Khalil Gibran Muhammad facts for kids

Khalil Gibran Muhammad, born on April 27, 1972, is an American professor and historian. He teaches history, race, and public policy at Harvard University's Kennedy School and Radcliffe Institute. As of January 1, 2025, he became a professor of African American studies and public affairs at Princeton University. Before joining Harvard, he was the director of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. This center in Harlem is part of the New York Public Library and focuses on the history of people of African descent around the world. Earlier in his career, Professor Muhammad was an associate professor of history at Indiana University Bloomington.

Early Life and Education

Khalil Muhammad grew up in a middle-class area of South Side, Chicago. This community was mostly separated by race at the time. He went to Kenwood Academy in Hyde Park for high school. 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 for the Chicago Board of Education. His great-grandfather was Elijah Muhammad, an important African-American religious leader. Elijah Muhammad led the Nation of Islam from 1934 until he passed away in 1975. Khalil Muhammad was two and a half years old at that time.

College and Advanced Degrees

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

He later earned his Ph.D. in American history from Rutgers University in 2004. His studies focused on 20th-century history and African-American history. In 2013, The New School awarded him an honorary doctorate degree.

Career Highlights

After finishing college, Khalil Muhammad worked as an accountant for three years at a company called Deloitte & Touche LLP. He first planned to have a career in business. However, important events like the Rodney King case and the O J Simpson murder case made him decide to switch to studying history and becoming a professor.

Early Work and Teaching

From 2003 to 2005, Professor Muhammad worked as a special researcher at the Vera Institute of Justice. This is a non-profit group in New York City that works to improve the justice system.

In 2005, he joined the faculty at Indiana University Bloomington. There, he taught American history, African American and African diaspora studies, and American studies.

Leading the Schomburg Center

From 2010 to 2015, he served as the director of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. He took over this role from the previous long-time director, Howard Dodson.

Teaching at Harvard and Princeton

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

On October 2, 2024, the Princeton University Board of Trustees approved his new appointment. As of January 1, 2025, Professor Muhammad is a professor of African American studies and public affairs at Princeton University.

Author and Researcher

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

As a scholar, Professor Muhammad is a leader in studying the historical connection between race and crime in the United States. This connection has affected and limited opportunities for African Americans. His research looks at how race influences criminal law, policing, and punishment. He also studies immigration and social reform.

Professor Muhammad is currently working on his second book, titled Disappearing Acts: The End of White Criminality in the Age of Jim Crow. This book explores how the demographics of crime and punishment have changed over time.

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

Professional Activities and Awards

Khalil Muhammad has been an associate editor for The Journal of American History. He was also appointed to the editorial board of Transition Magazine, which is published by the W.E.B. Du Bois Institute at Harvard University. He has served on important groups, such as the New York City Council's Task Force to Combat Gun Violence. He also served on the United States National Research Council's Committee on the Causes and Consequences of High Rates of Incarceration. 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 also regularly appeared on the Melissa Harris-Perry show.

Personal Life

Khalil Muhammad has been married to Stephanie Lawson-Muhammad since 1998. They have three children together. He was named after Khalil Gibran, a famous Lebanese-American artist, poet, and writer.

Selected Works and Publications

• 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.