Author: Edward E. Curtis IV

Edward Curtis is an author, speaker, and professor at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis.

Heartland Muslim Book Tour 2021-2022

Hear a talk or attend a book signing for Edward E. Curtis IV, Muslims of the Heartland: How Syrian Immigrants Made a Home in the American Midwest September 29, 2021 Chicago, Illinois (Virtual) American Islamic College Oct. 16, 2021 Michigan City, Indiana Public Library, 7:30   Oct. 27, 2021 Evanston, Illinois (Virtual link) Northwestern University, 6PM Jan. 20, 2022 Indianapolis, Indiana (Virtual) Indiana Historical Society, … Continue reading Heartland Muslim Book Tour 2021-2022

Edward E. Curtis IV

Muslims of the Heartland: How Syrian Immigrants Made a Home in the American Midwest

The American Midwest is often thought of as uniformly white, and shaped exclusively by Christian values. However, this view of the region as an unvarying landscape fails to consider a significant community at its very heart. Muslims of the Heartland uncovers the long history of Muslims in a part of the country where many readers would not expect to find them. Edward E. Curtis IV, … Continue reading Muslims of the Heartland: How Syrian Immigrants Made a Home in the American Midwest

Edward E. Curtis IV

Arab American Heritage Month 2021

It was a busy and fun Arab American Heritage Month for me. I tweeted @EdwardECurtisIV every day of the month about Arab Americans in Indianapolis and other parts of the state. Among the highlights were two original maps charting the growth of Syrian-owned grocery stores from 1915 to 1940 designed by Jeffrey Wilson, professor of geography and Associate Dean for Research at the IU School … Continue reading Arab American Heritage Month 2021

Edward E. Curtis IV

Concluding My Service to the Journal of Africana Religions

After a decade of work to create a viable journal devoted to the study of religion in Africa and the African diaspora, I told my board last week that I was ready to step down. It is a good time for me to do so since the journal is in an incredibly strong position. In addition to co-founder Sylvester Johnson, its editorial team now includes … Continue reading Concluding My Service to the Journal of Africana Religions

Edward E. Curtis IV

First Mini-Documentary for Arab Indianapolis is Released

It was so much fun to work with Vinnie Manganello, chromapros.com, on the trailer for ArabIndianapolis.Com, my community history project on the contributions of Arab Americans to Greater Indianapolis. IUPUI Honors student Mickey Yoder and Prof. Paul Mullins provided invaluable assistance on the historical content for the piece. We shot the stand-ups on a Sunday morning and then finished the voice-overs later. I found the … Continue reading First Mini-Documentary for Arab Indianapolis is Released

Edward E. Curtis IV

Indianapolis’ Syrian Colony, Buried under Lucas Oil Stadium

Joy supreme has reigned in the Syrian colony on Willard Street since 3 o’clock on Wednesday morning when David Freije hugged to his breast for the first time in eight years his wife Martha and their seven year old daughter Salomey, whom he had never seen before. Indianapolis Morning Star (1905) It took all of grocer David Freije’s hard-earned $400 in savings, the equivalent of … Continue reading Indianapolis’ Syrian Colony, Buried under Lucas Oil Stadium

Edward E. Curtis IV

How Anti-Muslim War Makes U.S. Democracy Impossible

Originally published in Mondoweiss, January 14, 2020: The “usual suspects” are already being rounded up. U.S. citizens with Iranian names and backgrounds are being selected for special screening at the border. City police departments in New York and Los Angeles have vowed to be on alert for Iranian terrorists. It’s been the same story for decades. Nearly anytime the United States has a military conflict … Continue reading How Anti-Muslim War Makes U.S. Democracy Impossible

Edward E. Curtis IV

“Muslim American Politics” Is Published!

Today I received my very first copy of Muslim American Politics and the Future of US Democracy. It is always a thrill to receive the actual book. This book is the culmination of my thinking since 9/11 about the central importance of Muslim Americans to the political future of the United States. I admit that the book is a jeremiad, a lament about the country’s … Continue reading “Muslim American Politics” Is Published!

Edward E. Curtis IV

Indianapolis Imam Warith Deen Muhammad Community Digital Archive Is Published

Indianapolis, IN — Three-dimensional images of a Fruit of Islam uniform and Muslim Girls Training headwear from the 1970s are just a few of the 1,344 unique items in the Indianapolis Imam Warith Deen Muhammad Community digital archive now available to anyone with an internet connection. Fruit of Islam Jacket by IUPUI Center for Digital Scholarship on Sketchfab Curated by the IUPUI Center for Digital … Continue reading Indianapolis Imam Warith Deen Muhammad Community Digital Archive Is Published

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The Transnational and Diasporic Future of African American Religions in the United States

In this article, published in the June 2019 issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Religion, Sylvester Johnson and I call forth a vision for the future study of African American religions in the United States by examining how transnational contact and diasporic consciousness have affected the past practice and are likely to affect the future practice of Christianity, Islam, and African-derived, Orisha-based … Continue reading The Transnational and Diasporic Future of African American Religions in the United States

Edward E. Curtis IV