DUBAI: An American artist this week unveiled a portrait series which explores what it is like to be both black and Muslim in the US.
Artist Bobby Rogers took to his social media accounts to publish the powerful photos on Wednesday and they have since sparked conversation online.
The series was inspired by the hashtag #BeingBlackAndMuslim that was initiated in 2014 by the Muslim Anti-Racism Collaborative (MuslimARC).
#BeingBlackandMuslim portrait series –– 006 // portrait by @Bobbyrogers_ pic.twitter.com/hHRQn0N987
— Bobby Rogers (@Bobbyrogers_) April 19, 2017
“My #BeingBlackandMuslim series was created to challenge the mainstream meaning of what it is to be ‘Muslim,’” Rogers, who is Muslim, told The Huffington Post. “There is, and always has been, an erasure of Black Muslims from our historical teachings in America, just as there is an erasure of Black and Muslim cultures worldwide.”
#BeingBlackandMuslim portrait series –– 005 // portrait by @Bobbyrogers_ pic.twitter.com/NRm08G9NEY
— Bobby Rogers (@Bobbyrogers_) April 19, 2017
Islam is the world’s fastest-growing religion, according to a recent Pew Research Center study.
There are currently 1.8 billion Muslims worldwide and the study estimates that from 2010 to 2050, Muslims will increase across the world by 73 percent while Christians are set to increase by 35 percent.
#BeingBlackandMuslim portrait series –– 004 // portrait by @Bobbyrogers_ pic.twitter.com/EqmPPsJsMY
— Bobby Rogers (@Bobbyrogers_) April 19, 2017
#BeingBlackandMuslim portrait series –– 009 // portrait by @Bobbyrogers_ pic.twitter.com/nx6PfftDTl
— Bobby Rogers (@Bobbyrogers_) April 19, 2017
