Civil Rights
Movements, leaders, victories and the continuing fight for equality.
Explore the people, places, events, achievements, struggles and stories that shaped our journey.
Movements, leaders, victories and the continuing fight for equality.
Innovation, patents, science, technology and world-changing contributions.
Pioneers, champions, Negro Leagues, records, activism and excellence.
Meet the people whose lives, choices and achievements shaped the journey.
Black towns, communities, institutions and places where history happened.
Moments that changed communities, movements, institutions and the nation.
In 1968 Shirley Chisholm became the first Black woman elected to the United States Congress. In 1972 she launched a campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination, breaking another political barrier.
MORE →Reflects the personal views, recollections, and perspective of the author, Mike Davis.
This is a personal recollection on the Move fire on May 13, 1985
Istiṣḥāb (Arabic: استصحاب transl. continuity) is an Islamic term used in the jurisprudence to denote the principle of the presumption of continuity. It is derived from an Arabic word suhbah meaning accompany. It is one of the fundamental principles of the legal deduction that presumes the continuation of a fact. It is based on probability and can be applied in the absence of other proofs. Istishab, an initiative of ash-Shafii, is the rationalistic principle of extracting a legal solution according to which changes are not considered to occur until clear signs of these changes are apparent. It serves as the basis for many legal rulings such as the presumption of innocence—the person is regarded as innocent unless proven guilty. Malik ibn Anas and ash-Shafii regarded it to be a proof until it is contradicted. Several classical jurists differed over this principle with some Hanafi jurists refusing to regard it as an evidence. It is now widely employed by the contemporary scholars.
Usulism (Arabic: الأصولية, romanized: al-ʾUṣūliyya; from أصول meaning 'foundations' or 'principles') is the majority school of Twelver Shia Islam in opposition to the minority Akhbarism. The Usulis favor the use of ijtihad (reasoning) in the creation of new rules of jurisprudence; in assessing hadith to exclude traditions they believe unreliable; and in considering it obligatory to obey a mujtahid when seeking to determine Islamically correct behavior. Since its surpassing of the Akhbaris in the late 18th century, it has been the dominant school of Twelver Shi'a and now forms an overwhelming majority within the Twelver Shia denomination. The name Usuli derives from the term Uṣūl al-fiqh (principles of jurisprudence). In Usuli thought, there are four valid sources of law: the Quran, hadith, ijma' and 'aql. Ijma' refers to a unanimous consensus. Aql, in Shia jurisprudence, is applied to four practical principles which are applied when other religious proofs are not applicable: bara'at (immunity), ihtiyat (recommended precautions), takhyir (selection), and istishab (the presumption of continuity in the previous state). The term Usuli is also sometimes used to refer more generally to students of usul especially among early Muslims, without regard to Shia Islam. Students/scholars of the principles of fiqh are distinguished from scholars of fiqh itself, whose scholars are known as faqīh (plural fuqahā').
Imam (; Arabic: إمام, imām; pl.: أئمة, a'immah) is an Islamic leadership position. In Shia Islam, the imams are absolute infallible leaders after the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Shia Muslims consider the term to be only applicable to the members of the Ahl al-Bayt, the family of Muhammad. In Twelver Shi'ism there are The Fourteen Infallibles, twelve of which are imams. In Sunni Islam, an imam generally refers to a religious leader, scholar, or the person who leads Muslims in prayer. The position is not necessarily hereditary or divinely appointed. Thus in Sunni Islam, anyone can study the basic Islamic teachings and become an imam.
In Islam, the ʿulamā (US: OO-lə-mah; also spelled ulema; Arabic: علماء, romanized: ʿulamāʾ; IPA: [ʕu.la.maːʔ]; lit. 'the learned ones'; singular عالم, ʿālim; [ʕaː.lim]), also known as Shuyukh or Mawlawi, are scholars and judges of Islamic doctrine and law. They are considered the guardians, transmitters, interpreters and legislators of religious knowledge in Islam. "Ulama" may refer broadly to the educated class of such religious scholars, including theologians, canon lawyers (muftis), judges (qadis), professors, and high state religious officials. Alternatively, "ulama" may refer specifically to those holding governmental positions in an Islamic state. By longstanding tradition, ulama are educated in religious institutions (madrasas). The Quran and sunnah (authentic hadith) are the scriptural sources of traditional Islamic law.
Before the 1921 destruction of Tulsa’s Greenwood District, Black residents had created a remarkable center of business and community life. The district included stores, professional offices, entertainment venues and homes owned by Black citizens. Understanding Greenwood means learning what was built—not only what was burned.
MORE →The Greenwood District.