2003).
