SEPTEMBER 2022
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A Washington Project for the Arts (WPA) Wherewithal Research Grant video essay investigating the sudden and short-lived mass conversion to Islam amongst Black youth in the DC-metro area between 2009-2012, with research partner Hope Willis.
The driving question of this multimedia research project was, “What influences drove a significant portion of DC’s Black youth to practice Islam and self-identify as Muslims?” Five-hundred tweets, two MuslimLink and one Medium article later, we define the role of Islam in the lives of those affected youth.
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/1711d6e43c5bfdd0b66508c068b1735b9b23d6c7ed234a5f8099f6f0a649f95f/WAMU_Affordability_HopeAlexandraWillis_Selects-3.jpg)
This research was conducted with 4th generation native-Washingtonian, Hope Willis, a multidisciplinary artist, historian of the Middle East/North Africa region, and player of various roles in her local D.C. community.
The following are some images that stand out from the full presentation (above).
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/3ecd7e4c75af839ef50092c57d7db1cb5c401921d9054bef70bcab3cd896e84a/KAPP-Presentation-.jpg)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/98e6be31f995246f486df4ae0bddf4e9c1d581f417e556ddfc954f49a7a87f91/KAPP-Presentation--1.jpg)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/4bf410fac81602e928c43b0998b69627ac96b0a5fe6ddc859d5c041df8b55849/KAPP-Presentation--2.jpg)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/b054c9bc0dd94d86822ef5977abc260a0019afe8c4c62639f42040b9f3f5c70d/KAPP-Presentation--11.jpg)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/a8d2923f8af27bf53535a85358ba3963cc8432c590cbd0180299aa2b3dc5cf2b/KAPP-Presentation--7.jpg)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/6c240f0b7ba6510bb35d18e372f159bcf67f162c433abe6b607570e3b03f48d1/KAPP-Presentation--6.jpg)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/e665dee51132383bfac010454e302b965a45c3c718f94a652f77813a4e2d28f1/KAPP-Presentation--5.jpg)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/6fc24e0e64535ac3fbe012b2e462abe57196a4a6e85dd420219f7f792ffec42e/KAPP-Presentation--4.jpg)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/59da08e1394a9ce89d29e8d76d388cdc579448b11b27c87ae47e5217d52e08f3/KAPP-Presentation--3.jpg)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/88871d04f096bd3c08679b7c9e643e5f5ad13e1cd6d462845cd913fefea14f90/KAPP-Presentation--8.jpg)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/298e98ec44a1d864e0fcf6a61c9f1e755ff6da9e20fc1177511c516f702c5d14/KAPP-Presentation--9.jpg)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/b457719140c2506f7bf30e86a24d26af05ad0dcefa973cf9448c44ac21d27009/KAPP-Presentation--10.jpg)