Khalil Gibran Muhammad facts for kids

Khalil Gibran Muhammad (born April 27, 1972) is an American professor and historian. He teaches about history, race, and public policy at Harvard Kennedy School and the Radcliffe Institute. Soon, in 2025, he will move to Princeton University to teach African American studies and public affairs.

Before joining Harvard, he was the director of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. This center is part of the New York Public Library system in Harlem. It is a special place for studying the history of people of African descent around the world. Before 2010, Muhammad was also a history professor at Indiana University Bloomington.

Early Life and Education

Khalil Muhammad grew up in South Side, Chicago. This was a middle-class area where people of different races often lived separately. He went to Kenwood Academy in Hyde Park.

His father, Ozier Muhammad, was a photographer for The New York Times and won a Pulitzer Prize. His mother, Dr. Kimberly Muhammad-Earl, was a teacher and administrator. Khalil Muhammad's great-grandfather was Elijah Muhammad. Elijah Muhammad was an African-American religious leader who led the Nation of Islam from 1934 until he passed away in 1975. Khalil was 2 and a half years old when his great-grandfather died.

In 1993, Muhammad earned his college degree in economics from the University of Pennsylvania. While in college, he joined the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity.

Later, in 2004, he received his advanced degree (Ph.D.) in American history from Rutgers University. He focused on 20th-century history and African-American history. In 2013, he received a special award called an Honorary Doctorate from The New School.

Career Highlights

After college, Khalil Muhammad worked as an accountant for three years at a company called Deloitte & Touche. He first planned to work in business. However, important events in the country made him think about justice and society. Because of this, he decided to change his path and study history and become a professor.

From 2003 to 2005, Muhammad was a researcher at the Vera Institute of Justice. This is a group in New York City that works to improve the justice system.

In 2005, he became a professor at Indiana University Bloomington. He taught American history and studies about African Americans.

From 2010 to 2015, he was the director of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. He took over from the previous director, Howard Dodson.

In December 2015, it was announced that Muhammad would leave the Schomburg Center. He moved to Harvard University to teach. At Harvard, he is a professor of history, race, and public policy at the Harvard Kennedy School. He also has a role at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study.

On October 2, 2024, Princeton University announced that Muhammad would join their faculty. He will become a professor of African American studies and public affairs starting January 1, 2025.

Author and Researcher

Khalil Muhammad wrote a book called The Condemnation of Blackness: Race, Crime, and the Making of Modern Urban America. Harvard University Press published this book. It won an award called the John Hope Franklin Publication Prize from the American Studies Association. This award is given to the best book in American studies each year.

As a scholar, Muhammad is a leader in studying the connection between race and crime in the United States. He looks at how this connection has affected opportunities for African Americans. His research explores how race impacts criminal law, policing, and punishment. He also studies immigration and social improvements.

Muhammad is currently working on his second book, Disappearing Acts: The End of White Criminality in the Age of Jim Crow. This book looks at how the types of people involved in crime and punishment have changed over time.

His writings have appeared in many well-known publications. These include The New York Times, The New Yorker, The Washington Post, and The Guardian. He has also been featured on TV and radio shows like Moyers & Company, MSNBC, NPR, and C-SPAN.

Professional Life and Awards

Khalil Muhammad has been an editor for The Journal of American History. He was also recently appointed to the editorial board of Transition Magazine. This magazine is published by the W.E.B. Du Bois Institute at Harvard University.

He has also served on important groups. These include the New York City Council's Task Force to Combat Gun Violence. He also worked with the United States National Research Council on a committee about high rates of people in prison. He is also on the board of the Barnes Foundation.

In 2011, Crain's New York Business named Muhammad one of its "40 Under 40" notable people. In 2012, he was listed as #49 on the Root 100, a list of influential African Americans.

He often appears on the Melissa Harris-Perry show on TV.

Personal Life

Khalil Muhammad has been married to Stephanie Lawson-Muhammad since 1998. They have three children together.

He was named after Khalil Gibran. Gibran was a famous Lebanese-American artist, poet, and writer.

Selected Works

• Muhammad, Khalil Gibran (18 June 2012). "Rodney King's legacy was to blast away the myth of a post-racial US | Khalil Gibran Muhammad". The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/jun/18/rodney-king-legacy-post-racial-us?fb=native.