Author: Edward E. Curtis IV

Edward Curtis is an author and professor at Indiana University, Indianapolis.
Midwest Federation Convention Program 1946

Unique Arab American Archive Launched

November 24, 2025 — The IU Indianapolis University Library has published an online, fully digital open-access archive of the Midwest Federation of American Syrian Lebanese Clubs (MFASLC). Containing over one thousand items ranging from annual convention programs and legal documents to photographs and correspondence among Arab American leaders, the archive is a unique addition to the sources available for the study of Arab American and … Continue reading Unique Arab American Archive Launched

Unknown's avatarEdward E. Curtis IV

Journal of Africana Religions, Once More

This past summer, I rejoined the staff of the Journal of Africana Religions, which I co-founded with Sylvester Johnson in 2011, as interim managing editor. When I left the journal in 2021, the journal was fully staffed. We had recruited three new editors; Prof. Johnson and long-time Managing Editor Jeremy Rehwaldt were also still serving. But by 2025, only two staff members, Prof. Johnson and … Continue reading Journal of Africana Religions, Once More

Unknown's avatarEdward E. Curtis IV

A Muslim American Curriculum for a Million

It may be one of the most important projects on which I have ever worked. For the past couple years, I have served as lead scholar for Hidden Voices: Muslim Americans in United States History, a curriculum written for the New York City Department of Education (DOE), which operates the largest single public school district in the country–over 900,000 students. The first volume is now … Continue reading A Muslim American Curriculum for a Million

Unknown's avatarEdward E. Curtis IV

Syrian Ladies Aid Society of Michigan City

Originally appeared in Traces, Fall 2024, 48-54. Want to know more? You can research the Syrian Ladies Aid Society collection at the IU Indianapolis Library. Established in 1918 in Michigan City, Indiana, the Syrian Ladies Aid Society (SLAS) was a self-defined charitable organization that rendered mutual aid and supported the life of Syrian-Lebanese Christian communities in Michigan City. Its members were among the 1,460 Hoosiers … Continue reading Syrian Ladies Aid Society of Michigan City

Unknown's avatarEdward E. Curtis IV

Indianapolis Cultural Trail South Street Dedication

As lead author of the three historical panels to be installed on the South Street Extension of the Indianapolis Cultural Trail, I was invited by cultural trail leader Kären Haley to give some brief remarks at the ribbon cutting on October 29, 2024. The selection of the sites for the panels was a team effort. City archivist Jordan Ryan, Prof. Sue Hyatt, and I worked … Continue reading Indianapolis Cultural Trail South Street Dedication

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Audiobook for “Muslims of the Heartland” Now Out

The Muslims of the Heartland audiobook, narrated by yours truly, is now available on Apple Books, Audible, Amazon, and other places. The audio is produced by Kent Vernon, the same sound engineer that worked on Arab Indianapolis: A Hidden History. The book tells the story of several Arabic-speaking Muslim families who settled in the Midwest before World War I and nurtured vibrant Arab American Muslim communities between World War I … Continue reading Audiobook for “Muslims of the Heartland” Now Out

Unknown's avatarEdward E. Curtis IV

Directing Arabic and Islamic Studies at IU Indianapolis

I am excited to begin my leadership of the Arabic Studies program and the Arabic and Islamic studies minor this summer at IU Indianapolis. I feel grateful to Dr. Amira Mashhour, who built the program over the past two decades, and to all the community advisers who have pledged their support as I attempt to lead the program. It’s my hope to lead Arabic studies … Continue reading Directing Arabic and Islamic Studies at IU Indianapolis

Unknown's avatarEdward E. Curtis IV
the-Syrian-Quarter-Dedication-Indpls-2024-

Syrian Quarter Marker Dedicated at Lucas Oil Stadium

On April 25, 2024, supporters of the Arab Indianapolis project were proud to dedicate the Syrian Quarter marker at Lucas Oil Stadium, where Syrian immigrants developed the first Arabic-speaking neighborhood in Indianapolis. Speakers included Maria Nimri, St. George Church member; Josh Chitwood, filmmaker of When We Were Syrian and descendant of a Syrian Quarter family; Ron Ellis, grandson of Abraham and Latifa Freije; State Sen. … Continue reading Syrian Quarter Marker Dedicated at Lucas Oil Stadium

Unknown's avatarEdward E. Curtis IV

Syrian Ark: No Longer Lost

This article, published by the Indiana Magazine of History and also available on Project Muse, is the first to document the historical significance of the Indianapolis-based Syrian Ark, the official newspaper of the Midwest Federation of Syrian American Clubs from 1936 to 1954. Extant copies of the periodical provide a detailed record of Arab, Syrian, and Lebanese Midwestern life in the middle twentieth century. Using … Continue reading Syrian Ark: No Longer Lost

Unknown's avatarEdward E. Curtis IV