Dr. Rita Smith-Wade-El Center for Intercultural Student Engagement

CISE

Welcome back to school, Millersville students! We hope you had a restful break and are staying warm despite the bitter cold. The darkest of the calendar nights are behind us. Slowly, the days from here on out will be getting longer, and the warmth of the sun returning with it. 

But for now, we are in January- which, did you know- is Muslim American Heritage Month! 

This is a time to teach, to learn, and to celebrate Muslim heritage, as well as a time to learn about and celebration the many Muslim historical figures who have graced our young country’s history, and whose contributions can still be felt to this day. 

The Muslim American Leadership Alliance (MALA), founded in Chicago in 2015, are the ones who created The Muslim American Heritage Organization. Their desire to celebrate their culture and history in January comes from the death of the famous Yarrow Mamout. Mamout was a man kidnapped from his home in West Africa and sold into the American slave trade. After 44 years of enslavement, Mamout at 60 was able to buy his freedom as well as that of his son’s, 7 year old Aquilla. He then went on to become one of the greatest financiers of the Washington D.C area.   In MALA’s own words:

“As a member of the United Nations Economic and Social Council, MALA launched, ‘Muslim American Heritage,’ as an effort to promote diversity, inclusion, and address various topics that are impacting our community. The Muslim American Heritage Celebration was created to help promote public appreciation of Muslim-Americana – the diverse contributions Muslims have made to our nation’s culture and progress. - …The national observance spotlights Muslims embracing freedom to pursue the American Dream and celebrates Muslim contributions to American society. Educational materials provide schools with lesson plans to explore Muslim American heritage.”

Here, at Millersville, we have the Muslim Student Association (MSA). They, much like MALA, strive to support the education and celebration of Muslim heritage. Specifically, MSA works to bring Muslim and Non-Muslim students together, and provide them with resources so as to ensure a strong, healthy network of support to aid them in their degree path. Their goal of fostering unity on campus is a mission of, “tolerance, intercultural education, communication, and acceptance,” one which the Center for Intercultural Student Engagement (CISE) supports.  

It was only in 2025 that House Democratic Representative André Carson of Indiana proposed House Resolution 61 to the 119th Congress of the United States. In it, he expressed a desire to show Federal support for this acknowledgement of heritage, one which has been a continuous and growing part of the Great American Melting Pot. There are other heritage months that acknowledge the vast and varied backgrounds and cultures of other American groups. Why not this? 

House Resolution 61 has not yet been passed. Ergo, Muslim American Heritage Month is still not federally recognized. 

But this is January, the beginning of the year, the beginning of the return to sunshine and warmth. There is no darkness that lasts forever. Spring is proof of that. As such, if the federal acknowledgement of heritage is important to you, you can absolutely use the information below to contact your congressional representative and encourage them to support House Resolution 61 and other similar bills. 

We are the Great American Melting Pot. We are singular parts of a great whole. We can, and should, celebrate that. 

If you would like to find out more about various cultural events here on campus, please feel free to check our events section, where we post information, ongoings, and resources for all Millersville Students. 

House bill federally recognizing Muslim American Heritage Month:https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-resolution/61/text

Muslim American Heritage Organization :https://muslimamericanheritage.org/

Muslim American Leadership Alliance : https://malanational.org/ 

Muslim Student Association: https://getinvolved.millersville.edu/organization/msa_millersville