Brotherhood is important within the Muslim community; Salām or “peace” is a traditional greeting of goodwill extended by those of the faith. Harlem boasts a rich and diverse community, from the smell of soul food to the rhythmic sounds of Afrobeats filling the air, inside it all exists an African Muslim community that embodies the very essence of brotherhood and spirituality. A “Black Mecca”. 

I witnessed this sense of fellowship spending time with brothers Humza and EB, capturing their discipline to pray 5 times daily, while still finding time to be able to give back & be a part of the community that helped raise them. This discipline holds Harlem together and can be seen as we travel from various parks to basketball courts to Masjid, the mosque of the late Malcolm “X” Shabazz. 

I found that the brotherhood within the Harlem Muslim community was similar to my own experiences of being Nigerian growing up in the States: that keeping your sense of brotherhood and devotion doesn’t have to be lost just because your surroundings change, but that they can be embraced and even celebrated amongst differing backgrounds. Mashallah or “what God has willed [will happen]” shows me that my time spent with the community is bigger than myself and that our purpose, our discipline, is to find support within the brotherhood for the good of all. 

Curated By Sade Boyewa (Faces Of Harlem)