Black History Month is observed every February to learn about, honor and celebrate the achievements of black men and women throughout our nation's history. In this special edition newsletter, we are recognizing leading Atlanta-area Muslim African Americans.
Mr. Al-Hajj Reche' Tariq Abdul-Haqq


Al-Hajj Reche' Tariq Abdul-Haqq is a Muslim African-American interested in building strong families and communities through education, economic enterprise, and mutual aid. Abdul-Haqq is a successful business professional with many years of experience in sales, marketing and leadership. He graduated magna cum laude from Duke University with a degree in History, focusing on the African diaspora. Abdul-Haqq is a member of the trustee board of Masjid Al-Qur'an,  a decade-long volunteer with the homeless feeding program of Sisters United in Human Service, a supporter of Giving Back to Humanity, and a former leader of Masjid Al-Iman in south Florida. He is an active member of the Islamic Speakers Bureau. An aspiring author, Abdul-Haqq is married and a father of six children. In 2007 he was blessed to complete the Hajj under the tutelage of Imam Sulaimaan Hamed and Ustadha Shaheedah Sharif.


Ms. Betty Muhjah Hasan- Amin 

 
Ms. Betty Muhjah Hasan-Amin was born in Durham, NC.  Sixty-seven years ago, in her senior year of high school,  she became paralyzed as a result of a spinal cord injury which caused her to become a wheelchair user until the present day.  In 1979, she graduated with honors from John Hopkins University.   Amin was featured in Edward Curtis's book, 
The Columbia Sourcebook of Muslims in the United States
.  Because of her activism, more American Muslim buildings and events are becoming friendlier to persons with disabilities. The BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) has  featured  a story recounting her unique experience on the Hajj as a pilgrim with a  disability .   She is a founding member of the Clarkston Interfaith Group.   In 2014, Betty Amin and her husband received the Clarkston's Silver Star Award for outstanding service in the community.  She is the author and creator of children's books, a Hajj manual for Muslims with wheelchairs, and more.  She is married to Ronnie Saddiq Amin and together they have three grown children.
Mr. Shannaan Dawda

An Atlanta native, Shannaan graduated from Georgia Southern University Cum Laude with dual degrees in Accounting and Finance. After obtaining his CPA licenses, Shannaan founded True Financial in order to empower people to regain financial control of their lives by providing the necessary coaching and tools to help them become financially self-sufficient. In two years of operation, Shannaan has helped clients pay $400,000 worth of debt and thousands more change their mindset. Shannaan also is the author of the book "From Paychecks to Power: 7 Power Moves Unlock Wealth Building" to expand his reach and give everyone the opportunity to build wealth and gain financial power. Shannaan has recently developed a high school financial literacy curriculum to empower the youth to prevent the same financial mishaps from happening to future generations.


Ms. Jaasmeen Ihsan Hamed

Jaasmeen Hamed is an alumna of Tuskegee University (BA Architecture), and Auburn University (MA Community Planning) and currently works as a Community Advocate.  She has conducted research and project development internationally in the areas of architecture, religion, and international exchange development for college students. She is a parent coordinator for youth programs with the Atlanta Chapter of The Malcolm X Grassroots Movement Organization as well as a board member for a program known as MyWorld which offers global citizenship opportunities for youth. She is the cofounder of a recurring event known as "Urban Ummah: Common Grounds: Coffee & Convert+sations" which offers an opportunity for Muslims to share their faith journeys through the mediums of arts and intimate conversation. Jaasmeen is blessed to be the single mother of one teenage son, and is an active community member within Metro Atlanta, GA.